Knees over hyperextending.

[Guest Danceidiot12]

When I am dancing, my knees will bend way back. My leg is like curved. My knees are now starting to hurt. I dont know what to do about over hyperextending knees. Please help!!

[Mel Johnson]

Ms. Leigh is the real expert here about hyperextension, as that is a condition she had to overcome, but I'll take a whack at this just to get the ball rolling. Me, all I had to work with was bow legs!

 

In order to get the legs to act as if they were straight, they have to appear straight, and not make full travel into a fully back-and-locked position. The leg has to appear straight and then be held in what may feel like a partially-bent knee. It doesn't feel straight, but it is straight! Lots of practice and using your teachers' eyes to "see outside yourself" until you can do that yourself will help. In taking fifth positions, you may find that you have to make it really a very short fourth, with less than a hand's width between the feet. A good way to judge how much to unlock the knees is to stand in first position with the knees locked, then edge the heels together until they just touch. If you're truly hyperextended, the first position in the full-locked position will force your heels apart. If you correct for the hyperextension in first, that's the amount you have to correct throughout all of your work.

[Guest ballet princess]

I would post this as a new thread, but I thought it fits under this topic because it has to do with knees. I hope its okay !

 

Well, here is my problem (but please answer Danceidiot12 's post first because she started the thread!): I have bowlegged knees and I hate it! Please help me fix this problem!

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Cathy

[Victoria Leigh]

Bowed legs cannot be changed, that is structural. However, one can learn to work the rotation well enough that they can look good, especially if your feet are pretty good. Mr. Johnson is the expert on this problem

[Mel Johnson]

Being bowlegged (arqué) is really not much of a problem. In fact, I've known dancers who wish they WERE bowlegged. It comes in really handy when it comes time to jump, 'cause we've got ballon to spare!

 

About the only thing to remember is that the leg, as in hyperextension, has to look straight. Making the absolute most of the rotation you have from the hip is what's needed here. The only other thing I can think of in terms of problems is taking fifth position. In this positions, the knees may be very slightly unlocked as in hyperextension, because the knees kind of interfere with one another. But that's OK, locking anything in ballet is generally the wrong thing to do, it's just that we arqué people have to know just what's right for us, and pull both up through the legs, and have a feeling of being really connected with the floor, almost like having roots. You have to really use your feet when you jump, or do anything, for that matter, but when you're bowlegged, articulation of the foot becomes really, really important.

[Guest ballet princess]

Thanks sooo much! I always heard of all the bad things about being bowlegged, but I now know that there are some good things! yey! ;) This post helped me so much. Now I know why I'm a good jumper... hehe. ;)

 

Cathy*

[Guest Danceidiot12]

Thanks so much, I will try to straighten my legs. But it is really hard to do that when you are dancing. It really feels like my legs are bending. I guess I will keep at it. Thanks!! It is hard to get rid of it. I just dont want knee problems when I get older. Bye:)