Overflexiblity?

[Guest NuAnointingDancer]

What exactly is overflexiblty? One of my dance teachers told me that it is good to be flexible, but I should not become as flexibly as she is (she's like gumby!). Now I'm confused. I am trying to increase my flexiblity level and don't want to overdo it, but I don't know what the limit is. Can anyone help me?

 

Thanks,

 

NuAnointingDancer

[Guest traviata]

I think overflexibility can be a problem only if you are naturally overflexible: people naturally overflexible often suffer from sprain. But if you are not, I think you can try to increase your flexibility as much as you want, without taking risk.

[Mel Johnson]

Although none of us can see you, I think that what your teacher was aiming for was to tell you to develop flexibility AND strength to support it AND rotation at the same time and in parallel. I was a little lucky in that I developed the strength and rotation first, then when I was about 18 years old, the flexibility came on all at once. It was pretty weird, I guess, for my usual classmates to see me suddenly doing developpés up past the shoulder and a six o'clock arabesque. I know it was for me!

 

Now, Traviata, this is a Young Dancers' Forum, and as you have mentioned elsewhere that you're 24, adults are asked not to post here, although your idea has merit. Since the idea is good, and the mistake was obviously made in innocence, I'm going to leave it. No response is necessary.