ARABESQUE MAYHEM!

[FlexNPointe123]

My face goes like that when I try to do arabesque! I think its in my hip, but I cant lift my leg in arabesque! My left leg is better than my right leg, but its still not very good. It hovers around the height of 90 degrees....which isnt very good. If anyone has any stretches or kind words, I would strongly appreciate them! Thank you!

[vrsfanatic]

Almost everyone has one side that feels better than the other side of the body, particularly in arabesque. Without seeing you it is hard to say exactly what to do. Have you run a search to find other times this subject has come up for discussion. I am sure it is here somewhere. The archives are indeed quite helpful and enjoyable to read. I suggest looking under "arabesque" and there will be a wide variety of discussions!

[FlexNPointe123]

Thank you, I will try anything! I really appreciate it! What might be getting me down is that everyone else in my level has good extension to the back! Well, I may get them back a little bit with my ala seconde (spelling?)!! Thanks again!

[Victoria Leigh]

That was very close, FlexNPointe! It's à la seconde

[FlexNPointe123]

Thanks Ms. Leigh, I will try to remember that!

[Mel Johnson]

Just as long as your face doesn't go like this --

[FlexNPointe123]

okay!! hehehe! I will try to make it like this:

[Guest limeymauve]

hey! i hope the Mr. Johnson and Ms. Leigh don't mind me saying something--if I'm wrong just tell me--but i've been working on my arabesques a lot recently, and I think that a lot of the strength and even flexability comes from your back. I mean, I've been doing stretches to make my back more flexible (like bridges, etc.) and also working on strengthening my back, and it's really helping my arabesque. Some of the things I've been doing to strengthen are just holding my arabesques for awhile, laying on my stomach with my feet held down and doing sort of "sit-ups" to the back, and doing arabesques on the floor. I don't know about the facial expressions but maybe this will help with the arabesque part!

[Guest thumpinhippo]

I've been told not to do the bridge because it is actually injuring you...but then again, I remeber doing it a lot when I was little! Does anybody know whether it's helpful or harmful?

[mandy1313]

Whenever I do "backwards sit ups" I always feel it in my but rather than my back. What am I doing wrong?

[Mel Johnson]

"The bridge" won't usually hurt little kids. Not a lot of weight there. You will feel the "back situps" in your rotator muscles a lot, because the muscles which help you do them go all the way down to the knees and all the way up into your back! The bottom is about the middle of the whole thing. And besides, those muscles are bigger, likely to feel them more. Also, there are rather a lot more nerve endings down there than in your back, so there's a sensitivity issue going on here, too. If we had as many nerve endings in our backs as in our fronts, just walking would be unbearably painful!

[Guest limeymauve]

So is the bridge okay for teens, too? When I started doing them my back was sore, but I figured that was just because I wasn't used to it and I was stretching out my muscles.

[Mel Johnson]

It's neither one thing nor the other as far as I'm concerned. Just be careful how you get out of it. That's where most people get hurt.

[Guest Payge Flewelling]

ya i herd that from my friend !