Mastering the Center Split and Frogge

[Nycbdancer]

Hi... sort of new here and I didn't find a thread on my topic so I thought I'd just ask outright.

 

I have both my right and left split, but no matter how hard and often I stretch, my frogge and my center split just simply refuse to improve at all.

 

I have asked several teachers both at my studio, and at my SI's but everything they tell me to try, I'm already doing...

 

 

Please help.... any advice would be appreciated

[Victoria Leigh]

Hello Jackye, and welcome to the Young Dancers' forum here on Ballet Talk for Dancers!

 

I'm not sure what Frogge is, but I think you might mean Frog? The one where you lie on your stomach, bend your knees out to the side, and push the heels down to the floor?

 

If that is the case, then both that and the center splits are more about rotation than the front splits, which is why they would be more difficult for some people. If your rotation from the hips is not terrific, that would be why you can't do these two stretches as well yet.

 

The things is, that WORKING them is what it's all about. They are stretches. The point is not that you CAN DO them, but that you WORK on them as an exercise to improve your rotation and flexibility. In other words, being able to "do" the splits is really not the most important thing in ballet! It's just another stretch.

[Mel Johnson]

I'm not sure what Frogge is, but I think you might mean Frog? The one where you lie on your stomach, bend your knees out to the side, and push the heels down to the floor? 

Well, she could have been in the frog for quite a long time. That's the way it used to be spelled in the days of Queen Elizabeth I.

 

(Just like former Vice-President Quayle, who could have been talking about a very OLD "potatoe".)

[Nycbdancer]

Thanks Ms. Leigh and Mr. Mel

 

I asked one of my SI teachers and she told me not to only do them for long periods a couple times a day. She said to try stretching them for short intervals of 5 to ten minutes or so several times. I guess I'll try that.

 

Thanks for all your help

[ping]

I have read that the frog is very hard on your knees.

 

I just got a machine that is called Rotator Disks they are like the Funtional Footprints. These unlike the frog don't stretch, they strengthen your rotator muscles. Which Hopefully will improve my turnout. I highly reccommend them.

 

ping

[Victoria Leigh]

HOWEVER, Nycbdancer, you MUST be warmed up to work on splits of any kind! Therefore, doing them several times a day is not practical. Do them between barre and center, and then after class. If you take two classes, do them again. Otherwise, NO.