getting leg up?

[Guest imadancer]

hey everybody!

I can't seem to ever get my leg up in developpes to the front. I have good extension to the side and back, but the front is beyond me. It almost seems like my hip wont let my leg go any higher. I'm fairly flexible so I don't think thats the problem--what should I do?

any help is much appreciated

[Victoria Leigh]

What do you mean by up, imadancer? How high is it now, with good placement and rotation? If it will go up without lifting your hip or turning your leg in to the side, then it should go to the front too, although front is usually not quite as high as side.

[Guest lil_ballet_isabella2005]

i think you should do the same thing my allstar cheerleading coach tells us to do. keep practicing in a split, rotating your hips so your leg is in front of your body. Hold it for a while, that should strech it out and you will get the feel of it. if you can do it in a split, you should be able to do it standing up.

[TomarkenFan89]

hey everybody!

I can't seem to ever get my leg up in developpes to the front. I have good extension to the side and back, but the front is beyond me. It almost seems like my hip wont let my leg go any higher. I'm fairly flexible so I don't think thats the problem--what should I do?

any help is much appreciated

I do have one question for you - are you having trouble on both sides, just the right, or just the left?

[Victoria Leigh]

Dancers, I am waiting for a reply to my question from the original poster. I have a feeling I know what is happening, however I do not want to advise until I hear from her. In the meantime, advice on Young Dancers is given by moderators, not by teens. You may relate anecdotal experience, AFTER the question has been answered by a teacher/moderator, however please do not state it in the form of advice. Thank you!

[EmilyPdancer]

i have the same problem...but a different version of the problem. i am very flexible and can get my leg high if someone is holding it up, but i dont seem to have teh streingth to get my leg up (at a higher extention) by myself. are there any excersizes to help improve extention streingth?

[Victoria Leigh]

Strength to hold extension often comes a bit later than the extension itself. Dancers still growing sometimes don't gain that strength until they stop growing. The only way to get it is to do it, that is, hold the leg up. Try taking it off of the barre to the front and side, and hold it for a moment before slowly bringing it down.

[Marenetha]

Well - this is sort of a related problem. Not really, but ... I guess. It has to do with the leg, anyway. When we're stretching at barre, my teacher often has us put a leg croise devant on the barre, and cambre to the back. When I'm standing on the right foot, I can go very deep, but on the left, I can't do anything. It doesn't really hurt, but I feel a slight pinch around the back of my hip socket. Do you think that I just have some sort of muscular imbalance, or am not well stretched there, or ? I can't think of what it could be.

[Mel Johnson]

Amanda, it sounds to me as though you're standing outside of your control zone when you stand on your left foot. I would almost bet that you are standing in back of where you should be. Trying scrootching the left foot a bit closer to the barre.

[Guest imadancer]

I'm so sorry its been so long-- we performed the Nutcracker last weekend and I haven't had much time.

With good placement and rotation-my leg is between 45% and 90% high. I can do the splits, and yes, I have this problem on both sides.

hope this helps

[Victoria Leigh]

If you have 90º extension to the front, with good placement and rotation, then I think you are fine. It will increase, but give it a bit more time, and a lot of patience Just keep working, and be very sure that your weight is lifted up out of your heel on the supporting leg! When you stretch, work a lot on your hamstrings, but slowly and carefully.

[Guest imadancer]

thanx