Narrow hips

[lampwick]

I've read that narrow hips is the preferred body type for ballet. I think it's mentioned in the Gretchen Ward Warren book. From my observations though, I've noticed that girls with a wider hip structure tend (generally) to have better rotation and placement. I'm not talking weight at all, just bone structure.

 

My hips are very narrow and I tend to be somewhat tight, and have to work really hard at being over my supporting leg. I tend to pull out away from it. I've noticed this in the younger girls with my body type who are training pre-pro. The narrow ones tend to have tight hips, a slight "tucking" problem, and difficulty with turnout.

 

Maybe I'm totally off-base, and my observations are clouded, but I'm wondering why "narrow" hips is considered the ideal. It seems to take more effort to coax out the turnout and to get everything loosened up. The wider, "flat" looking hips seems to be a more ballet-friendly structure. Just curious if anyone else has noticed this.

[Victoria Leigh]

The more space there is in the hips, the more potential for stretch of the Y ligament and easier rotation. I have no idea why narrow hips would be considered good. You are right in your thoughts that it is not good, generally, although there are always exceptions to everything. But just look at the male structure. Most have much narrow width between their hip bones, and most have much less natural and worked rotation than females. Many rather small female dancers with wide set hip bones will have far better rotation than those with narrow hips.

[balletowoman]

I believe that traditionally, any 'female' attributes (breasts, hips, shape a la J-Lo ) are not favoured in ballet, as initially, female dancers represented the ethereal beauty ideal, the 'ghost-like' figure of so many ballets... Nowadays, it has shifted towards the ideal body shape, that is more masculine and asexual.