Leg Extentions

[Guest balleticbooy5227]

Hi, I was wondering when a male professional dancer is doing an audition, are the auditioners looking at how how high he can get his leg and in the air. If so or if not so, what is a good height for a young male dancer to aim for?

 

thanks,

Curtis

[mbjerk]

It depends on the company, but classically men do not need to get the leg higher than shoulder height. For a male classical technique, ninety degrees is what you use. These days most companies expect men to have extension of shoulder height to second and arabesque.

 

Please remember that for a man, placement is first! Hard to work on all those big jumps and grand pirouettes without a placed lower back and hips.

[Dance_Scholar_London]

When you say shoulder height, do you refer to the heel or the toes?

[Mel Johnson]

Toe will do.

[mbjerk]

Yes, I agree with Mel. But please remember that each company, director, choreographer or teacher will want something a bit different. And that lower back, abdominal wall and hip placement come first!

[Henrik]

Just my luck Ive had a female teacher for 10 years, so I am quite flexible and can do all the girl-things, but my lower back/abdominal placing is so or so...

But its getting better, I am working on it! YOu should have seen me a year ago! Strengtening abs and lower back makes miracles, atleast for me!

[Dance_Scholar_London]

Being with a lot of female students in class is definitely a motivation to aim for higher legs. hehehe