Stretches

[danseur]

I was wondering which stretches are everyones favorites?

Or which stretches do you find most helpful? My favorite is the one where you lay on the ground and bend your legs in parrelel then lift your right leg, turn it out and support the ankle of your right leg on your left leg. Then, you grab your left knee under your right ankle. Arch your back for more of a stretch. My teacher showed it to me. It feels so good!

Edited March 4, 2005 by danseur

[balareena]

My favorite stretch is the one where you lay down by a wall, back to the wall. Bring your leg up along the wall, as far as it will go without letting your leg turn in. It really helped my turn out. Hope you like it

[~DaNcInQuEeN~]

I like the one where you lay on your back against a wall, head away. You put your legs straight up in the air and let them fall to the side. It looks like the splits upsidedown. You just let gravity do it's work!

[danseur]

Those are great! Thanks! any more?

Edited March 4, 2005 by danseur

[Victoria Leigh]

I'm confused about the one described by balareena....how do you lie down by a wall with your back to the wall?

 

DancingQueen, I think you mean that you lie on your back, head away from the wall, and derrière up against the wall, right?

[Zed]

I don't know, I'm pretty much a fan of front splits pancake. It's usually the position I do reading in. I guess I'm a sucker for the classics.

[danseur]

I'm confused about the one described by balareena....how do you lie down by a wall with your back to the wall?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

My favorite stretch is the one where you lay down by a wall, back to the wall. Bring your leg up along the wall, as far as it will  go without letting your leg turn in.  It really helped my turn out.  Hope you like it

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know this one. Here It is in different words: You lie on your side along the wall lengthwise with your head, derrière and legs against the wall. Facing away from the wall. Slide your leg slowly up along the wall staying turned out. Then bring your leg slowly down the wall, keeping your turn out. Make sure you do this one barefoot: As it will wear down the side of your shoes. I hope that helps! (And thanks balareena. I love that exercise! )

[Guest Ashlee2]

One that I really like is a barre stretch. When you are standing croise to the bar and you leg is up on it. Instead of holding it straight and turned out, you hold it in attitude. It really helps to open one's hips. It feels cool too.

 

P.S. The upside-down center split stretch is one of my favorites.

[kellyisthebestintheworld]

hmm..My favorite would have to be circles. It's where you sit in center splits and you circle your arms. It's really hard to explain and takes a lot of cordination. It looks really pretty! It's for losening up your shoulders and legs. Has anyone heard of it?

[danseur]

Kelly,

I don't know that one but it sound neat. Could you try to explain it?

[kellyisthebestintheworld]

ok I'll try: ok first sit on the floor in center splits. reach toward your left leg/foot with both arms and then push your torso down to the ground as far as you can while traveling to the right. Then when you get to your right leg lift your torso back up and your left arm swings in a circle, like you're trying to loosen up your shoulder, and the other arm travels up with it after it finishes swinging into the arms for third arabesque. Then you push yourself back down and to the left and swing your right arm this time and do the arms again, except opposite. It's all really fast and looks SO pretty when the whole class does it on time. Does that make sense? It's really funny because I had to do them a lot to figure out how to discribe it.

[Guest dncngrl]

My favorite would have to be, when we do our middle splits and hold them. Then after we hold them for about a minute, we pull our legs behind us, then bring out legs up and try to touch your feet to your head. It is pretty hard for awhile but eventually your feet touch your head.

[ABT Wannabe]

I love stretching my feet until my big toe touches the floor, and I don't love doing but I think the middle splits is most important to be able to do. I feel accomplished when I am all the way down in a stretch.

[spaghetti]

I think we all know that turning out can make our bottom muscles pretty tight so this is one of my favorite stretches in this area of the body.

 

Stand facing the bar in parallel.

Put your right leg on the bar in front of you so it is at 90 degree angles from your hip and then from you knee.

Be sure to keep your standing leg straight and in parallel.

Keep your right hip pushed back.

And you'll surely feel a good stetch in your hip and bottom!

[Victoria Leigh]

Dancers, PLEASE!!!! A bar is a place where you go to drink, or perhaps a bar of gold In ballet, it is BARRE. I do think it is important for dancers to know and understand the vocabulary of their art form.