développé à la seconde

[dancergirl39]

I've noticed that my developpe a la seconde is not as good as it should be. Does anyone have any strengthening excercises that might help me hold it up there??

[Victoria Leigh]

Being able to hold extensions is a matter of strength, once you have developed the flexibility. The strength takes longer, and ususally does not really get there until one has pretty much finished growing. So, give yourself some time, and keep working at it!

[spaghetti]

I find that it helps to really think of lifting my knee towards my side from the passe, opposed to straightening your leg away from you and then trying to lift it up with your quads. It really helps, I hope I explained it enough for you. If you need help with this idea wrap your arm under your knee and pull it towards your side, from there straighten your leg towards the ceiling. Hope this helps!

[Victoria Leigh]

spaghetti, that might help to get it up there, but it won't help with holding it. The muscles that hold it take longer to develop. Also, in lifting your leg, although the quads have to work, you want them to work as little as possible until the leg is totally extended. Overworking them on the unfolding action itself will just over-develop them.

[Guest cheeriodancer10]

Lifting my knee first really helps me too! Especially when I'm working on my extension. Your leg can only go as high as your knee goes!

[Victoria Leigh]

Lifting the knee is fine, and it does help, but just to get it there, not to hold it.

[Guest cheeriodancer10]

Sorry, that's what I meant, it helps get it up there. I didn't see your post until after I made mine.

[dancergirl39]

thanks for all your help, i'll keep working at it!

[spaghetti]

That's what I meant too Ms. Leigh! Thank you for the clarification. It helps me in extensions. But holding your leg there, well that just takes time and practice! Don't get frustrated you will develop the strength eventually with determination.

[ConstanzaElisabeth]

what helped me with my extensions was identifying the right muscles, so i didnt end up with that overpowering-quad look. if you put your leg on the barre and let it 'fall open' so that it is very relaxed and turned out and then try to lift(doesnt even have to come off the barre, just feel what has to activate) the leg with the muscle that runs along the inner thigh, keeping the leg relaxed open. once i found that and worked some strength into it, it made my placement such that it was easy to lift my leg, and not a matter of cranking it up there.

[Guest pavlovadancer]

Think about your inner thighs. A lot. And do plenty of fondues to strengthen them.

[Guest winterfresh844]

Once I get my leg up there, I find it really hard to pointe my foot. Any tips on that?

[Victoria Leigh]

Winterfresh, the foot is a part of the energy that goes through the leg to straighten it. That energy starts in your center and goes all the way through the leg and out beyond the toes! Picture the line you want to make, and then send that energy out there and don't let it stop anywhere! No matter how high the leg is, if the foot is not pointed fully, it's basically a totally useless extension.

[Guest winterfresh844]

Yeah, believe me, I know how unflattering it looks. but whenever I try to pointe when its up there, I feel like I can't reach my full potential. The harder I try, the more it hurts my achilles and heel. How should I deal with that?

[Victoria Leigh]

Winterfresh, I think the answer is there in my last post. The foot is pointed the moment it leaves the floor, and the energy from the body through the leg keeps it pointed. You have to think of the leg AND foot as ONE thing, and that energy goes through the whole foot and beyond! If your achilles hurts in a developpé, then you are seriously overpointing the foot and not using the other muscles to do it.