Naturally BAD turnout

[Guest LostDreams]

This will be my second year doing partnering classes, but my director put me in the beginner class w/ all the girls who have never done partnering before! It's kind of weird, because there's basically only two levels of partnering- beginning and advanced- when there should probably be three, because there's no intermediate level. I have the same teacher in this year's partnering class as I did last year, and she thinks that I should be in the more advanced class. However, my director says I don't have enough turnout strength: that's what she says about everything I do! Every time she teaches my class, all she corrects me on is my turnout. But it's weird because she'll come over and fix my position, but as soon as she does I feel my quads taking over, majorly! I just don't understand why I can't get my turnout the ways she wants it w/o using only my quads . I do have naturally VERY BAD turnout, but I thought I could improve, and I'm a pretty strong dancer! My turnout is holding me way back! HELP!

[Mel Johnson]

Your answer is simple: Work on your turnout.

 

There is no magic lozenge that will give you better rotation from the hips all at once, it's all in your own continued hard work in class over a long period of time. Maintaining proper placement and alignment will work to give you better turnout.

[Guest LostDreams]

Yeah, I've been working on it really hard, but whenever I think I'm working the right way my director always changes my placement, so it's hard for me to tell if I'm placed correctly or not. I'm just feeling very discouraged.

[Mel Johnson]

Time, I think, for an impartial eye outside the self. Do you have access to a different school, preferably at some distance from your "home" studio, where you could go for an evaluation?

[Guest LostDreams]

Well, I don't think so, because there's only one other school that has serious ballet training in the area, but even that's like an hour away. I also have 4 sibling who are all involved in all kinds of activities, and I'm pretty positive my mom wouldn't take me because I'm not going to be a professional dancer. My older sister and I just went there last month for an audition to see how good of a school it was, but I couldn't audition because I got sick in the car ......The quality of the dance school I'm at right now has gone down some, and I think it's because they just made it into an arts conservatory. It used to be only ballet and occasional other dance classes like jazz etc. Anyway, all the other schools in the area are just recreational, and their ballet training is VERY bad...... Sooooo......I'm kind of stuck.