"duck" walk

[aletheia146]

I don't have much turnout, and I'm used to running, so outside of ballet I always walk with my feet basically parallel, but a lot of dancers I know walk with their feet turned out. Is this just a sign that you use your turnout, or does it actually hurt your body? Is it okay to walk like this or should I try to avoid it?

[Mel Johnson]

You just worry about you. If you walk with your feet parallel, fine. If others walk turned 'way out, and it's natural, fine. If they're making a conscious effort to impress somebody, that stinks.

[aletheia146]

Thanks. So it doesn't hurt your body?

[Mel Johnson]

If it's natural, no. Just don't try to run that way.

[Pirouette30808]

I always walk with my feet turned out, even when I was little! I even did it before I even knew what ballet was. I can even walk in parallel too.

 

You know, this is kinda embarassing but... I never knew I walked this way until I was on vacation a couple of years ago and I was with my family walking to my Grandma's house. Well my mom was walking with my sister, cousins, and aunt and everyone was walking like 15 paces behind me. So basically I was walking by myself , I thought I was walking to fast so I kept slowing down, but everyone started walking slower too! Then I heard everyone basically bursting into hysterics and I knew they were talking about me , which made me kinda mad so I stormed up to them and demanded to know what they were laughing about. Turns out, I was right, they were talking about me and how when I walked my feet turned outward. My aunt was saying how weird it was and how I must have got it fom my dad's side.

 

No need to tell you that i'm the only dancer in my family! The good thing is that I have a natural turnout which I hear is perfect for ballet! So that's how I learned I walked 'turned out' or the 'duck walk'.

[Chelsea(:]

I have no idea where I got this trait but, I walk with my feet inward. I'm not club footed but it stinks when i walk because it has made it extremely difficult to walk in straight lines and to not trip over something as simple as a dividend in the road. I run like this too and many people will laugh, if i want to do something in parallel or turned-out I have to focus.

[Mel Johnson]

I used to have a dachshund. He used to leave dividends in the road. I hope that's not what you're tripping on!

 

If you need correction for that kind of turned-in gait, I would suggest orthotics, properly fitted by a physician, preferably an orthopedist.

[Victoria Leigh]

And I would suggest that you just stop walking that way. It's a habit. You can correct it, and it will help you in your ballet classes. But the classes are only a small part of your time, so you need to work on this 24/7. Ballet helps rotation, however, if it is fighting a habit that is opposite, and one that gets a whole lot more time than ballet does, well.....think about it.

[Chelsea(:]

I work on it a lot with hip abduction/adduction exercise equipment. Major Mel my doctor said that since it has been improving and it's only about 4 inches inward that orthotics are not needed.

[Mel Johnson]

Yup, that's why I said "if". I'm glad that you consulted a physician. Now, it's just a matter of ingraining a habit, as Ms. Leigh has correctly explained.

[Victoria Leigh]

Oops! A parent wandered into the YD forum. Sorry, allibug, but your post is gone.