Back flexibility

[ElphieBean]

I haven't got very good back flexibility. I don't have any problems with my back; it's just that it doesn't bend! I'd like to improve it a bit, are there any certain stretches I can do to help it?

 

ElphieBean

 

(I think this is in the right place)

[Victoria Leigh]

Well, cambré back comes to mind You might also try some Pilates work.

[dance7rlm]

what is back flexibility good for? i know you aren't supposed to bend in your lower back, but that is where i am most flexible. is there anything good about that?

[vrsfanatic]

dance7rlm all areas of back flexibility are important aspects of studying ballet. Without it, no arabesque or fluidity of movments which require bends of the body to the front, side or back! Students need to learn the how, where, when and why of each aspect of the movements in ballet.

 

It sounds as if you are challenged by the more difficult area of flexibility in the back in the upper back, as are most. In order to develop the fluid ability to bend to the back in a useful manner for ballet students must have a combination of very strong stomache muscles and good coordination. In class, practice bending backward by lifting upward and over an imaginary pole just under your shoulder blades. Take a calm, deep breath, look over your shoulder lifting your chin and exhale slowly as you bend back. Eventually it becomes a habit and you will not have to think about it as much! You do not need to bend into the lower back until you are able to bend the upper back correctly.

[ElphieBean]

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep practising

 

Elphie

[dancinfreak9232]

Hey Elphiebean!!

When I first started ballet I had trouble with back flexibility so my teacher taught me an excercise that I could do at home that would improve my strength and flexibility!!

When you get home from dance, while you're still warm, lie down on your stomach and put your feet underneath your couch (or any other low object that will hold your feet down), and have someone sit behind you and take both of your arms and gently pull them while you lift up your back. My teacher calls them "back crunches" they really helped me and I hope that they help you too!!!

best wishes<333

[Victoria Leigh]

dancinfreak, I know you are trying to help, but most of the topics, like this one, that you have posted on have been answered by moderators. If there were other exercises that we felt were valid they would have been specified. Please do not give advice or exercises that have not been cleared by the teachers here. I'm afraid that I have to totally negate the exercise you describe above, as it is not one that we would recommend at all. I believe that Mr. Johnson has already advised you several times today to read the Sticky topics on the YD forum, especially numbers 2 and 3. Please do so.

[ems]

ElphieBean, keep working and you will obtain your goal. At the beginning of last year I couldn't get my arabesque to 45 degrees I have been wroking real hard and now I am striving to get past 90. I know you can do it!

[Skye90]

This is to do with backs, though not back flexibility. I just didn't think it was worth starting a new topic.

 

I have this teacher who is great with technique and cleaning our technique up. One of the things she plugs endlessly is not popping your ribs out, especially in backbends. We're taught only to go back as far as we can with out letting go of our ribs.

 

For one of the dances in the concert (I'm a caterpillar) I have to do multiple backbends, and my other (regular) teacher says to go as far as I can. I have a flexible back, but I'm sure I'm opening my ribs while doing these bends. The great technique teacher hasn't yet seen my part and i'm dreading her watching it. But without letting my ribs go, how can I do a good backbend? It seems like such a fine line. ( i just got up and did a biggish bend, holding my ribs to see if they went. I didn't think they did). Sometimes she says, 'ribs' and I don't even know that they've gone. I'm just assuming that if they pop out sometimes when I do a portebras, or upperbackbend, they will pop out in a big one, but I can't always feel it.

So, is one teacher overly 'rib' focussed, or the other one far too relaxed on the issue. I've always been told to do what the choreographer asks for, so I guess I just keep doing them that way and hope my technique is ok at the same time. The choreographer hasn't picked me up on it....

[vrsfanatic]

Not having seen you nor the choreography it is difficult to say which end is up, however in the case of choreography, always do what the choreographer is asking you to do. I would imagine the beginning of a backbend is similar to upper body bends to the back in that the dancer must lift up and lengthen before the bend to the back. Maybe you could talk to your two teachers about your concerns?

[Mel Johnson]

Also, remember that "back flexibility" is largely a product of "front flexibility" unless you've got things like fused vertebrae, in which case, you've got a whole lot of other problems.

[Guest flexidaisy]

I haven't got very good back flexibility. I don't have any problems with my back; it's just that it doesn't bend! I'd like to improve it a bit, are there any certain stretches I can do to help it?

 

ElphieBean

 

(I think this is in the right place)

 

 

 

I am a contortionist and in my acrobatics class what really stretched my back out was doing backbends and trying to walk my feet closer to my hands. I now can touch my butt to my head, and before I started stretching my backbends, I couldn't. I think this will help you more than say doing combres. Just pure stretching is really effective.

[little_dancer123]

I've had some coaching on my upper back. I usually tense mine whilst working, in effort to do everything else! In my warm up I do a lot of twisting my back and it loosens it up a bit more and it feels warmer for class. From little_dancer123 x