Supporting leg...

[Alysse]

Hello! I was wondering what I can do about this sticky situation. Whenever I do developpe to the side or the front, my supporting leg tends to bend the slightest bit, in order for adequate turnout and height of the working leg. My legs are slightly hyperextended. I was wondering if there were any stretches, or if you think that something is tight that won't allow my leg to be 100% straight, please let me know! Thanks!

[Mel Johnson]

Let's sort out a few terms here.

 

When you say that the supporting leg bends, do you mean that it moves to the front of straight, or does it merely unlock? If it is the latter, actually, that's where your knees should be if they are hyperextended - unlocked! Straight knees are better for ballet than swaybacked knees.

[Victoria Leigh]

Alysse, I'm afraid that once you know what you are supposed to do, then it's up to you to do it! When you extend one leg to the front or side, the other one does not move and it does not bend. You know this, so, who is in control of your standing leg? Hyperextended legs are often allowed to push back too far, but that would not make the knee bend, it would just make you sit in your heels. If you are trying to control the supporting leg and not allow it to hyperextend, then it might feel like the knee is slightly bent. You have to learn to work the quad muscle to keep the knee straight, but not over straight. However,not moving it is simply a matter of not allowing it to move.

[Alysse]

Let's sort out a few terms here.

 

When you say that the supporting leg bends, do you mean that it moves to the front of straight, or does it merely unlock? If it is the latter, actually, that's where your knees should be if they are hyperextended - unlocked! Straight knees are better for ballet than swaybacked knees.

 

In response to this. I did a couple developpes in from of the miror just now, and as i said before my legs are slightly hyperextended. Not drastic at all, but hyperextended. Especially developpe devant, my knee does come unlocked from the hyperextension. I have been told that this is correct, but it does look slightly bent. Is something tight, or is it just my immagination. :]

[Mel Johnson]

OK, now we're in some business. As Ms. Leigh pointed out above, when a student is hyperextended, locking the knees throws the weight back onto the heels. Without seeing you, it isn't possible to see how slight or not the hyperextension is. But essentially, what we're looking for is legs that look straight, but may not feel straight because of hyperextension. It's tough to do, unlock and make straight. Developpé devant is especially hard to do, and keep everything where it should be.