Guest Ileene Posted October 4, 2001 Report Share Posted October 4, 2001 Hi This question probably has a really basic answer but I have never heard the term "stiff hips" before. What do you think it means? Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted October 4, 2001 Administrators Report Share Posted October 4, 2001 Ileene, it probably means there is a lack of flexibility in the hips, meaning no rotation or no extension, or both. Most likely deals with rotation. Link to comment
Guest Ileene Posted October 4, 2001 Report Share Posted October 4, 2001 Thank you As I have been accused of it I am a little shocked. I have good extensions and about 70 degrees of rotation. Is that stiff? Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted October 4, 2001 Administrators Report Share Posted October 4, 2001 Ileene, 70 degrees of "natural" rotation, or 70 degrees of learned rotation, that is, what you can work with, like in first position? If it is the later, then that is not really close enough to the desired 90 degrees to be considered flexible in terms of rotation. Link to comment
Guest linsusanr Posted October 9, 2001 Report Share Posted October 9, 2001 Hello, I do know that I have always had very stiff hips. It is one of my greatest sources of frustration in ballet, but of course I still enjoy dancing very much. I don't know if I'll ever be able to do a full split. I try to do a hip flexor stretch (on one knee, back straight) frequently, but that doesn't seem to help very much. Any other suggestions for general attempts to loosen up a little more? (I checked out the archives already -- I've tried most of those, too!). Thank you in advance! Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted October 9, 2001 Report Share Posted October 9, 2001 Now, a grand écart (split) does depend on looseness and openness from the hips, but even more, flexibility through the hamstrings. But in the larger scheme of things, the flat, down-to-the-floor split isn't as all-fired important as it might seem! You can get the best results if you save them for your after-class "warmdown", when all the muscles are nice and warm and you can do nice relaxing exercises that are more passive - letting gravity do a lot of the work for you. You can even include a couple of jambe/pied dans la main (detiré) stretches before you try for splits. Link to comment
Guest linsusanr Posted October 9, 2001 Report Share Posted October 9, 2001 Thank you Major Johnson for your reply and advice. It is good to hear that splits aren't everything! I guess in general I'd just really like to improve my rotation given the stiff hips. I'm working on it and I know results come gradually so I'm trying to be patient. I also know my body has its limits but I always get dewey-eyed when I see all those really naturally flexible dancers! Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted October 9, 2001 Report Share Posted October 9, 2001 Just keep trying to be patient, and succeed at that, and you can just about succeed at anything; it's a good attitude! Keep it up! Link to comment
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