Stretches

[Guest giselee]

Is there any particular stretches that help you REALLY get your developpe up? And I mean the last foot or two, as I've already got it pretty far Especially to the front. Should I just work on holding it up? I am fairly sure the extension is there, although it may not be used to being worked. Also, just really great stretches to really work the flexibility. Any working the spilts would be fabulous, as I've heard that you're not supposed to do the overextended spilts, which I did before but stopped. Any suggestions moderators?

 

If you need more clarification, just ask!!! I tend to get a little confusing sometimes!

[Victoria Leigh]

Giselee, there is no magic pill...or any one great stretch...that will give you extension quickly. It just doesn't happen that way. It takes a long time, a lot of hard work, and a lot of very, very good training. Getting the leg up by kicking, and getting it up via a développé are two very different things. The latter takes much longer to achieve. Patience is good, too, because with young teens you still have a ways to go before you finish growing, and that alone will make a difference in your ability to increase, and especially to hold, your extensions. Front is always the hardest.

 

Splits are fine, when you are warmed up, of course. They are a very good stretch. We do not like over-splits, and do not think they are necessary.

[casserina]

A good stretch my teacher gives that helps control the leg is: sit in a z sit, learn slightly forward for balance and without touching the floor with your fingers lift up your back leg, after balancing that for a few counts rotate it to the side and balance, and then rotate to the front and balance. It really does take a lot of control when done right and helps me because I'm really flexible and don't enough control.

[Mel Johnson]

Yes, that's a good old floor exercise used in several techniques in Modern Dance, notably Horton and Graham, but still, it's no magic key to developing extension. Extension in a developpé comes up slowly, an inch or two at a time, over months and even years, especially among young dancers. Just remember the "knee rule". Once you've lifted the knee, that establishes the height of the developpé. No dropping knees! That's a good enough rule to start students off to an overall improvement in extension.

[Grishkorina]

What is a z sit?

[Mel Johnson]

You're sitting on the floor. The front leg is in front attitude, the back leg is in back attitude. You've done it a lot, just by sitting around in the studio. The "z" sit is just another name for it.

[Guest giselee]

Thank you all for the information and stetches. I'll have to try them today!

[Grishkorina]

Ohhh it's like a fourth position in modern!

[DanCe 4 liFer]

Splits are fine, when you are warmed up, of course. They are a very good stretch. We do not like over-splits, and do not think they are necessary.

 

 

why don't you like over-splits? Just wondering because I have done them for years

[Mel Johnson]

Oversplits increase the risk of long-term injury to the hipjoint which may not appear for several years, or even decades. Mind you, we aren't guaranteeing that they will cause injury, just that the chances of getting hurt are increased by doing them. The longer you do them, the greater the chance; why tempt fate? Ballet is an unnatural enough form of utilizing the human body. The oversplit doesn't follow any classical line whatever, and can also lead to bad habits in working.

[newyorkcityballet2b]

i have to try these stretches!