Releves as Strenthening Exercise at Home

[Cuckoomamma]

DD, 10.5, takes technique class four times a week. One of dd's teachers told her to practice 10 releves, then 5 passe releves on each foot, once a day in order to strengthen her legs/feet?. The other girls in dd's class were told to practice pointing their feet underneath furniture, like a dresser, to help them with their pointing. The teacher specifically told dd not to do those exercises as she feels that dd's feet arch enough and that she needs to strengthen her legs. According to dd, she said something about how as you stretch, you weaken the muscles. None of the other girls were given the releves as an exercise at home. Two separate instructions to the group at the same time.

 

I'm completely confused. Dd had been given theraband exercises last year which she did super faithfully. Does this mean that she did them too much and weakened her feet? Should I be concerned? Is it just a physical difference between dd and the other girls in that class that really doesn't mean much of anything - just different situations for different physiques? or, does is this indicative of a difference in progression?

 

Thanks so much for your input

[Victoria Leigh]

Sounds like a structural difference to me. Different students need different exercises for specific things. That said, I seriously DO NOT like the idea of children stretching their feet under furniture. Nor do I like the idea of a 10 year old practicing relevés at home. Not only is she without supervision in terms of alignment and use of rotation,it is highly likely that she is not on a suitable floor for ballet, especially relevés or any jumps. Stretching is one thing, but relevé on a hard floor are not a good thing. Theraband exercises are generally safe, but they still need to be shown how to do them correctly. Under furniture, NO, NO, NO!

[Cuckoomamma]

Just to be sure I don't confuse things, the Theraband exercises that dd was doing had been demonstrated to her last year and didn't involve any furniture! The exercises that she saw the other girls being given were not with Therabands. But yes, dd is not on a dance floor at home, just our hardwood flooring. Are your thoughts that the releves at home could do more harm than good?

[Mel Johnson]

A standard hardwood floor is not bad, in fact, hardwood over pine joists is one of the preferable alternatives to a sprung marley floor. It's wood laid over a concrete slab that's not good. Too hard by half, but a hardwood floor laid on other wood is OK. You just have to be careful about picking up floor wax on the bottom of the shoes.

[Victoria Leigh]

I was not confused at all, cuckoomamma! But I was concerned that a teacher was telling any students to put their feet under furniture, and telling a 10 year old to do relevés at home.

 

It is possible that your child has had enough really good training, and has the knowledge of how to do them correctly, that she knows not to do them on a concrete, tile, carpeted, or wood over concrete floor. However I do have to be somewhat doubtful of that just based on what she is telling the students to do. I just don't believe in assigning that age child to do things at home, even stretching, because I don't think that they have the knowledge yet to be doing these things on their own. For instance, have you noticed that many children start stretching by doing splits? I see that all the time with students that I am teaching for the first time, and they are at least 12 or 13. They have not been taught that flexibility stretches are done after barre, or after class, not before.

 

(I know, , but not only do I see them doing it before class, they are very often not even doing them correctly. )

[buzzandmoo]

It is so refreshing to hear about the proper time to stretch! At my DD school, especially this year (10 and 11 yr olds) the girls seem obsessed with "stretching" BEFORE class. I have told my DD not to do it since she started dancing, but many parents in the waiting area actively encourage their children to stretch. Only this year do they have the girls stretching after barre(and only a little!) and before center, but never before class. In my foggy memory I remember instructors from my youth cautioning against stretching cold muscles, especially if you are flexible as it can lead to injury, so I passed that along to my DD.

[Victoria Leigh]

There are some things that they can do before class, if they have been taught what to do. Gentle stretches, sitting on floor, no forcing anything are okay. Working on their feet is the best thing for most of them, however. Therabands are good for this. But they also need to be shown how to do it so that there is absolutely no sickling going on! Stretches for extensions, like splits, are not done until all the muscles have been properly warmed up with barre work.

[mamabear]

Major Mel, do you have any comments on whether cork is a good floor for practice? We have cork floors over fir joists and a wood subfloor and I was hoping that because the cork is even softer than wood, it would be okay for dancing on. DD is only 10, so she isn't practicing at home right now, but I'm sure it will be on her horizon at some point in the not-too-distant future.

 

A standard hardwood floor is not bad, in fact, hardwood over pine joists is one of the preferable alternatives to a sprung marley floor. It's wood laid over a concrete slab that's not good. Too hard by half, but a hardwood floor laid on other wood is OK. You just have to be careful about picking up floor wax on the bottom of the shoes.

[Mel Johnson]

Terrible idea. There's too hard, but there's also too soft. Carpet is too soft, and so is cork.

[Cuckoomamma]

Thanks so much for all your feedback. I guess then that our flooring isn't a problem, but the lack of supervision is. Dd is very motivated and really enjoys doing things at home to help with stretching, strengthening, etc. I do have to say that the 6-8 year olds are taught to stretch on the floor and not to do splits until after barre as part of class. My impression from what you've said is that some things are fine to do at home, and others are not. Is that right?

[mamabear]

Good to know. I'm glad I asked Marley floor, here we come!

 

Terrible idea. There's too hard, but there's also too soft. Carpet is too soft, and so is cork.

[Sugarmama]

This discussion is sort of frightening me! My daughter is 10.5 and takes 3-4 (1.5 hour) technique classes + 1 hour pre-pointe class per week. It is a pre-professional program associated with a ballet company and I believe she is getting wonderful training, In pre-pointe they use therabands and do a lot of core strength exercise. BUT ... She releve's all the time, jumps or pirouettes wherever she happens to be, on carpet, linoleum, either at home or in the grocery store, library etc. She plie's while playing piano, practices the splits several times a day and jete's across the livingroom. She is obsessed with ballet and every movement becomes a combination to her, She says her teachers have never told them not to do certain things at home or cautioned them on what thay can or can't do on certain surfaces. Should I be worried?

[Mel Johnson]

Frankly, no. Kids are going to play around with, and explore their technical comfort zones wherever they are. Don't worry about it. They usually don't spend major effort doing it, and the benefit derived from the free play outweighs the detriment of whatever other environment they may be in.

[Sugarmama]

Thank you SO much Mel, that is what I was hoping