Very little turnout with strength or loads of turnout without?

[BlleFille]

Which is better or worse?

I see folks with amazing turnout who can't seem to hold it no matter what! And I only have about 55% but seem to be getting better at holding it.

I know another adult student who might have perfect turnout but as soon as her leg goes above 90 degrees in an extension, it turns IN!

Why is this?

Is it simply a matter of strength or are there other things at play?

[Guest Pas de Quoi]

Hello BlleFille: Here is a great paper on turnout presented by the IADMS. It's long, but very comprehensive. http://www.iadms.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=323

 

I hope this information is helpful to you.

[BlleFille]

Oh wow! Thanks Pas de Quoi! Facinating

[Miss Persistent]

Neither is better - you need both!

 

The person with facility needs to build strength, and the person with strength needs to work on extending range (And do not start me on "I'm old I can't get any more turnout - poppycock! There is always some more!)

 

Then everyone meets in the middle and we have happy ballerinas. Some people find it easy to gain range, some don't. Others find it easy to gain strength, others don't. It's all a person to person thing.

[balletbecky]

Thank you, Pas de Quoi! That is a great article.

I now have an issue with the piriformis, so it's interesting to see how it all works together.

[Ludmilla]

Pas de Quoi -- Thank you for posting this link! Lately a teacher corrected my foot in a simple tendu derriere (it caught me off guard...I might call myself an "advanced beginner" student....I have other things so much more worthwhile correcting me on, I thought), and so because of that correction, I've been crossing (some might say "overcrossing" my tendue and also arabesque placement, derriere.) AND OUCH!! Within no time I got pain after any exercise involving arabesque, but only on my right side, (lower back)...that is, when the right leg is the working leg. (The right leg, derriere tendue, was the one the teacher particularly corrected...)

 

In this article posted here, it almost says as much, if I understood it correctly, to the effect that 'overcrossing past the midpoint' can cause a problem, I believe the article mentioned. (I am very sorry if I misunderstood it, or if I do not reiterate the article's point correctly, but I did feel I understood some as I was reading it), I'll probably review the article a few times to gather as much from it as I can.

 

So I plan to go back to my former habit of allighment in back (derriere) to be just a tad (really tiny -- couple, or few centimeters only) shy of the exact midpoint and for me I feel all this time that has kept me safe and pain free, while still producing, I feel at least, a fairly reasonable arabesque (within my own particular limitations).

 

I appreciate corrections in class and learn a lot from them, certainly. But on the other hand, I think the individual adult student needs to know their own body and seek reliable information to constantly be learning more, to enrich the practice of ballet while in the studio.... (and occasionally question the "gospel" as proclaimed by certain, often younger, and well-meaning but sometimes not as experienced teachers -- again just my comment). For the most part I really like my current teachers but sometimes one has to seek other answers for one's own body....

 

Thank goodness, again, for this forum!!

 

Best regards, Ludmilla