knee and back pains..

[Guest tigger_fan_ann]

Whenever I do a developpé derriere, my turnout isn't that bad but when I do a developpé devant, my leg gets stuck at 95º and it turns in. When I do the butterfly, my knees aren't exactly stuck to the floor. They are lifted about an inch above the floor for the first few minutes. Recently, I've been having this pain in my left knee. I suspect that it has something to do with the turnout. I also think that my leg requires more stregth because when I do a grand battement to them front, my leg sometimes hits my head (they're turned out). Do any of you have suggestions on how to improve my leg strength and turnout besides doing the butterfly or frogs (I sleep with the butterfly position and I don't see any improvements in my turnout much... especially since my knees are on the floor after like 10 mins and i've been doing this for 6 months already.) My back has a deep arch that makes my butt stick out when I forget all about it while dancing and i'm a little scoliotic (and my tailbone sticks out a bit which is why i don't slouch when i sit or else my spine hurts).

[Mel Johnson]

First, I'd leave off with the sleeping in an intentionally turned-out position. You're uncontrolled while asleep, and one twist or turn could do odd things to those knee joints (which is what I suspect has possibly happened here!). If you think you're controlled while you're asleep, then you are not fully asleep and you're losing valuable rest, which will make you prone to injury while working. The arched back may also be attributable to the sleeping-in-a-frog posture.

 

From there, the rest may follow easily. Maintaining rotation from the hip in developpé devant is difficult for everyone, and can only be improved by keeping the abdominal muscles working during the exercise. Try pulling in and lifting through the lower abs - the ones below the beltline - ("in and up!" my teacher would tell me)I know it helped me improve those stubbon devants!