Excavating the Archives – Don’t Miss These Posts!

I hereby declare Fridays links day on Dance Advantage!

One of my goals at Dance Advantage is to connect readers to other places and spaces online so that you don’t have to search high and low for great resources yourself! Generally Fridays will be a day to point you elsewhere in this world wide web. However, because it is the nature of blogs to feature the latest posts and entries, older posts can get buried. So, I thought I’d kick things off by “kinecting” you to some older posts within Dance Advantage that you may have missed!

(Bonus! All of these posts contain links to other sites! — Talk about Kinected!)

1. Costume Crisis – What to do when dance costume companies fail you at recital time
2. Fostering Artistry in Young or Beginning Dancers - First steps: Ask a child to be creative.
   
3. DanceMom.com – A forum for dance parents
   
4. Dancing With Conscience – Dancers and dance organizations that are making a difference
   
5. Art or Not? Musings on Dance, Art, and Entertainment
6. Eye of the Beholder – This one is just for fun! Do you know which way the dancer is spinning?
7. Two Heads Are Better Than One - More wonderful online resources! Deb Vogel and Lisa Howell join forces.
8. Reflection and Journaling for Dancers – Types of journals and the usefulness of keeping a “dance diary”
9. Classic Confusion – Sorting out labels in dance like classical, modern, and contemporary.
   
10. Bullying in Dance Class - Do girls bully? You bet! Don’t miss the resources and info in this one!

Guest Post: Body Image and Dance

Dancers of all disciplines struggle with body image. It is a reality that is sometimes exploited or aggrandized in the media yet ignored or aggravated by those that have a direct impact in the lives of dancers. Elena Ciccotelli is a new blogger but long-time dancer. In addition to her experience as a personal trainer and desire to encourage cross-training in dance, she has a passion for facilitating discussion about the role that body image plays in dance. She recently wrote Getting Past the Mirror: Body Image and Dance, and received numerous emails from young dancers, expressing gratitude for her willingness to approach this issue. In her guest post for today, she includes and addresses some of these responses, and speaks about her own experiences which have helped her to reduce negative self-talk.

Body Image and Dance: Part Deux

Since posting my last blog entry “Getting Past the Mirror: Body Image and Dance,” I have received numerous emails from young dancers who expressed an overwhelming gratefulness for the content of this entry. Here is one dancer’s response:

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this blog!!!!!!!!!

I know many dancers who possess unimaginable strength but do not have the “ballerina body” -even though I think that they are some of the most beautiful girls that I know.  This is the one thing about ballet that angers me – all of the unfairness.  I know what it’s like to constantly think one’s body is inadequate – it is the worst feeling in the world.  Last year, I felt invisible like I blended into the wall, and I thought that losing weight would change that….

…Even though I lost all that weight, I still felt invisible, which goes to show that being emaciated will never get one anything in the long run, except a ton of health problems and a really hard time trying to get healthy again.  I wish so much that I can accept myself as I am – which is something (despite my inability to do so) that every ballerina needs to do.

Thanks for being so uplifting and inspiring…keep doing what you are doing.”

Another email that I received was also very poignant because it targeted some common fears that every dancer faces. Here is an excerpt from the email as well as the advice I suggested:

“…I think it is very important to feel good about your body and how you look. But lately, I have actually been feeling a little uncomfortable about how I look. I’m trying not to worry about it, but I still do sometimes.  I think it is because I am comparing myself to everyone else in my dance classes….I really want to feel good about how I look, but it’s hard.  And one of my friends is always saying that it is good for dancers to be small and she is glad she’s so small because it will make it easier for her to be a professional dancer someday.  I try not to believe her but she sometimes makes me feel bad about how I look.  Can you help me at all?  I want to feel comfortable when I dance and not worry about how I look.”

First, I just want to say, you are not alone! Please do not think that you are the only dancer who faces this! Body image, especially among dancers is probably the least talked about issue, but it affects us all in so many ways. For years, I have struggled with body image because I was constantly comparing myself to others and I always felt that my body was inadequate. Of course it doesn’t help when all you see publicized in the dance community is emaciated girls leaping through the air and a lack of advocates for a healthy body image. Sadly, this “body ideal” just perpetuates body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem from generation to generation. But, why do we allow this to continue? Perhaps it is because we are all naturally demanding of ourselves and just accept that this “body ideal” is just the nature of dance. Or, is it an unspoken rule that directors, instructors, casting agents, and choreographers enforce but are afraid to admit due to political incorrectness? All of these questions come to mind when you voiced your concern and that is why I thought it was appropriate to post a blog based on this issue.

In terms of dealing with body image, there are so many ways we can become derailed in our quest to be happy with our bodies. It is hard to pinpoint exactly what steps you need to take. However, I can tell you what has helped me a great deal. As I mentioned in my previous blog, seeking an alternative training method in addition to dance, like strength and cardiovascular training, has allowed me to discover another way to take control of my body. Believe it or not, I realized that I was less obsessed with “what I looked like” when I trained and I found this to be extremely liberating. Training helped me to take away the constant critique and judgment I placed upon myself whenever I took class. For me the goal of training was more about achieving overall well-being, which diverted the focus from an appearance oriented mindset to a healthier one. Plus, training simply made me feel good about myself because I was challenging the way I was used to working my body. In turn, this actually helped change the perceptions I had about myself.

A simple technique you can try is to pick at least one physical attribute that you think is special and unique. The next time you take class, think about this attribute and how it contributes to your individuality when you dance. Do not dwell on the negatives! We can all generate a laundry list of defects that we see in our bodies without much hesitation. This is counter-productive! I know it may sound redundant, but a little positive thinking can really go a long way.

One final thought, when it comes down to it, dance is really all about what you can bring to the table. Do not let body image stop you from becoming the best dancer YOU can be….no one else, just you. By developing your own personal sense of artistry, people will notice. Do not be discouraged and think positive!

Visit www.trainerdiva.com to read more on body image and cross training for dancers by Elena Ciccotelli

Two Heads Are Better Than One

In the art and practice of dance, one’s instrument and medium is the body. A painter, sculptor, or musician must know intimately the tools of his craft, and so it is with dancers as well. However, the human body is an intricate organism and science is continually learning new things about the way in which it functions. Therefore, it is important for the dance community to have members that have one foot in the dance world and the other in the world of physiological and kinesiological science and medicine. Two members fitting this description have a foot (well…) hand in yet another world – the internet. For quite some time these two women have been offering their knowledge and expertise to a wide range of the dance community via the world wide web. If you don’t already know their names, you should!

Meeting of the Minds

They are Deborah Vogel and Lisa Howell, two women from opposite sides of the world who have a similar vision and purpose- that is to educate dancers and teachers, arming them with information to improve the quality of health and understanding of the body in dance education and practice. In each other it seems they have recently found a kindred spirit and have decided to join forces on some projects that will further their mission.

I’m sure these two have several exiting things in store for us, but it seems their first collaboration will be monthly podcasts that seek to answer questions from dancers and teachers like yourselves. In the video below Lisa Howell describes a bit about the project and lets you know where you can go to submit your question:

Who Are These Partners in Crime?

Just in case you are not familiar with these two women, I thought I’d share some information about who they are and what they do.

Deborah Vogel

Deborah is Neuromuscular Educator and author of several books who studied under Irene Dowd (author of Taking Root to Fly). She was a co-founder of the now defunct Center for Dance Medicine in New York City. Deb currently resides on the faculty at Oberlin College and Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. Her website The Body Series offers articles, products, and a blog (a transmutation of her Dancing Smart Newsletter), the purpose of which is to answer readers’ questions regarding body health and training issues in dance.

Lisa Howell

Lisa is a physiotherapist specializing in educating and treating dancers and founder of Perfect Form Physiotherapy, a clinic in North Sydney, Australia that, according to Lisa’s website, “focuses on educating dancers and providing one-on-one rehabilitation and technique correction in a caring and holistic environment.” She has also generated a series of resources, including the Perfect Pointe System, designed to help dancers safely and conscientiously improve their dancing and prepare for pointe work. Lisa’s website, The Ballet Blog, offers articles, products, newsletter updates, workshop information, and answers to your questions, and her video podcasts can be seen on the site or at her YouTube channel.

All Things to All People

While, of course, here at Dance Advantage, I strive to provide a comprehensive resource of articles and information for those involved in dance education, I realize that it is impossible for one place to be all things to all people. I am one person and there are limitations to what I, personally, can provide. It is for this reason, that I feel compelled to share other great resources on the web. If I’ve saved you time by linking you to another site that provides truly useful news, guidance, products, or services, I feel I am closer to meeting all of your needs as you participate in dance.

In addition to my college coursework in teaching and kinesiology, I have often drawn upon the work of Deborah and Lisa as I sought to provide quality information and advice to my dance students. I believe in their mission and these ladies know what they’re talking about!

If you have personal experience with Deborah Vogel, Lisa Howell, or their products. Or, if you’ve participated in any of their workshops, please share your observations with us.

If you want to know more, please visit their respective web sites.

Talking Technique

There are several posts here at Dance Advantage that offer understanding and tips on certain technical elements of dance. So far, I’ve offered a smattering of the basics. More recent posts have received quite a few hits but some older posts have gotten buried along the way. Because I think all of these posts could be useful to readers, I’d like to present a little collection for you to check out.

Plié

…Even young dancers can tell you that plié means ‘to bend’ and that one must begin and end a jump with this action. However, it seems the longer one studies dance, the more he/she comes to realize that plié is one of the most sophisticated and nuanced movements in dance. It’s applications are endless…

Battement

…dancers and teachers often drop the word battement from the name of other common terms. As a result of this practice, some dance students may not realize that battement is actually a family of movements that includes battement tendus, dégagés (sometimes called, battement tendu jeté), frappés, and fondus développé…

Vertically Challenged: Improving Your Jumps

…the secret to jumping is not so secret, it is the same hard work that goes into most everything in dance: proper alignment, solid technique, and practice, practice, practice! Not what you wanted to hear? Sorry, but never fear, I can give you some pointers that will help you as you practice those jumps. I’m going to focus mainly on vertical jumping (sauté) in this post, although many of these principles can also be applied to traveling jumps or leaps…

The Core or “Center”

…So, now that we better understand the core, or center and how we’re expected to use it when we dance, there’s one remaining question that someone may still be asking…. WHY? What’s the big deal about this magical part of the body? Why is it so important to my dancing?…

Sickling and Rolling-In

…The terms sickling and rolling in are often used in dance classes to define issues with ankle alignment. However, I have found that many students do not have a clear understanding of the actions of the ankle and foot and, therefore, do not know how to correct these issues when asked…

For more posts on technique, including those on turnout and improving pirouettes, click here.

Is there a technical issue or a particular movement you’d like to see covered on Dance Advantage? Place your ideas or questions in the comments!

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Turnout – How to Nurture Your Turnout

This is a continuing series. Certainly, it would be impossible to write about everything you ever wanted to know about turnout in one, two, or maybe even twenty posts. But, welcome to Part II!.

Part I explored the history of turnout in dance and the anatomical definition of outward rotation at the hip joint.  Here, I will discuss the three ways in which a dancer can nurture their ability to turnout and to actively maintain that turnout during movement.

Awareness

Awareness comes from both developing an understanding of how the body, or the hip joint in this case, works (which we’ve already talked about in Part I) and adjusting or bringing attention to the way you think as a result of this understanding. The number one problem for students struggling with turnout is that often they are thinking about what they see happening to the pelvis rather than what is occurring in the joint. Teachers can help their students develop x-ray vision by discussing the actions of the joint in anatomical terms.  Many students do not even have a clear picture of how their bones and muscles look so keep in mind that diagrams can be very helpful.  Of course, accuracy with terminology is great also, but what students really need to understand are the concepts behind what the bones and muscles are doing. This is far more helpful than talking about visual imperfections like “lifting hips” which occur when students are not properly using their turnout. Consider using mental imagery to aid in this kinesthetic understanding. For instance, in her article Turnout is a Verb, Linda Kjesbu suggests imagining the quadriceps “as you would a barber shop pole that continually rotates up and out, around the leg.” This image hints at the idea of upward lengthening and outward rotation of the whole leg – a different picture and feeling all together than opening the feet like a book or in the shape of a slice of pizza, which is only what we see happening on the outside.

In Conditioning for Dance, Eric Franklin uses the image of the pelvic floor opening like a fan in turnout.  With this tool one can visualize that the sitz bones come together as the femurs open away from each other. Attention is drawn to a very important portion of the body – the base of the centre – which will help students begin to harness the power of the pelvis in jumping, leaping, and other movements.

In addition to imagery, tactile information (sense of touch) can also be extremely helpful for a dancer. Encourage students to find bony landmarks on themselves and one another. Find ways to isolate certain muscles through manipulation and touch while encouraging the use of mental pictures. Again, I will highly recommend Conditioning for Dance as a wonderful reference for this type of sensory learning.  You will also find a variety exercises with bands and balls targeting specific areas of the body. For an in-depth understanding and analysis of joint and muscle actions, I constantly refer to Sally Fitt’s Dance Kinesiology. These make excellent additions to a teacher’s dance library.

Release

Too much tension in the musculature around the hip joint is often responsible for limiting the degree of turnout. Therefore, releasing that tension is key if you’d like to improve outward (and inward) rotation. Tight inward rotators inhibit outward rotation and visa versa. Dancers have varying methods which they use to accomplish release in the hips. Some use passive and lengthening stretches and others utilize props like balls to facilitate an opening within the joint.

A common stretch for the inward rotators is the prone (face-down) frog. In this stretch it important to avoid

forcing or pushing the turnout of the hips because doing so can damage the tissues and ligaments surrounding and leading from the hip. A more gentle and effective version of the frog can be done either sitting or lying supine (face-up). While sitting, place the feet together and hands just below and outside the bent knees. Push the knees outward against the force of hands which are pushing inward. Hold this for about 20-30 seconds, then release, opening the knees wide and stretching the inward rotators. While lying, point both knees to the ceiling. Open one knee toward the floor and press down with this leg, lifting the thigh, hips and lower spine off the floor. Maintain this press and lift the opposite leg off the floor so that only the rotated leg and the shoulders are supporting the body. Hold this for 20-30 seconds (breathe!) and then release and lie with both knees open wide, then repeat with the other leg. Both of these stretches utilize reciprocal inhibition, a method of increasing flexibility favored by dance medicine specialists.

Strengthen Without Tension

Many dancers have more turnout capability than they are able to use because they lack the strength in their outward rotators and supporting muscles to fully open and maintain turnout in the hips. Strengthening these muscles is a gradual process and can be done primarily during technique class, focusing particularly on rotation during plié, fondu, and passé/retiré exercises. Performing prone leg lifts and the Pilates side kick series also target the appropriate muscle groups. Make sure you have a trainer, guide, or teacher when learning these, however, so that you are not repeatedly strengthening or targeting the wrong muscles. Turnboards, discs, and other devices are also becoming popular for strengthening the outward rotators.

No matter what method of strengthening you practice, it is essential to focus on doing so without tension in the muscles. “Squeezing” the buttocks is never a good idea when trying to achieve turnout. This language is often tossed around in dance classes, perhaps because the gluteus maximus is partially responsible for achieving turnout, and it is a muscle we can see working. However, squeezing implies that the contraction is a forceful one which will only lead to over-development of the muscle and possibly injury. Dancers should always strive to create less effort in movement as opposed to more, therefore it helps to pay more attention to the opening and lengthening involved in turnout rather than constantly contracting or holding tension in the muscles, which leads to muscular imbalance.

Avoiding Injury

Almost all injuries in dance are caused by imbalance. Imbalance in muscle strength is created when one muscle group is overused or underused in relation to the opposite muscle group. For instance, the excessive use of the outward rotators in dance can cause sciatic syndrome, a condition in which the sciatic nerve, which runs through the deep rotators, becomes pinched when this muscle group is constantly working without release. For this reason alone it is important for dancers that work in turnout to make time for stretching the external rotators. We’ve all done the sitting yoga twist (pictured right), which is a great stretch for this muscle group. Reciprocal stretches, like the ones for the inward rotators above, can be effective for the outward rotators as well. Lie supine with your knees up and press the insides of your knees together, holding this for 20-30 seconds. Then, open the feet and drop one knee (in inward rotation) toward the floor. Press again and then drop the other leg.

Another serious consideration is that when dancers chase the almost impossible ideal of true 180º turnout, and outward rotation is forced beyond the range of one’s bone structure, an abnormal erosion of the hip socket occurs. This is probably the reason for the high numbers of aging dancers with arthritic hips. Avoid forcing turnout now and you will lessen the chances of needing a hip replacement later in life. Creating false turnout (as mentioned in Part I) can also lead to problems. Excessive pronation can cause shinsplints, strained arches, bunions, misaligned knees, and strained ligaments. Issues such as these have a way of working their way upward through the body, and will in turn cause strain in the hips or cause pelvic tilt, which often leads to back problems and iliopsoas shortening/pain. As you can see, rolling in to get that little bit of “extra” turnout is clearly not worth it.

At the beginning of this two-part article, I asked two questions:  How important is turnout, really? And is having extreme turnout really ideal? What I hope you take away from this article is that it is not the degree to which one is capable of turning out, but the healthful and educated approach to achieving the individual’s own potential for turnout that is important.  As for the importance of turnout itself, I believe it is only as important as we allow it to be.  Even most ballet professionals, I think, would agree that having extreme turnout is trumped by mastering the ability to properly execute and maintain the degree of whatever outward rotation that exists.  This attitude, when applied to training or teaching, can transform a student’s technique. Coupled with the knowledge of how turnout works, it allows the dancer to dance longer and stronger. It is never too early for a dancer to begin to make kinesthetic connections to the movements they are producing in dance class.  Turnout can be properly enforced with imagery and knowlege by teachers who have their pupil’s wellness in mind.

If the turnout is mastered early and properly, the student, and later the dancer, does not have to waste energy on the placement but instead can concentrate on the muscle energy needed to  jump higher to turn better, and to control the weight of the leg.

- Istvan Ament, A Systematic Approach to Classical Ballet: A Four-Year Program

Tell me about your successes or frustration with turnout.

Do you think too much emphasis is placed on the degree of turnout? If so, what are some ways that teachers or educators can correct this?

Do you think the ballet aesthetic is changing?

What are some images, stretches, or exercises relating to turnout that have worked for you?

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Turnout – What Is Turnout?

This will be a continuing series. Certainly, it would be impossible to write about everything you ever wanted to know about turnout in one, two, or maybe even twenty posts. But, welcome to Part I!

Contents:

1. Introduction
2. What is Turnout?
3. Recognizing Proper/Improper Turnout
4. Nature vs. Nurture

Want to learn some techniques for improving your turnout? Read Part II

If you study classical ballet, you are well aware that the outward rotation of the hips (or turnout) is essential to the training and traditions of this form.  Even if you are not a trained in ballet, as a dancer you probably use turnout at least some of the time.  Concert or theatrical dance forms (like modern or jazz dance) in particular utilize turnout within their movement vocabulary. Ask most dancers, and you’ll discover that turnout is high on their list of things to improve and increase.  But how important is turnout, really? And is having extreme turnout really ideal?

The human body is designed primarily for forward motion.  We walk, run, sit, and stand in the sagittal plane.  In dance, the use of turned out legs is primarily utilized for ease of motion on the proscenium stage, a venue in which the performers present movement to an audience which sits entirely on one side of the stage (as opposed to all around or on three sides).  When dance (ballet) moved to this forum from the royal courts, dancers spent more time moving side to side, necessitating a degree of turnout.  Since then, this rotation of the legs has been exaggerated, accepted as the ideal, and adopted as the aesthetic in ballet.

With developments in dance medicine, most dance educators would now agree that 180-degree turnout is not truly a necessity in ballet or otherwise (although this has yet to really change ballet tradition).  Sideways locomotion certainly does not require rotation to such a degree.  Turnout does allow the greater trochanter to avoid the ilium as the leg is lifted above the waist,  however 180 degrees of turnout is not required for this clearance.  In fact, some research (discussed here) suggests that “most dancers have a maximum rotation of 55 degrees in their hips.”  This means that many who appear to have 180º turnout are probably making up the difference in the lower leg.  I suspect that dancers who have danced for years without injury probably discovered early that it is not how much turnout you have that is important, it is how you use what you have. Therefore, it is imperative that one have an understanding of how the hip functions, what is improvable and what is not, how to increase turnout safely and without injury, and how to make the most of what one has.

What Is Turnout?

In anatomical terms, turnout is the outward (sometimes called lateral, or external) rotation of the hip joint.

The hip joint is the joining of the head/top of the femur (thigh bone) to the acetabulum, or hip socket

(seen in the diagram below).

This joint is a ball and socket joint, which allows for a wide range of motion on all three planes (sagittal, lateral, and transverse).  The hip joint can produce flexion (forward of the body), extension (as in standing, not the unfortunately labeled lifting of the leg which is actually flexion in anatomical terms), abduction (away from the midline of the body), adduction (toward the midine of the body), inward rotation (turning-in), and outward rotation (turning-out).  Most dance movements are a combination of these actions.

The hip joint is very complex and most of the muscles surrounding the socket are responsible for more than one action of the hip joint.  These muscles both initiate and restrict movements of the hip. The outward rotators are pictured in the diagram on the right.  The muscles that pass posterior (behind) the hip joint contract to initiate turnout while the anterior muscles lengthen, and those anterior (in front of) the joint contract to initiate inward rotation while the posterior muscles lengthen. If this is confusing, picture the spine of a book – when the book is opened the outside edge of the binding contracts while the other edge lengthens and visa versa.  This inverse relationship is true for all muscle actions and is the key to analyzing movement.

Turnout, although often used in dance as a noun or a position, would more appropriately be considered an action, a verb.  Outwardly rotating the hips requires continual action within the body even when the rotation is held or maintained.  The work does not stop once the position has been attained because maintaining turnout is not what the body is designed for.

Turnout does not occur from anywhere other than the hip.  A false turnout can be achieved by pronating the tarsus (rolling in) to create the illusion of a wider turnout than is being achieved by the hips alone.  This causes a twisting in the knee, a joint which is only designed to extend and flex in the sagittal plane, and this usually leads to misalignment of the pelvis, which actually reduces outward rotation.  False turnout also creates the potential for a myriad of injuries, as we’ll discuss in Part II.

How To Recognize Proper/Improper Turnout

There are some simple visual cues that teachers and students can look for that indicate if turnout is being executed properly and without force.  First of all, if someone is bending their knees (no matter how slightly), turning out, and then lengthening the legs, they are very clearly forcing their turnout. If you try this, you’ll see (and feel) that the feet are rolling toward the big toe (pronating) to maintain this position. When you hear teachers say “knees over toes,” they are asking you to properly align the turnout of your legs and avoid pronation both in standing and in plié. When the legs are opened without force and turnout is supported with the deep rotators, iliopsoas, and abdominals, one should be able to trace a line directly from the hip, through the center of the knee, and to a point between the second and third toe of the foot.  A neutral or properly aligned pelvis (with the sitz bones pointing downward) is a good indicator as well because when the turnout is forced, generally the pelvis will tilt, creating a swayed back.

Dance instructors looking for indication of false turnout will expect to see the feet roll in, the pelvis tilt, and the knees and toes pointing a different direction than the center of the hip joint indicates.  When a dancer is forcing turnout beyond their physical capabilities, tension will appear in the buttocks and probably other areas of the body such as the shoulders or neck.  A dancer who consistently performs with false or forced rotation in the hips will eventually complain of sciatic, knee, foot, and/or back pain.  Therefore, if a dancer is having any of these problems it is always a good idea to pay special attention to their turnout and alignment while dancing.

Nature vs. Nurture

Almost everyone “afflicted” with what he/she considers a limited degree of turnout has at one time found solace in the idea that, for some, the degree of turnout is limited by the unchangeable structure of the body and not for lack of trying.  It is true that some have a narrow sacrum which allows for more efficient locomotion overall.  Men have a narrower sacrum than women, giving them the potential for more impressive jumping skills.  Of course the width of this area varies among women as well.  But, before you begin to think that having a narrow pelvis is ideal, some have observed that this narrow pelvis often is paired with a forward facing acetabulum.  This facing results in, you guessed it, a lesser degree in outward rotation than those with a side-facing hip socket.  The depth of the acetabulum can also affect turnout.  A shallow hip socket allows for higher degrees of both outward and inward rotation in the hip than does a deeper hip socket.

Aside from these natural limitations, turnout is only hindered by problems in how we have nurtured (or not nurtured) the muscles and tissues surrounding the hip. There are three ways in which a dancer can nurture their ability to turnout and to actively maintain that turnout during movement:  Awareness, Release, and Strengthen Without Tension.  And we will learn more about these in Part II!

Sickling and Rolling In

The terms sickling and rolling in are often used in dance classes to define issues with ankle alignment. However, I have found that many students do not have a clear understanding of the actions of the ankle and foot and, therefore, do not know how to correct these issues when asked. I hope this post will help clear up any confusion and assist students in working to correct poor ankle alignment.

“Sickling,” also called supination, is an action of the tarsus (a group of bones in the foot that allow a person to “roll” their ankle in circles). Without getting technical, when one is sickling, they are standing on the outsides of their feet, their pointed foot is “flagging,” or in relevé their outer ankle bone is pulled into misalignment away from the mid-line of the body. “Rolling in” refers to an action called pronation which is essentially the opposite of supination. When standing, someone that is pronating is allowing their arch to drop toward the floor. When the foot is pointed and pronating, the inner heel is pushed forward (sometimes referred to as “winging” the foot). In relevé the anles tilt toward the mid-line of the body. Although these actions are often stated to occur at the ankle, the ankle joint only points and flexes. It is the tarsus that creates any additional motion.

Mostly, dance teachers see pronation (or rolling in) of the tarsus when students are standing. Because the bones on the inside of the foot are larger/heavier than those on the outside, gravity has a tendency to pull the foot into pronation if the muscles used to lift the arch are not trained to do so. Supination is more common when dancers are pointing their feet or standing in relevé (en pointe or demi-pointe) because there is more flexibility in the muscles and tendons on the outside of the foot. When attempting to rise to demi-pointe, some dancers who have a limited range of motion will push beyond their limit, causing the foot to sickle (see picture at right). Supination or sickling when the leg is lifted is very common in young or beginning dancers because they do not possess the strength or muscle memory to maintain proper alignment.

Correcting Alignment Issues

Dancers slowly correct ankle alignment when it is addressed in class. As early as age 7 or 8, you may see improvement in this area if the students are, 1) taught how to feel the difference between a sickled/pronated foot and the correct, neutral alignment and, 2) consistently reminded.  Older students need this same encouragement and reminding until maintaining neutral alignment becomes habit. This takes time, diligence, and mindful dancing. Some dancers point their foot so hard that it forces their foot into a sickled position. The teacher can have the student relax the leg muscles and gently reposition their foot in the proper placement. Keep in mind that dancers going through puberty can sometimes seem to backslide in their strength or flexibility because of growth spurts and rapid changes in their bodies), exercise bands may help strengthen the muscles involved in pronation and supination. If a student is showing weakness in rélevé, a good cure is more rélevé! Perform them in a slow and steady manner, with focus on rising straight up with weight over the second and third toe.

For young dancers that need a reminder not to pronate while standing, I will offer an image frequently used in my dance classes growing up: Imagine a little mouse family all snug in their beds under your arch. Allow the foot to roll in and the little mice will be awfully squished and have to wriggle out! At any age or level, the practice of using and maintaining proper alignment in class will be enough to build the strength and muscle memory needed to correct most problems with pronation and supination. Occasionally a student may have a muscular or skeletal issue that is affecting the tarsus area, the best thing to do is have a doctor or physical therapist check it out if you think this may be the case.

Excessive Turnout and Ankle Alignment

It is important to point out that sickling and rolling in have nothing to do with turnout. Although, some dancers and teachers seem to focus on the angle which the feet make in turnout, please note that turnout occurs from the hips only. Occasionally when dancers “force” their turnout they are straining the tendons in their knees for a little extra rotation at a joint that is only supposed to bend and straighten, which in turn usually results in pronation (rolling in) as well. This only gives the appearance of a wider “V,” but a trained eye knows that this is not turnout. Forcing turnout can lead to injury and possibly surgery down the road.

Maintaining proper alignment in the foot while dancing is very important. Problems in the lower body have a way of working their way up, causing issues and even injury in the knees, hips, back, etc. Dancers must move with awareness of what their body is doing, and a big part of that is understanding the function and terminology of certain bones and muscles. Hopefully I’ve helped you to understand supination and pronation a bit better. Here are some great resources for gaining understanding of how the body works as it relates to dance.

The Body Series
Dance Kinesiology
Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery

Has sickling or rolling in been a problem for you? Have you ever heard the terms supination or pronation used in a dance class before?

Shall Wii Dance??

The release of Wii Fit got me thinking – Will dance be the next evolution in Wii technology? This Miami Herald article describes the uses of Wii Fit and the accompanying balance board…

Players use the board to perform aerobic exercises, strength training and even yoga — all while trying to keep pace with an avatar on the TV screen. They also get verbal encouragement and feedback on technique.

Could this balance board also offer appropriate feedback on technique for a ballet barre or for tap dancers? Could a wider dance floor-type board make the Wii more useful for dance movements that are less stationary? Could the board help correct placement issues like pronation/supination (rolling-in or out when standing) or pelvic alignment, provide assessment of one’s take-off or landing from jumps, or actually teach steps – from a jazz square to a pas de bourre to a time step? Would this lead to more do-it-yourself dance training and decreased enrollment in classes? I have not used Wii Fit but am curious to try it out.

What are some of your thoughts? Would you utilize the technology for dance if it were available? What are some other ways you could see this technology being useful for the study of dance?

Battement

I’m sure that students reading this blog have used or heard the term battement before. If grand battement immediately comes to mind, I’m not surprised, as the word battement is commonly dropped from the name of other familiar terms.

A mother, father, brothers, grandparents, uncles, all share a family name. In a similar way battement is a family of movements.

From the Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet: Battement [bat-MAHN] — Beating. A beating action of the extended or bent leg. There are two types of battements, grands battements and petits battements. The petis battements are: Battements tendus, dégagés, frappés and tendus relevés: stretched, disengaged, struck and stretched-and-lifted. In this must-have reference Gail Grant devotes no less than 7 pages to the battement family which also includes members such as fondu developpé, balançoire, retiré or raccourci, soutenu, battu/serré, and more.

Why We Practice Them

Battements, as they are practiced at the barre and in centre, are the foundation of many other movements in ballet (jumps and travelling steps such as assemblé, tour jeté, grand jeté, and so many more) and in other dance forms. It is necessary to have a solid grasp on the simplest forms in order to perform the others correctly. Often battement are separated into two categories: petite and grand. However, one might also divide battements according to whether or not they interact with the floor.

Articulation

Tendus, dégagés, frappés, grand battements (balançoire, en cloche, fouetté, etc), soutenu, and retiré, are all battement that brush or press away from the floor. In each of these movements, it is important to remember the role of the feet. I have encountered many beginning dancers that neglect “working through” the foot as the working/gesture leg is disengaged from it’s standing position. Think of the foot as a paintbrush creating a brush stroke on the floor, using the intrinsic muscles of the arch and finally, the toes. This small action will strengthen the foot for jumping and relevé, and helps to “ground” the movement, providing stability, particularly in centre. Stability can also be increased by imagining the standing leg rooted deep into the earth as the working leg moves outward and/or skyward from the midline. The foot also articulates in battements that lift the knee upward, as in retiré/raccourci. Think of this as a one-legged jump, requiring the same roll-thru of the feet. This is great strengthening practice for jumps to come. Similarly in grand battements, I like to remind my students that power and height of the working leg is achieved through sending force into the floor. Much like a rocket ship which propels itself into space by sending heat and energy downward, a dancer must send energy into the floor through the leg and foot to create “lift-off” in grand battements.

This video by Lisa Howell is a useful and clearly explained demonstration of the articulation necessary in tendu.

Isolation and Sustaining the Leg

Battements that do not interact with the floor are a much smaller branch of the family. Still they are an illustrious group. Petites battement sur-le-cou-de-pied and battu reflect the more literal “beating” action of battements. In barre work these movements introduce agility and speed. They require that the knee be lifted away from the body for a sustained period (a preparation for things to come) while also isolating the rapidly moving lower leg from the upper leg. This isolation is important later for all jumps with beats because it encourages stillness or “quiet” in the pelvis and stability in the core while all that fast action is going on below.

A Word on Turnout

In all battement, maintaining turn-out is crucial. Many students struggle with this and it can take years to develop the strength to utilize and maintain turn-out with consistency. One way to “find” or create awareness of turnout in battements is to place the fingertips on the greater trochanter. This is the portion of bone at the outside of the hip joint that you’ll probably feel pressing into the floor when lying on your side. With the fingertips on this protrusion, execute a battement tendu. When properly utilizing your turn-out you will feel the trochanter slip backward but not dip lower or lift higher as you disengage the leg. This exercise may be used as an alternative or supplement to the more commonly taught concept of allowing the heal to lead in tendu.

Each movement within the battement family deserves its own post. Writer Dianne Buxton has added a breakdown of the basics at her Ballet and Pointe Shoes blog:

• Battement tendu
• Grand battement
• Battement frappe
• Battement degage
• Battement fondu

Don’t forget to pick up a good ballet dictionary. It will prove helpful in your study of ballet (and other dance forms) to understand and utilize proper ballet terminology. Once again, I highly recommend the Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet.

What are some images that have helped you (or your students) in executing movements in the battement family?

Are there other ways you might categorize or breakdown the various types of battements?

Are there additional resources you’d recommend?

Improving Pirouettes

I was recently asked about some tips on how to improve at multiple pirouettes. I know that lots of students are wanting to know the same thing, so here is my answer:

1. Engaging your abdominal/core muscles is necessary for maintaining good alignment during the turn.
2. Every turn is a balance, so work on balancing in the position in which you want to turn (retiré, a la seconde, etc.)
3. Spot and keep your eyes off the floor (or that’s where you’ll end up).
4. Use only enough push to get around – sometimes a dance student’s biggest downfall in pirouettes is pushing so hard that they throw the turn off.
5. Connect your arms to your back – you should feel width between the shoulder blades and the arms should maintain their position (don’t “wind-up” for a turn)
6. Take off from a properly placed and wide plié for power in the turn.
7. Strengthen your ankles supporting the relevé – if you are wobbly, sickled, or pronated, this will ruin your turn.
8. Make a choice to come down from the turn, don’t let gravity make the choice for you.
9. Visualize yourself doing a beautiful, clean pirouette – it really does help!

Pirouettes are not an easy movement. Anyone can whip themselves around but it takes years of practice (plus a good deal of strength) to perform a proper pirouette. Work hard at the barre and in centre on the fundamentals (plié, relevé, etc.) And, work on getting a good, clean single pirouette first (with a strong grasp on the elements above), then progress to multiples. Don’t give up! If you are working hard, applying your teacher’s corrections, and not letting self-doubt psych you out, you will be able to do multiple pirouettes.

What we hope ever to do with ease, we must first learn to do with diligence.

What are some other tips that you can offer or have been given to you? What do you find most difficult about pirouettes?

Plié

I’ve heard somewhere that the beginning is a very good place to start. Therefore, since I’m just beginning our exploration of dance vocabulary, I figured it was best to start with the alpha and omega of all dance movements – the plié. Here is the definition according to the ABT (American Ballet Theatre) ballet dictionary. Even young dancers can tell you that plié means ‘to bend’ and that one must begin and end a jump with this action. However, it seems the longer one studies dance, the more he/she comes to realize that plié is one of the most sophisticated and nuanced movements in dance. It’s applications are endless, not only appearing before and after jumps, but in glides, hops, turns, running, walking, leaps, and more. All while moving forward, backward, upward, sideways, or downward. No plié is exactly alike, but without it we appear awkward, stiff, uncontrolled, or shaky. Like dance itself, plié is a never-ending story. There is always more to learn and developping a strong understanding of plié will help dancers build a strong foundation for other movements.

I read an article in this month’s Dance Magazine that I wish I could link you to. Pick up a copy if you can. In it, Risa Steinberg, a Limon teacher at Julliard, states that **”a good plié is an action, not a position. A plié is a ‘Whaaaaaah.’ It is not an ‘Eh.’ ” I love this description. Try vocalizing ‘Whaaaaaah’ while you plié and see what happens! This simple action serves as a reminder that plié is a smooth, continuous, and widening motion. It also implies that control is needed to create and direct the action, in contrast to an “Eh,” which suggests little effort or control. Fluidity, width, and control in plié is required whether executing an explosive jump or a shift of weight.

Some things to remember when executing plié:

1. Weight should be equally distributed between both feet. Try not to lean toward one foot more than the other or rest in the heels.
2. Lift the arches of the foot – avoiding pronation, or rolling in.
3. Maintain turnout (rotation at the hip joint), keeping the knees over the second and third toes.
4. Maintain alignment in the torso, partiularly the pelvis – tailbone points downward. NOT
5. Use opposition in the movement – resist as the body lowers and as it goes goes upward.

Consider the study of plié a lifelong pursuit! Plié are only boring if you stop discovering new things about them.

**The cited article is by Rachel Straus a freelance writer based in NYC and appears in the April 2008 issue of Dance Magazine.

The Core or Center

Today I thought we’d look at the area of the body which most dancers refer to as the core, or the center, of the body. Sometimes these terms can be confusing. So lets start by trying to define them. This article called Dancing from the Centre, speaks of the elusiveness of the language we use in dance when we talk about “the center”. This is an in-depth article which offers several perspectives on finding or describing one’s center. However, it’s this bit that gives some insight about what a teacher usually means when he/she talks of center.

I have discovered there are several terms used to talk about this mysterious ‘centre’. Amongst them are: ‘the core’, ‘centre of gravity’ and ‘centre of weight’. When teachers talk about ‘the core’ or ‘the centre’ it has been my finding that they are after an engagement of the abdominal muscles in their students; a muscular engagement that is evidenced both visually and aesthetically in their students’ dancing.

I want to note that the author goes on to show how the center of gravity or weight is different from this “engagement of the abdominal muscles.” But what exactly does it mean to engage your abdominals? I’ve used the phrase many times with my own students only to receive blank stares, so obviously we need to dig deeper. To do so, we need to consider how the abdominal muscles function. Deborah Vogel from The Body Series explains the idea of engaging (or “pulling up” as you’ll hear in many dance classrooms) through a description of isometric contraction and the use of imagery. I often use the idea of lacing abdominals with my own students because it was an image that clicked for me the first time I heard it. Go ahead, try this image now… Really imagine it, use your minds eye to feel the laces crossed over your torso and slowly cinch them inward (not too tight, you should be able to breathe), bringing the abdomen and organs closer to your spine which runs down the center of your body. It may take some practice but eventually this activation of the muscles can become second nature. By the way, Deborah has some other great resources at her site – check out the Core Stability DVD, and Deborah’s Dancing Smart ebook for more exercises, technique and tips.

More than just the abdominal muscles is involved in stabilizing and strengthening “the core” for dance. A brief description of the muscle groups (left) that, from an anatomical perspective, form the core can be found here. All of these muscles must be strengthened to enhance your dance technique. Special equipment is not necessarily required, but an understanding of how the body works is key to working more intelligently while you’re in class. There are also lots of simple things you can work on outside of class that will strengthen your core muscles. Practicing engaging your abdominals as you do daily activities will not only strengthen, but create a habit of supporting movement using your core, freeing you to focus on other things as you dance. For ballet, Dianne has some suggestions for core exercise. Make sure your retiré position is properly turned-out and aligned as you do this work (have a teacher check it out if you’re not sure).

So, now that we better understand the core, or center and how we’re expected to use it when we dance, there’s one remaining question that someone may still be asking…. WHY? What’s the big deal about this magical part of the body? Why is it so important to my dancing? The answer is freedom. Freedom is what comes from strengthening, engaging, and stabilizing the core. Amber is a blogger and swing dance teacher that recently provided an image to explain the freedom that comes with a strong core, which I plan on stealing (…er, borrowing) because that’s what teachers do! I encourage you to read her post for yourself (don’t miss the spaghetti and brick imagery), but she points out that a feather has a solid core which allows it’s feathery arms to move with ease as it glides through space. This isn’t a perfect image (a feather’s core can be a bit stiff), but it does reinforce the idea that your arms, legs, shoulders, hips, neck, and head all have the freedom to do what you will as long as your core is solid and, once you’ve discovered this freedom, your technique will soar.

What do you do to strengthen your core?

What are some other images that helped you find your centre?