Jellybeans Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 I am sure that it has been said before but being able to do an over split does not make you a good dancer and I hope above all hope that one can be a good dancer without being able to achieve this. I worry that the more it is said how impressive/ important it is to achieve this, the more young people will try and do it, and risk injuring themselves in the process. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 (edited) I've just been looking at Dance Direct's Facebook page and saw a photo which made me think of this thread. If you're on FB,have a look. It's a photo of 4 girls in white leotards at the barre. My personal opinion is probably unprintable, but see what you all think. Edited June 11, 2012 by Pups_mum 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellybeans Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I have seen this and it is seriously scary!! I wonder, though, if they are ballet dancers or gymnasts? I know that they are at a barre but the style of their leotards and foot thongs are more normally seen in gym. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I just saw that photo too. That kind of flexibility should never be a pre-requisite for ballet. Can you imagine Fonteyn doing that?! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lula-belle Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 They are Rythmic Gymnasts, they use ballet barres for stretching and do alot of ballet classes, the picture circulated a while ago 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Aha, well that makes more sense. It still doesn't look all that safe but at least they are gymnasts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totty Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I've hesitated to get involved in the oversplits debate but can't help but feel the question has been lost in a debate about aesthetics, so I'll not give my opinion on oversplits in performance but just the facts on current training, If your dancer has professional aspirations then flexibility, strength, musicality, physique and vocabulary will all play a part, achieving the oversplit will not automatically gain you a place in a vocational school but I have seen girls at all the top senior schools here in the UK stretched like this RBS, ENB, Elmhurst, Central and RCS. T. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjuli_Bai Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Aha, well that makes more sense. It still doesn't look all that safe but at least they are gymnasts. I would say that the world of the gymnast also has gone to extremes. Ditto ice skating, modeling, etc. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellybeans Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I've hesitated to get involved in the oversplits debate but can't help but feel the question has been lost in a debate about aesthetics, so I'll not give my opinion on oversplits in performance but just the facts on current training, If your dancer has professional aspirations then flexibility, strength, musicality, physique and vocabulary will all play a part, achieving the oversplit will not automatically gain you a place in a vocational school but I have seen girls at all the top senior schools here in the UK stretched like this RBS, ENB, Elmhurst, Central and RCS. T. When you say that you have seen girls at all the schools "stretched like this" do you mean in over splits or in the back bend position in he photograph that has been talked about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totty Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Hi Jellybeans, Over splits, not the back bend in the picture while I have seen some amazing back bends in ballet classes, I think this particular stretch is still in the domain of Rhythmic and artistic gymnasts. T. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellybeans Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 That's a relief!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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