Problems engaging adductors in tendu à la seconde

[casscassqiang]

Hi everyone,

 

I've found that I have a real problem engaging the adductors in my working leg when doing tendus. I have no problem engaging them in my standing leg but I really struggle to do so in my working leg, especially in tendu à la seconde/to the side. I've tried standing in second position and slowly dragging my leg and foot back into first and fifth, I've tried doing tendus with my foot flexed and off the floor so I'm definitely using my leg muscles and not my foot to return to first and fifth but I still can't feel my adductors working. I have swaybacks/hyperextended knees so I try to bend/'straighten' them so they don't get in the way and I'm holding my turn out as much as possible when coming back into first and fifth position. Any tips?

 

Thanks!

[Jan McNulty]

Hello Casscassqiang. I can't give you any advice but I just wanted to welcome you to the Forum!

[drdance]

You shouldn't be using the adductors on the tendu extension, but on the closing you should. Muscles can only pull not push.

[Kate_N]

The exercise when you do a tendu to second, then place the foot on the floor in second (rolling through the toes and instep) and then pulling your working leg back to first with foot still on the floor can really help. Try to do it without using the muscles in the working leg, just the supporting leg, maybe?

 

Of course, it's impossible to do without using the working leg, but by thinking mostly of engaging the supporting leg, you might start to recognise when the adductors are engaged?

[casscassqiang]

Hi drdance, I'm aware of this, this is what I'm referring to; I can't feel my adductors activating when I'm closing my tendus. All of my other leg muscles are toned and working well, it's just these I can't seem to get working.

Hi Kate_N, I've tried this one a lot and the muscle that I can feel activating is the very small one right underneath my bum (not sure what this is?) rather than my adductors unfortunately.

Edited October 5, 2016 by casscassqiang

[drdance]

Ah ok, the 'muscle' just under your bum is actually the attachment point for lots of muscles, including the adductor and hamstrings so you could be firing up the adductors. 

 

Thinking logically about the action and location of the muscles involved, the amount of turnout being used will affect which ones dominate. The more the legs are turned out, the more the hamstrings will be the major muscles involved on closing a tendu, because if the legs are well turned out, the adductors will actually be facing the front. 

 

Can I ask why you are concerned about this? I do worry that lots of teachers/dancers get a bit hung up on 'the inner thigh', the actual muscles therein, as I said in the above paragraph, will depend on the amount of turnout being used. When standing parallel, the inner thigh muscles are the adductors, and the vastus medialis. In 180 degree turnout, these 'inner thigh muscles' will be the medial hamstrings (gracilis and semimembranosus).

[casscassqiang]

Hi drdance, that does make a lot of sense thank you!

 

I'm worried about this for a number of reasons really:

 

1. I've started pointe work with my teacher and she really emphasizes the importance of having strong 'inner thighs' to help stay up on pointe and come down from pointe safely.

2. Tendus a la seconde have always felt 'easy' for me, as I've said I don't feel my 'inner thigh' working so I feel as though I'm not doing something right or my technique is wrong.

3. Similar to the above point, all the muscles in my legs are toned except the 'inner thighs' (when I stand in parallel so the adductors and vastus medialis as you said above) so this makes me think I must be doing something wrong and not working them properly.

 

Thanks for your help.

[Dance*is*life]

I tried this the other day with some students - maybe it will help. Stand in 1st and place your hand on the inner thigh. As you tendu to 2nd and close, the hand should stay the same - if you are holding the turn-out.

 

Also don't forget that it's the simultaneous use of the back of the thigh just below the buttock muscles together with the adductors that holds the turn-out.

Edited October 9, 2016 by Dance*is*life