Turnout help

[dancefanatic]

I've just got off the phone with my DD who has discovered she has lost marks previously gained on last year's assessment at vocation school with regards to her turnout.  She has been battling a knee injury for most of the last year and thinks this is what has helped weaken her turnout strength but her teacher, she says, doesn't give her clear corrections, rather she prods and points at her.  The AD of the school told us previously that he believes she has full turnout capibility but lacks the required strength to maintain it but her current teacher is saying she has limited turnout.  Next year is her big year for Upper school audtions and she is now in quite a state.

 

Could anyone more knowledgeable than me (not difficult as I'm neither a dance teacher or a physio!) be able to give me some generic exercises she could do that would help strengthen her turnout muscles? 

 

Many thanks,

[Ruby Foo]

Have you heard of ‘ functional footprints’?

They are a deadly serious and deadly expensive way to improve your turnout strength and are used by dancers, teachers and Dance physios. They come with instructions  and the exercises need to be done slowly and carefully,  stressing the correct posture with the pelvis in the correct alignment. The best thing about them is that, providing your posture is correct, you really can’t cheat. When I looked last, they were only available from the States. There might be something similar now in UK. Using these everyday would be effective.

[Ruby Foo]

Just to add, you might want to get your Dd assessed by an independent dance physio. You seem to have been given conflicting and confusing information which is not going to help your Dd’s confidence.

[Pas de Quatre]

In UK they are known as rotation discs and widely available on line from sports or Pilates suppliers.  I have had a pair for about 15 years. But as Valentina says, get it checked by a professional.

[dancefanatic]

Thank you so much, I hadn't heard of these and have now done a quick search.  I have also written to the school's AD to ask whether she should be assessed by the school's new physio with regard to her turnout, particularly when the original information he gave us is in total contradiction of her currect teacher. 

[Farawaydancer]

I think it would have been noticed and commented on before now if there were serious turnout restrictions which were limiting her movement. Seeing the physio and doing rehab classes to work on specific things ‘lost’ during injury is usually done, maybe she just needs it for longer? You’ve done the right thing by querying it with the AD though. 

[sarahw]

I agree you have done the correct thing by querying with the AD. If the concensus is that there is an issue then school should really help your DD via their physio.

It's very frustrating when vocational schools say something needs attention but fail to address it themselves as that's what you're there for! We had similar...

It may be worth seeing someone out of school for a second opinion. Theballetstrength pro at KS Dance is a potential source of help. All the students there do a lot of strengthening as an integral part of the course. I'm sure others could also recommend depending on where you are.

[drdance]

Hi,

I'd definitely recommend seeing the physio at school, or someone suitable outside of school who could help. It's not easy to give exercises without seeing someone in person. Where are you based in the country? I'm happy to give an independent assessment if you would like.