TURNOUT - FRIEND OR FOE?

Is turnout your best friend or a troublesome challenge? Do you or your students start with turnout, only to lose it mid-exercise?

We've all heard the age-old advice: "Turn out from your hips!" But why is it so hard to find and maintain throughout an entire exercise?

For some, it's a lack of strength; for others, it's a lack of flexibility. And for many, it's as simple as not knowing exactly where to hold it! This last group is the easiest to fix, and I find that most of my students fall into this category. Even someone working within their best turnout range, but unsure where to hold it, will look much less polished and professional.

Try this: Place your hands on your sit bones, right where your leotard sits under your bottom. Squeeze your bottom together and feel the muscles at the top of your legs activate. Now, with those muscles engaged, relax your buttocks. This is the "feel" you should aim for to maintain turnout throughout entire exercises. You can even imagine that your sit bones are two magnets drawing together as you dance. The secret here is that it’s all in the feel! Once you can sense how to hold this, dancing consistently with beautiful turnout will come naturally!