Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Turnout (Part 2) – How to Nurture Your Turnout

Here is a follow-up to our earlier post.  It was taken from
http://www.danceadvantage.net/turnout-part-ii/

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

October 10, 2008 by Nichelle (owner/editor)

This is Part II of a two-part series on turnout. I highly recommend you read Part I first. It explores the purpose of turnout in dance, the anatomy of outward rotation at the hip joint, and recognizing false or improper turnout. 

Here in Part II are three ways in which a dancer can nurture their ability to turnout and to actively maintain that rotation during movement — Awareness, Release, and Strengthen Without Tension.

Awareness

Photo by Sally M

Awareness comes from developing an understanding of how the body, or specifically the hip joint in this case, works. We’ve talked about this in Part I. And then 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.

Use mental imagery to aid in this kinesthetic understanding.

For instance, in her article Turnout is a Verb (which is sadly no longer online), 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.

Use tactile information (sense of touch) to bring about awareness.

 

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 lying supine (face-up). You might also try a less passive version: 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. This utilizes 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.

It is essential to focus on strengthening 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. Pay attention instead to the opening and lengthening aspects of turnout.

Avoiding Injury

Photo by Muffet

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 (turnout muscles) 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.

Stretch 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.

Don’t Force Or Fake Turnout

When dancers chase the almost impossible ideal of 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.

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 leads to back problems and iliopsoas shortening/pain. Rolling in to get that little bit of “extra” turnout is clearly not worth it.

Conclusions

At the beginning of this two-part article, I asked two questions:  Is having extreme turnout really ideal?

What I hope you take away from this article is that it is not the degree to which you are capable of turning out, but the healthful and educated approach to achieving your 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 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 anatomical and kinesthetic connections to the movements they are producing in dance class.

Dancers should always strive for better efficiency in movement. It’s about making the effort count, rather than wasting it.

“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

Helpful Hint and Tricks for Ballet Classes

Miss JoAnn, a teacher at the Edmonton School of Ballet, spent time putting together this article for her Jr. 4 class this year, but we thought that everyone might benefit from reading her tips and advice!

Why do we dance?

We dance because we love it! It’s a way for us to express how we feel through movement.  It’s a challenge that is paid off with hard work. You want to be great and show people all that you have to offer. There are days when we are itching to move and there are days where don't want to dance. Dance is hard work and takes a lot of discipline. The best thing we can do is work hard even when times get tough. The key is to remember that things are hard now, but one day all your hard work will pay off!

Why does my Ballet teacher give me so many corrections?

Dance teachers give their students corrections to help them improve and grow with their work. It’s not meant to be a negative; it’s for the benefit of you as a student. Dance teachers see the potential in each student, even if you don't see it in yourself just yet. If they give you a correction think of it as a gift. We have extensive knowledge in the art of dance. We have been in your shoes and know how hard it can be at times, but we also know about all the joys that can come with it!

How can I help myself to improve?

Remember, every class has the potential for personal growth! Come to class knowing it is going to be fun, but also hard work. Your personal growth in class is all about your attitude. Try to come in with a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. Remember, your teacher is going to give you corrections, but remember this is not a bad thing, but a good thing. When you get a correction, this is a chance for you to really improve. Try to really work hard on your corrections even if there really difficult, you'll see that one day they won’t seem as hard anymore. You are the only one who can hold yourself back or make yourself excel!

Exams

Exams are scary and can be stressful.  They can also be fun and exiting! Your dance teacher is going to do the best that they can do to get you ready for your exam. You, as the dancer, also has the responsibility to prepare yourself for your exam. You can do this by working hard in every class, taking corrections, and studying your theory. You may also need to do some extra work on your own, such as practicing the more difficult steps or exercises at home.

What if I'm not ready for my exam?

If your teacher feels that you are not ready for your exam, try not to view this as a negative thing. Sometimes we just need a bit more time to accomplish all of the technical expectations for each level. Your teacher wants you to be as successful as possible! If you do need a bit more time that is okay, you will still be able to improve and grow!  Keep working hard each and every dance class and keep taking correction and practicing, and it will all come together!

by JoAnn Zayak

Everything You Wanted to Know About Turnout - Part 1

Here is a great article about turnout - the outward rotation of the legs in the hips.  Turnout is essential to ballet and most dance forms.  This is a great read!  Here is the link to the original article - http://www.danceadvantage.net/turnout-part-i/

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Turnout – Part I

October 10, 2008 by Nichelle (owner/editor)

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 trained in ballet, as a dancer you probably use turnout at least some of the time.

Ask most dancers, and you’ll discover that turnout is high on their list of things to improve and increase.

 

But 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).

A little history: 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, there is evidence that 180-degree turnout is not possible, necessary, or even healthy for all ballet dancers – even the pros (although how much this has changed about ballet training traditions is debatable).

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, Gayanne Grossman, associate professor of anatomy and kinesiology at Temple University suggests that “most dancers have a maximum rotation of 55 degrees in their hips.” [see this 2008 article from Dance Magazine] This means that many who appear to have 180º turnout  are 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 to know how to use it!

 

So, what’s really essential about turnout? Understanding it.

What you need to know to make the most of your turnout:

• How the hip functions
• What is improvable and what is not
• How to increase turnout safely and without injury
• What you can do to maintain optimum turnout for your body

 

Understanding How Turnout Is Achieved

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).

Image via Wikipedia

Muscles of lateral (outward) rotation

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.

 

Muscle Action

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.

 

False Turnout

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.

 

Turnout Is A Verb

Although we sometime use the word turnout as a noun or a position (i.e. “Your turnout could be better.”), it is more appropriately thought of as an action, a verb.
Because outward rotation is not the body’s natural state, the work does not stop once the position or desired degree of rotation has been attained. Instead, outward rotation of the hips requires continual action within the body, even when the rotation is held in a position (like ballet 5th).

 

How To Recognize Proper/Improper Turnout

There are some simple visual cues that indicate turnout is being forcefully executed.
As mentioned above, 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.

 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.
Students, try this: Bend your knees slightly, turn out as much as you can, and then gently lengthen the legs. You are forcing your turnout. What does it feel like? Do you feel a tension or twisting in the knees? Are your feet rolling toward the big toe (pronating) to maintain this position? Do you feel balanced or secure in this position?

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.

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, and perhaps our mental state or expectations. 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!