Where does turnout come from? How can I target these areas?
Turnout in ballet is the ability to rotate your legs outward from the hips all the way to your toes. However, good, functional turnout doesn’t solely come from the hips; it involves your thighs, knees, ankles, and feet—essentially every joint in your legs. Everyone has some degree of natural turnout, which varies based on individual joint and bone structure. Regardless of how much natural turnout a dancer possesses, they must work diligently to develop an active and functional turnout.
Active turnout means maintaining turnout during extensions, movements, and positions, which is a strong indicator of solid ballet technique. In contrast, a lack of turnout can lead to poor technique and posture, often resulting from forcing extensions and positions. This can cause both short- and long-term pain and injuries.
The good news is that turnout can be improved to its maximum potential through both stretching and strengthening exercises. Stretching helps increase the range of turnout, while strengthening exercises develop the stability needed to hold your turnout in various positions and movements.
There are many types of stretches you can perform to enhance your turnout, particularly those targeting the hips. Here are just a few:
For stretching:
For strengthening:
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