I have heard you say that tight hamstrings prevent full extension of the knees and that you prefer hamstring stretches in a standing position, rather than on the floor. Can you explain why? The reason I prefer stretching tight hamstrings in a standing position is to isolate the stretch better. The problem with stretching on […]
When it comes to your students’ training, a somatic practice can be the key to injury prevention, better dancing and a healthier student overall. Alexander Technique, which is designed to retrain established movement patterns through nonjudgmental verbal and physical cues, is one such practice. Here, Alonzo King LINES Ballet faculty member Anne-René Petrarca, an expert […]
One of my dancers has knee pain that is baffling me. She dances 5–6 hours a week and has had the pain for a few months. She says it doesn’t hurt until she starts dancing, and certain strenuous movements make it worse. She says the pain is at the bottom of her kneecap and mentioned […]
How does having wide hips affect my turnout? The width of your hips doesn’t influence how much turnout you have at the joint. Turnout is determined by your hip joint structure and the muscle balance around the joint. That being said, having wider hips can influence turnout in fourth and fifth positions because of how […]
If you’ve led morning classes or rehearsals, you may be familiar with those dancers who enter the studio carrying a coffee from the closest café, or whose floor stretches look, in part, like an excuse to stay horizontal—and perhaps you feel their pain. Denise Warner Limoli is familiar with this scene; she teaches 9 am […]
When teachers say, “Tuck under” or “Pull in your belly button,” what is happening anatomically? Is there better language I should use? Our language should be as anatomically accurate as possible. Phrases like the two you mentioned can create a variety of responses, and not all desirable ones. For example, a teacher may say, “Tuck […]
Strange as it may seem, the missing ingredient of a dancer’s optimal performance is often rest. According to Kathleen Weber, consulting sports medicine physician at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, dancers should think of recovery as an essential element in their training. “As you walk offstage, you should already be thinking, ‘How am I recovering?’” she […]
I have plantar fasciitis. What do I do? —Jacqueline Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the fascia on the bottom of your foot. Fascia is a sheet of connective tissue that surrounds muscles. The traditional first step is to roll out your foot on a ball. Next, you’ll want to check other areas that may […]
My 10-year-old daughter has a dance teacher who has the students stay in the frog position for a few minutes each class. My daughter finds it very uncomfortable. Does this position actually serve a purpose? Sometimes it is hard to know if uncomfortable is a good or bad sensation. Sometimes when you try something new, […]
Like many dancers, I was taught to hold my hips square when standing in fourth and fifth positions. However, in a recent professional development course, I was told the following: “The hips cannot anatomically be square in fourth or fifth. The dancer must not try to hold them square—it is neither possible nor desirable. For […]