Gain Height!

Can you bust out the high kicks but have issues with control? I’ve been working hard to get those fabulous six o-clock legs for a while now and I can tell you – muscle gaining hip-hop training doesn’t really help too much in that department…but there ARE some serious exercises you can do in order to create a balance between strengthening and lengthening and I’ma show you how to rock them!

If you’re like me – and have noticed you have great flexibility while stretching but are unsure about how to activate your stretch while dancing these tips from pro dance physiologist Lisa Howell will put you on a fast track to beautiful developpes. She also wrote a book called The Perfect Pointe Book – a MUST READ!

This exercise is aimed at increasing the height of your leg, as well as building the strength to hold it in these positions.

“So many girls and boys have good flexibility when stretching, but find it hard to use this when dancing, especially with a developpé. If you simply practise the step over and over, often the result is bulky thighs, with not a lot of increase in range. This will happen if you are trying to use the front of the leg to lift, rather than controlling the leg from the hip. Many dancers try to improve the height of the leg by training with weights. This is not recommended, as the dancer simply learns to use the muscles that are already working more, rather than discovering the true turnout muscles, and the smaller muscles required to stabilize the leg enl’air.

Here is a simple exercise to increase the range of your developpé devant.

* To work out all the true muscles needed to lift the leg devant, lie on your back, with your legs out straight and your hands on your hips.

* Slowly pull the foot up into a retire position (feel your inner thighs working!).

* Make sure that the hips stay square, and don’t hitch or twist!

* Slowly unfold the leg as for a developpé devant working on controlling the turnout from the hip, and lengthening the leg.

* You will not be able to cheat by tucking the pelvis in this position, but the leg will feel a lot lighter, so you can focus on correct placement!

* Slowly lower the leg, making sure you use your abdominals so that your back doesn’t arch!

* If you can control the leg and pelvis well with a developpé to 90degrees without moving the hips, you will be able to achieve a much greater height of leg when you let the pelvis become involved (it has to begin to shift a little above this). However, if you are hitching and struggling to get to 90 degrees, you will find it very hard to improve beyond this point unless you really focus on your stability.

You can also do this for a developpé à la seconde (lying on your side), but make sure that your hips start and end carefully and square. You do need to rotate the pelvis slightly towards the end of the movement, but this should be gradual, and only as much as you really need!”

Hope this helps – always trying to pass on the love…and the spicy things that come from the flexibility as a result. <3