Monday, January 25, 2016

Mad Monday Thigh Quest


Mad Monday Thigh Quest

Ballet Secret #7bbb states:  Feel the inner thighs by imagining tearing a newspaper in half with your turned-out feet. This is just one of several tricks dancers use to locate and thus use the elusive “inside thigh muscles”.

These muscles are critical for many things, but are particularly essential when the working leg is in a high extension or performing a développé. If the inner muscles aren’t  used, the poor quadriceps are forced to do the lion’s share of the work. Some teachers say “don’t use the quads”, but this isn’t literally true. They “work”, and it isn’t as though the quadriceps can take time off for a Caribbean cruise – they share the load, but shouldn’t do it all.

Some other tricks are: 1. From second position, pull the working foot inward along the floor to first position with resistance; 2. With the working leg on the barre, flex the foot, lengthen the leg and turn it out a little more, and concentrate on feeling the inner thighs; 3. In a foot-in-the-hand stretch in second, face the mirror and watch the inner thigh muscles of the working leg as you rotate the leg a bit more. You should see movement in the muscles.

There are lots of ways to discover these useful muscles. Keep trying. Most dancers say it took years to locate and use them effectively.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Ballet Secret #7ddd:  
“ There are many tricks for locating the inner thigh muscles.”

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Brandon Sanderson

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