| One of the biggest reliefs I had when I went from | | | | Doing the splits depends on overall hyper-mobility. Not |
| amateur to professional training was that hips do not | | | | only hamstrings and quads need to be extremely |
| have to be square in a derriere (behind you) position. | | | | flexible, but your postural muscles, the iliopsoas, needs |
| Including doing the splits. | | | | to be very flexible. Hyper-mobility of the joints is an |
| I started my training in the R.A.D. system. I had natural | | | | extra blessing for doing the splits, but creates a lot of |
| turnout. It looked great except when I did a tendu | | | | problems too. |
| (French word for stretched) derriere. We had to keep | | | | A professional ballet dancer will do whatever it takes |
| our hips square. In more advanced classes the | | | | to get a good line in a split jete or penche. Those who |
| developpe to the back, and attitude positions still looked | | | | cannot do the splits perfectly open the hip more, and |
| terribly turned in. Naturally the students would go for | | | | sometimes slightly bend the leg so that their foot lines |
| height, which opened our hip. Our teacher would | | | | up with the hip, and even though the entire leg is not |
| correct our hips, placing them back to a square | | | | lined up, the illusion of the splits is seen. |
| position, and both the height and turnout looked | | | | The hard and fast rules of ballet technique are for |
| miserable. | | | | safety - for prevention of dance injuries. Getting the |
| When I got into classes taught by teachers from The | | | | right line allows for accommodations that skilled |
| National Ballet of Canada, I was elated to find I could | | | | teachers know how to teach. |
| open my working hip. The waist, upper back and | | | | Stretch after your ballet exercises when you are |
| shoulders had to stay square, but not the hips. I finally | | | | warm. Relax your muscles first. Use a rubber ball to |
| and instantly had a professional looking line in | | | | knead out the worst tension. Then stretch gently in |
| arabesque, attitude, etc. When I explained how I had | | | | correctly aligned positions. You will improve your |
| been taught they said "no one can do that!" | | | | muscle flexibility, and you may end up doing the splits. |
| Another absurdity is that some people will never do | | | | But if you never do, it is not going to kill a dance career. |
| the splits due to hip deformity. | | | | |