Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 7/23/2008

Question
Hi,I'm 15 and in class we are doing leg extensions and it seems that I don't know how to disengage my hip from my leg instead of just lifting my leg i lift my hip as well and I can't get my leg any further than 45 degrees.I really don't know how to stop this I've tried to turn my hip out and drop it but i can't. It's really hard and I need to get my leg higher and with the right technique....PLEASE HELP!!!

Answer
Hello. Extensions are indeed a challenge in ballet, and here's what I think will help you feel the right muscles for picking your leg up separately from your hip.

Get a low foot stool, or low chair that you can rest your working leg on. I mean lower than 45 degrees, just a little higher than a degage position. Holding your posture with just your abdominal muscles, but keeping the hip muscles relaxed, lift your leg one inch and put it down again. Use a mirror if possible, or a ballet class buddy to watch your placement.

If you don't feel the thigh muscles picking the leg up, go even lower, a big book for example. Lift and rest your working leg on it, relaxing the thigh and hip muscles. Then lift the leg, and try not to grip any muscles around the hip area.

Another way to isolate those muscles is to sit on the floor in your second position. Lift up your abdominal muscles, and press your legs into the floor, with your thigh muscles. You can put your hands on your hip area to make sure your hip muscles are not working. Repeat a few times, using the thigh muscles to straighten and press the legs into the floor, always relaxing your hip muscles (gluteals). Try to rotate your legs in and out, with only your thigh muscles.

If you have the flexibility, you can do the same isolation exercise using the barre. Lift your leg onto the barre, then completely relax your position. Then lift the leg one inch, or don't even lift it. Just straighten the leg, engaging the thigh muscles, without the hip muscles.

Check this: do you have good placement when you do a retire? If you can isolate the leg and hip here, you're going to do the same when the leg is straight.

Once you have the placement fixed, you can strengthen your legs for extension with stretchy bands. Wrapping the band around your ankles, you can do slow low leg lifts pulling on the band, and you'll build strength that way.

All the best, Dianne