Expert: Jennifer - 2/18/2007

Question
Jennifer,
I recently started ballet classes about a week ago.  In my first class, the teacher had to correct my turnout many times.  I have heard before that forcing turnout can damage your knees.  How do you know if you are forcing turnout and what does it feel like if you have the proper turnout?

Thanks!  

Answer
Hi, Samantha!

You're right, turnout can be a touchy subject. It is extremely important to correct technique, but using it incorrectly can be dangerous to both your ankles and knees.

The most important thing to think about when trying to use your maximum turnout is that the rotation should come from your hips and not your knees, ankles, or feet. The muscles that you should be feeling the "burn" in are your buttocks and your inner thighs. There is some natural rotation that can happen safely in your knees and ankles, but this is very minimal and is not very useful -- as you cant hold this rotation as your leg is "working." Your useful and correct turnout is what you don't need the assistance of the floor to achieve.

One way to check yourself is to stand in first position (heels together, turned out) and check out your alignment. Are your knees roughly over your toes, or are they facing more towards the front than your feet? If your knees are facing forward relative to your feet, then that means you are using the floor rather than your muscles to achieve your turnout. You can either increase the turnout from your hips (if there is room to increase), or adjust your feet to match  the maximum turnout of your legs. Another thing to look at while standing in first position is the way your feet are standing on the floor. If your feet are rolled forward, sinking into your insteps, you are either forcing your turnout, or you're not engaging your turnout muscles to use your maximum turnout (this is easy to do when you are first beginning... you may begin a combination with your maximum turnout but let your muscles go to concentrate on your working leg and your leg turns in but your foot remains in the same place). If you turnout is proper, your weight will be evenly distributed on your feet, and your pinky toe should be on the floor. Your weight shouldn't be all on one side of the foot or the other.

One quick trick to make sure that you start out your combination with proper turnout is to start in sixth position (heels together, feet parallel). Then shift your weight to your heels, flex your feet to pick up your toes, then turn out your legs from your hips to their maximum turnout, then set your toes on the floor. Try to maintain that turnout with your muscles throughout the combination!

You may not be pleased as a beginner with your current maximum turnout... it might look very turned in to you. But it is so much more important to work correctly than to look "pretty" right away. As you work your muscles, you'll gain a larger range of motion, *and* you'll be working it correctly.

Good luck on your new dancing venture, and let me know if you have any other questions!