Expert: Jennifer - 4/17/2005

Question
I am having some trouble with allot of lag positions that are off the floor (especially grand battement), my teacher says not to think of using the muscles behind your leg instead of the muscles on top of it, but my leg doesn't seem to want to do it, any advice?

Answer
Its a difficult feeling to understand at first, but once you get it, it will be with you for life!

The most important thing to think about is your turnout. You've got to imagine that outward spiral originating at your hip joint. That spiral is what lifts your leg! When you use your quads to lift you leg, your leg has a heavy, static feel. When you are rotating and spiraling your leg, it is active and reaching... and it is actually easier to lift you leg!

When lifting your leg correctly, you may not be able to lift it as high as you did before, but with practice you will be able to lift it as high and higher. Achieving that feeling a la seconde is more difficult than en avant, but is lifting with you inner thighs that will get you those beautiful extra-high extentions! In the beginning, keep your extentions low until you can feel your rotation and the correct muscles working. Then you can start bringing them higher.

One thing you can think about during grand battement is initiating the movement with your feet, even the tips of your toes, rather than with your hip or your thigh. It should be more of a throwing movement than a lifting movement. You can also think of someone pushing the back of your leg upwards with their hand. Think of it as a sweeping movement, as if someone is sweeping their hand from the top of your leg to the knee, boosting your leg up from underneath.

I hope this helps you! Let me know if you have any more questions.