A Higher Developpe - Even The More Flexible Have To Exercise



Posted: Friday, July 09, 2010

by Dianne M. Buxton
http://www.balletshoesandpointeshoes.blogspot.com/

How do you get a higher developpe? Understanding what this increase in leg extension depends upon, results in an improved leg position. Focusing on devant (leg to the front) and a la seconde (leg to the side), the following tips, along with dedicated practice, will help you gradually get your developpes higher and higher.

Many ballet students can do a high grand battement devant and a la seconde, with good posture and correct pelvic alignment.

Yet, their developpe devant or a la seconde may be barely above ninety degrees.

Strength of the quadriceps, the large front of the thigh muscle, is necessary to get the leg up to ninety/a hundred degrees. Once the leg gets to that ballet position, the postural muscles of the spine engage to hold you up while the leg continues.

Mentally picture your spine, with the muscles at the back holding it in place, and also muscles at the front providing support.

The front, or anterior muscle, the iliopsoas, connects the spine and the thigh. This muscle can be isolated and strengthened, with a higher developpe in mind.

In a ballet studio, you can use the barre to help. Facing a little into the barre, do a developpe to the front, placing your foot on the barre. Check your alignment of the hips, the turnout of the supporting leg, and that your neck and shoulders are relaxed.

Lift the leg, just an inch, without straining the thigh muscle. You will feel some effort increase in your thigh, yet the muscle that now takes over the upward movement of the leg, is the psoas.

As you repeat this exercise daily, you will see an increase in the height of your developpe.

You can repeat this a la seconde as well.

Add a psoas stretch, a lunge where you feel the stretch over the front of the hip, after your strengthening exercises.

It takes time and patience to get higher extensions. If you study ballet, other dance, or cheer leading, you can add the necessary exercise, requiring only a few minutes a day, and get your developpe higher.

Dianne M. Buxton was led by her career teaching professional ballet dancers, to write about dancing in pointe shoesl, muscle stretching exercises, dance/sports nutrition, and the mind/body connection. She is published at Ballet Shoes and Pointe Shoes and Health Nutritional Supplements. (no personal information is collected if you click on these links).
This Article has been viewed 1,507 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Jennifer Stewart
 1 year 321 days ago.
153 fans.
Your title had me perplexed at first, until I realized you were talking about ballet! Dianne, you have an "h" missing in "higher" in the title.
» left by Anonymous 1 year 321 days ago.
Omgosh thank you Jennifer! That's what I get for submitting the article in the middle of the night!
» left by Jennifer Stewart 1 year 320 days ago.
153 fans.
It's a pleasure!    Yes, middle of the night stuff....

We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.