Stretching in 2nd
Dancing Smart Newsletter
August 26, 2005
Announcements
No announcements this week. I'm working on a few new projects that I will tell you about in upcoming weeks, so let's go right to the question of the week!
Question of the Week
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for another enlightening newsletter. Here is a question for you. Am I right or crazy? I think that when a dancer stretches on the barre a la seconde, the sole of the foot should face the floor. In the past I habitually overly turned out in this position so that the sole of the foot would be facing front. At some point I figured this is ridiculous because the sole of the foot faces the floor in 2nd whether the leg is in tendu or développé. (Ideally, the sole faces the wall to the opposite side of the body in devant and derriere, right?) I have never heard this corrected, yet it seems logical. We don't need that position, so why go there? In fact when we do grand rond de jambe it is advantageous to keep that proper a la seconde position in mind and continually rotate the leg in the hip socket while moving it thru space from position to position.
Also, shouldn't students be encouraged to use a lower barre to encourage stretching in proper positions – i.e. if you don't have the flexibility to keep the hip down, why stretch in the incorrect position? What are you really stretching? I also have never heard this instruction, even from fabulous teachers.
Here's one more: When we stretch in 2nd seated on the floor, which direction should the soles of the feet face? If we were on our backs, the soles should face the wall across from our bottoms, right? So what position are we preparing for in the 2nd-seated-on-the-floor-stretch? I've been puzzled for years by this one?
Susan Pistorio
Deb's Answer
I love it when dancers and dance teachers stop to think about WHY and FOR WHAT REASON, and pose other interesting questions. Makes us all think from new perspectives, yes?
Let's start with your first question of where the sole of the foot should face when stretching the leg on the barre. The answer to that one is easy. It depends on what you are trying to stretch. As you stand with the leg on the barre notice that where you feel your stretch changes as you rotate the leg. When you turn the leg out more it is catching more the lateral thigh muscles and when you have the sole of the foot facing the floor you get squarely underneath the thigh. Where you should stretch is where you feel the most amount of tightness.
I don't use that way of stretching as a preparation for développé, but more as a way to isolate areas of tightness while standing up. Your point of having younger or less flexible dancers use a lower barre is a point well taken. If the hip is hiked while stretching you can't isolate the stretch to the hamstrings as effectively. When the hip is dropped you don't have to flex as much and you get a good stretch because you are stabilizing the sits bone where the hamstring attaches. Everyone can get their leg up higher when they lift their hip because the hamstrings are shortened in that position.
My favorite way to use the barre is to start with the leg in second position rotating my body position and pelvis facings to catch as many tight areas as I can, and then increase my pelvic rotation until I am facing the leg eventually allowing my leg on the barre to bend into an attitude. I remember being in many ballet classes where you allow the leg to slide down the barre and back up where my main concern was using my arm strength to keep from straining my muscles. It felt good, yes, to stretch that aggressively, but I realize now that I was flirting with crossing the line into having the muscles contracting to protect itself (the stretch reflex that we talked about a few weeks ago) which was contrary to my goal. These days, being an older and wiser dancer, I stretch much more deeply staying in a shorter range of motion while breathing and focusing on releasing over my more youthful stretching techniques.
Your thinking as to where the sole of the foot should face during tendu to the front and back is correct – ideally it would be towards the opposite wall – it all depends on the amount of rotation or turnout you have at the hips plus any tibial torsion that you may also have. I think it better not to prioritize the foot facing, emphasizing the hip rotation instead because we know how much dancers are prone to overcorrect and make their body 'look' right, even if it means cheating!
Grande ronde jambe a terre or en l'air is all about smooth rotation in the hip joint. Done correctly they are a wonderful movement that works turnout amazingly well in both hips. Typically, I'll have my dancers focus more on stabilizing their standing leg, which keeps them in better movement mechanics with their working or gesture leg.
I use second position on the floor as a way to stretch the adductor or inner thigh muscles. It works will if you have enough flexibility to sit up on your pelvis in neutral while in second position, less well for the less flexible dancers with tight hamstrings. Try sitting in second position on the floor and do a slow circular motion with your upper body facing. First face one leg and slowly stretch over before going forward between your legs, and finishing up by facing the second leg.
One of the BEST ways to stretch the adductor muscles is by lying on your back with your pelvis close to the wall and allowing them to easily open up and rest in second position. You are working with gravity to isolate the stretch into the adductors and keeping the stretch out of your lower back by lying on your floor.
Happy stretching this week!
Deborah