Turnout and Knees

Dancing Smart Newsletter
September 15, 2005

Announcements

Last night I took 47 students to Body Worlds, an absolutely amazing anatomical exhibit that is getting ready to leave Cleveland this Sunday after a four month run. If this exhibit comes anywhere within driving distance of your town, make sure you go. Better yet, take your dancers with you. This was my third time visiting the exhibit and I've gotten a deeper appreciation of the body each time. For more info go to http://www.bodyworlds.com

Only 2 more weeks for the introductory specials!

I'm going to answer a few quick questions in this week's newsletter. The first one is from Elle.

Question of the Week

I am 46 and have been taking Balletfor 4 years and Pointe for 2. How much turn out can I expect for my age? I ammoderately active in running/walking and aerobics and weigh 130 and am 5 ft.6 inches tall. I am flexible enough to touch the floor with legs straight.

Deb's Answer

Turnout is not so much an age-influenced range of motion, but is dependent far more on your anatomical structure. If your boney structure is in the normal range you will test with 45 degrees of turnout on each leg and 45 degrees of turn in. (I've stopped referring to this as the average range, but no one likes to be average) This is where the majority of the population lives. If you have retroversion of the hip, you will test with more turnout than turn in, and an anteverted hip structure is one where there is structurally more turn in than turnout.

At any age, you want to maximize your ability to utilize your turnout by creating balance in the hip joint muscles. That means they should be flexible as well as strong. Ballet classes work the turnout muscles, but don't always stretch them in an equally focused way. That is why ballwork against the wall or on the floor can be so helpful for decreasing tension in this area, and then stretching the muscles after releasing them.

Have another dancer test your range of motion at the hip, or if you lie on the floor in front of the mirror, you can make a rough guess of your range. I go over this in some detail in " Tune Up Your Turnout: A Dancer's Guide" on pages 32-34.

Next question………

First of all, thank you for your weekly emails. I print and keep every one as a future resource. On to my question. This week's email on Osteochondritis Dissecans made me think of one of my dancers who is having knee pain that has been baffling me. She dances at least 5-6 hours a week and is a very powerful dancer. She has had knee pain since April. She says it doesn't hurt until she starts dancing and obviously certain strenuous movements make it worse so she no longer does them. She says the pain is at the bottom of her kneecap and is sharp and dull at the same time. She also mentioned that last year, and again this year, her locker at school is on the bottom (that means 4 or 5 grand plies a day!). I have been encouraging her to see a doctor and I think she has an appointment scheduled. Do you have any thoughts on this?

Thanks, Julie

Having pain at the bottom of the kneecap, especially if it goes between the kneecap and it's attachment on the front of the shinbone, (the tibial tuberosity), is often diagnosed as jumper's knee or tendonitis of the quadriceps tendon. You are right thinking that a deep squat or grand plié would put extra stress on that tendon. Couple that with potential growth spurts and you've got problems! Encourage her to focus more on her stretching and releasing of the quadriceps muscles and see if that helps.

Going to the doctor is a smart move so he can assess whether a course of anti- inflammatory will be helpful, or if some regular icing is in order. The doctor will also test the knee for ligament laxity, and watch whether the patella, or kneecap, moves straight and smooth as she straightens and bends her knees, as pain underneath the kneecap can come from cartilage, or meniscal problems.

Until next week,
Warmest regards,

Deborah