Hamstrings
Dancing Smart Newsletter
February 2, 2007
Announcements
Lisa Howell, a dance physiotherapist in Sydney, Australia, has put up three, short videos on YouTube. They look at how to fit pointe shoes, how to break them in, and how to sew the ribbons on. Here's the link for how to break in pointe shoes, and you can check out the others from this link. They're great! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX-PNqJr9z4&mode=related&search=
First Question
First a quickie question from Sharon..
I just received the Level 1 Functional Anatomy and am eager to get started with my dance students. However I want to be sure that I'm pronouncing all the words correctly. I'm not an anatomy expert so I will be learning along with my students. Are there any websites that can explain the pronunciations of the words in this series? Thanks so much!
Great question, Sharon! If you go online to the Merriam-Webster dictionary it has audio files you can listen to for correct pronunciations. You can find this site at http://www.m-w.com/
Next Question
I am a faithful fan of yours and I have resculpted my dance teaching around the advice I have read in your book and newsletter, with GREAT results but there is a problem that many of my students have that I cannot seem to address. When doing seated stretches on the floor some of my students complain of not being able to touch their toes with their legs straight forward or go forward in even a small straddle. I have pointed out to them that they are sitting on the very back of their pelvis slouching in their lower back... a position in which it is impossible to get the body forward and I encourage them to sit straight on their sits bones and attempt to fold forward at their hips the aim being to bring the body forward not the head even if this means they do not go forward very far at first. . Time and again I catch them returning to their old posture. When I called one student on this she replied plaintively that if she sits as I instruct she cannot go forward at all. I replied that changing our bodies and posture is a slow process and if she would stretch properly every day especially including the runners stretch she WOULD see improvement. The students with this problem are the ones that physically have trouble achieving any rotation in the hip joint. Is there some other stretch I should be encouraging them to do? I naturally have very loose joints and approx 160 of turnout and I'm worried that I'm missing something simply because I've always worked from the other end of the spectrum, struggling to build strength and control my flexibility.
Thanks, Sheila
Whenever you see a student who is 'slouching', sitting on the backs of their pelvis, it usually indicates very tight hamstrings. The hamstrings and the lower back work together. Often when the hamstrings are tight, people will feel the discomfort in their lower back, and vice versa. Because the hamstrings attach on the ischial tuberosities (sits bones) to below the knee, you have to have fairly flexibly hamstrings to be able to sit at a 90-degree angle.
Try putting them on a block or a thick book. Can they more easily sit with their legs in front of them, and/or in second position? If so, then it is more the hamstring being super tight than tight rotation at the hips. (Although they could be tight in both places). My favorite way to stretch the hamstrings is not on the floor, because if they are tight it is going to be a challenge as it is with your students. Have them stand and put their foot on a chair. Square off their hips and allow their leg to turn out slightly as well. Then flexing at the hip, think of the ischial tuberosity (sits bone) rotating to look behind them. This will help deepen the flexion at the hip and get them away from trying to bend forward with their spines (which would stretch the back, not the hamstrings)
They can even stretch this way sitting on the edge of their chair at school – while leaning forward over their desk. Encourage them to stretch more often, rather than for long periods of time. While sitting, they could also cross one foot over the other thigh and lean forward in this position. This is a quick and very easy way to stretch some of the tight rotators of the hip.
If your students are adolescents they may also be limited by growth spurts, but you are right in telling them to persevere in their stretching, for it will improve with attention. How fortunate and lucky you are to have the flexibility that you have! Your students are reaping the benefits of your desire and openness to keep learning all you can about the science of dance training.
Kudos, Sheila!
On with the dance!
Deborah
"Education is the key to injury prevention"
Have a Question?
Email your questions to Deb at AskDeb@thebodyseries.com or visit her online at http://www.thebodyseries.com.
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Deborah Vogel is a dancer, author, and master teacher who conducts workshops across the U.S. for both student and professional dancers. Her numerous articles on dance technique and injury prevention have appeared in Dance Spirit and Dance Teacher magazines. She is the Director of the Institute for Performance Studies and a faculty member at Oberlin College and the OC Conservatory of Music. During her years in NYC she co- founded the Center for Dance Medicine. Deborah makes her home in Oberlin, Ohio.
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