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Sunday, August 9, 2015

Turnout Guide

Hi,
If you do ballet, you understand the arduous task of forcing your turnout every day when you get to ballet class. Especially if you’re like me and you go to a russian ballet school. You will devote so much of your day to researching and testing out different techniques to help increase turnout and none of them seem to be yielding results or at least none of them seem to be making a permanent impact on your turnout. I'm here to answer all of your questions about turnout and tell you the most efficient and effective way to increase your turnout that I know.


Before we begin, it is crucial to fully understand turnout.


(picture of @ashleymaeballerina, a very talented dancer at Ellison Ballet School)
How to determine your natural turnout?
Hold the barre with two hands and lean back onto your heels lifting the balls of your feet off of the ground. Keeping your feet in that position, turnout on your heels as much as you can. Place your feet back down wherever they are without forcing anything and that is your natural turnout.
You can also buy functional footprints that will not only help you determine how much turnout you have in degrees, but will also help you strengthen your hip flexors, increasing your natural turnout.
Can everyone achieve 180º  turnout?
We all want to achieve 180º turnout and as sad as it may be, 180º turnout is not anatomically achievable for everyone because of limitations in the hip joint. I believe that most people the potential to get 180º turnout, but it will be much harder for some people than others.
Why should you care about turnout?
Turnout doesn’t just look good. It is also practical. It can help with balance, stability, and control. It also increases your leg’s the range of movement, helping you get  a higher developpé.


According to Agrippina Vaganova herself in her book, Basic Principles of Classical Ballet (a book I encourage you all to read), “In the normal position, the movements of the legs are greatly limited by the build of the joint between the pelvis and the hip. As the leg is extended, the hip-neck meets the brim of the acetabulum and further movement is impossible. But if the leg is turned out en dehors, the big trochanter recedes, and the brim of the acetabulum meets the side flat-surface of the hip-neck. This allows the leg to be extended to an angle of 90 degrees and even 135 degrees.”
Where does turnout come from?
Has anyone ever told you, “All your turnout comes from your hips. You will seriously injure your knee and ankle if you force your turnout.” I’m here to tell you that this is FALSE! Yes, there is some truth to it. If you force your turnout too much, you will get injured. However, it is important to note that:
  • 60% of turnout comes from your hips
  • 20%-30% comes from your ankles
  • 10%-20% comes from your knees
Most of your turnout comes from your hips so let’s start there. The average amount of natural turnout that we are all born with is 45º in both hips (90º together) meaning that when we are born, 50% of turnout comes from our hips. So where do we get the other 10%? That is where things get more complicated.  Putting a healthy amount of stress on the hip joint, over time and with caution, can certainly increase one’s turn-out beyond what they would be able to do naturally.
Stretches to help increase hip flexibility:
  • Butterfly
  1. Sit up tall with the soles of your feet pressed together and your knees dropped to the sides as far as they will comfortably go.
    1. Make sure your feet are a comfortable distance away from you.
  2. Use your hands to press the soles of your feet together
  3. 2 ways to do this stretch:
    1. Stretch #1
      1. Pull your abdominals gently inward and lean forward from your hips as far as possible. The goal is to get your face to the ground.
        1. YOU MUST keep a flat back.
        2. DO NOT arch or curve your back in any way for the sake of getting lower.
      2. Push your knees down to the floor by pressing your elbows on them.
        1. YOU MUST keep your legs still
        2. DO NOT flap your legs up and down or move them at all.
    2. Stretch #2
      1. Instead of leaning over your legs, lie down on your back keeping your legs in the butterfly position.
      2. Gently press your knees down, using your hands.
  1. Hold 20-30 seconds
  2. 2 repetitions, 2-3 times a day
  • Frog ( This stretch is very useful. However, doing it any longer than the given time below will weaken your hips and exacerbate your turnout problems.


  1. Lie flat on your stomach
  2. Bend your knees and keep the soles of your feet together.
  3. Make sure that you are in a line and your feet are directly behind you.
  4. Try pressing your ankles to the ground.
  5. 3 ways to do this stretch
    1. Alternating feet
      1. Press one ankle down to the ground and then switch by pressing the other ankle down to the ground.
      2. As a result, one foot will be in the air while the other foot is on the ground each time.
      3. Your feet should meet in the center each time.
      4. Keep trying to press both feet to the ground the whole time.
    2. Do the stretch with your knees at a 90º angle and your feet apart. Keep your shins on the floor and try to press your hips into the ground.
    3. Using a table or chair (this one is my favorite)
      1. Find a coffee table or something that your feet can fit under. Your feet should be 1-2 inches above the floor if that is too easy, find a surface in which your feet will be pressed to the floor).
      2. Your shins should be spread apart on the floor.
      3. Try to lower your pelvis to the ground as much as possible
  6. If you can already do this:
    1. Try moving your ankles farther away from your body
    2. Arch back as far as you can pressing your hands against the floor.
    3. Back-ups
      1. Lifting your upper body off and back on the floor.
      2. Sort of like back-ups instead of sit ups.
  7. Hold for 30-60 seconds
  8. 2 repetitions, 2 times a day
  • Piriformis Stretch


  1. Lie down on your back
  2. Bend your left leg and cross your right ankle over the knee of your left leg. Your left leg should be turned in and your right leg should be turned out
  3. Grab the back of your thighs using your hands and pull your left leg, keeping it bent, closer to your chest. Your right leg will be pushed toward your chest as a result.
  4. Try to keep your back flat against the mat for the best results.
  5. Repeat the same stretch on the other side
  6. Hold for 30 seconds
  7. 2-3 times each leg, 2 times a day
  • Pigeon Stretch


  1. Sit on the floor
  2. Extend your left leg behind you
    1. Try to keep your left leg as straight as possible
  3. Bend your right knee in front of you. Your right toe should be pointing toward your left hip.
  4. Keeping your back flat, lean over your right knee as far down as possible.
    1. YOU MUST keep both hips on the floor
  5. Another way to do this stretch:
    1. Bend your leg to create a 90º angle.
      1. If you keep extending your right leg further and further away, you will be able to turnout in a split, which is ideal.
  6. Repeat the same stretch on the other side
  7. Hold for 30 seconds
  8. 2-3 times each leg, 2 times a day
  • Kneeling Lunge


  1. Go into a lunge with your left leg in front and your right leg behind
  2. Make sure that both your legs are parallel and turned in
  3. Press your right knee into the ground
  4. Slowly  push your pelvis downward while keeping your posture straight.
  5. Make sure that your left knee stays directly above your left ankle
  6. Another way to do this stretch
    1. Twist
      1. Keeping your left leg facing forward, twist your body so that the whole outside of your right leg is pressed against the floor and your torso is facing the inside of your left leg.
  7. Repeat on the other side
  8. Hold for 45 seconds
  9. 2 times each leg, 2 times a day
  • Squatting Internal Rotations
  1. Sit with your knees bent in front of you
  2. Keeping your left knee facing up, turn your right knee inwards to face the inside of your left ankle.
    1. Note that all of the previous exercises stretch your hip rotation en dehors. Most people forget that stretching your hips en dedans is almost as important.
  3. Lean back into your arms if you need to
  4. Repeat on the other side
  5. Hold for 20 seconds
  6. 2 times each legs, 2 times a day
  • Cross legged stretch


  1. Sit down on your mat
  2. Bend your left knee so that your knee is directly in front of you on the floor
  3. Bend your right leg and stack your right knee on top of your left knee
  4. Use your hands to pull your ankles closer to your hips
  5. Keeping a flat back, lean over your knees.
  6. Repeat on the other side
  7. Hold for 45 seconds
  8. 2 times each side, 2 times a day
Stretches to help increase ankle flexibility and rotation:
  • Stretch #1
  1. Stand facing a wall
  2. Press the ball of your right foot against the wall
  3. Keeping your right foot pressed against the wall, lean against the wall
  4. You can move closer or farther away from the wall as possible
  5. You should feel a stretch in your calves and achilles tendon,
  6. Repeat on the other side
  7. Hold for 30 seconds
  8. 2 times each foot, 2 times a day
  • Stretch #2
  1. Sit on a chair
  2. Roll your ankles in circles en dehors for 30 seconds
  3. Then roll your ankles en dedans for 30 seconds
  4. Repeat on the other side
  5. Another way to do this stretch,
    1. You can just hold your foot and roll it in circles using your hands to get a better stretch in your ankle as the picture below illustrates.
  1. 1 time en dehors and 1 time en dedans each leg, 2 times a day
  • Stretch #3


  1. Grab a theraband. If you don’t have one, you can use a towel just as well, but therabands are recommended.
      1. There are different levels of resistance. They also help you strengthen your arch so if you have strong arches, get the stronger theraband. They can also be used to help you stretch and become more flexible. They have all kinds of uses.
  2. Grab one end of the theraband with each hand.
  3. Place the ball of your right foot in the center of the theraband and pull the ends of the theraband toward you until you feel a stretch.
  4. Hold for 30 seconds
  5. 2 times each foot, 2 times a day
  • Stretch #4
  • Stretch #5


  1. Face a wall
  2. Step forward on your right foot
  3. Bend your right knee and keep your left leg straight
  4. Keep both legs parallel and turned in
  5. Another way to do this stretch
    1. Bend both knees


  1. Hold for 30 seconds
  2. 2 times each leg, 2 times a day
*** If you can do all of these stretches, your problem probably isn’t flexibility, it is strength. You can work on strengthening the muscles involved in turnout using the methods below
Here are some links to exercises that help strengthen your turnout so you have the muscles to control it and hold it:
Sources:

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