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4 Exercises to Improve Your Dancer’s à la Seconde Working Leg

01/14/2021
iStrength | Warm Up
Are your dancers struggling to keep their working leg in à la seconde turns:

 

– Straight?
– Turned out ?
– At the same level the whole time?

 

Not an easy job to do while rotating.

 

For your dancer’s to be able to lift their working leg développé a la seconde and hold it steady in second position, we need to break down the exercises and muscles needed for:

 

– Stability in the standing leg
– Hip strength
– Core strength
– Extension in the leg

 

Essentially, we’re training the body to perform a beautiful développé a la seconde and holding it with ease. 

 

Below are 4 strengthening exercises that you can use in your technique warm ups to get you there.

 

?Fitness Level: All. There are variations of each exercise to make them harder or easier
?? Equipment needed: none but adding a loop band will increase intensity
⚡️Details: Do each exercise 10 – 20 times per side. Do three times through.

 

core strengthening exercises for dancers
Dead Bug

 

•Begin laying on your back with hands gently pressing rib cage down and knees tucked in toward chest.
•Leaving rib cage down and low back glued to the floor, extend one leg out about 3 inches from the floor
•Extend the opposite arm above your head toward the back wall
•With the other hand, press against the thigh of the bent leg.
•Hold for a breath.
•Switch legs and hands.
hip strengthening exercises for dancers

Passe Side Plank

• Begin in a side plank on your elbows with the bottom knee bent for support.
• Keeping hips lifted, bring the top leg to parallel passé
• Open to a turned out passé
• Developpe the leg
• Reverse the movements to get back to the starting position.
Repetitions and Modifications:
Repeat 5 times on each side or 30 seconds each side if doing circuits

[+] Plank on your hands and add a cone under your hips to keep them lifted.

hamstring strengthening exercises for dancers

Hip Flexion March

• Lying on your back, lift one leg 4-6 inches off the ground.
• Hinging at the hip, draw your knee up towards your chest creating a 90 degree bend in your knee.
• Straighten your leg, still hovering 4-6 inches off the ground.

hip strengthening exercises for dancers

Plie Rond de jambe

• In first position, plie the standing leg, extend one leg out in-front of you, to the side and behind. Reverse from the back to the front 5 reps before switching sides[+] Add a band for extra resistance and to watch hip alignment

Do your dancer’s pirouettes need a little attention too? Click here to download a FREE training plan for More Consistent Turns! 

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