This summer at the place I jsut started dancing, I got a useful piece of advice that I had never thought of, and know one had told me- because I guess it was just assumed behavior and not something my teachers would have thought to say. The advice was to tighten your butt muscles whenever you are in ballet and holding your turnout (like, all of the time!). Not to clench them, but use those deep glud muscles. I had never before thought as those deep muscles as part of the set of "turnout" muscles, and had only focus on the inner leg muscles. The advice help SO MUCH. I had been dancing for months not thinking about that, and wondered why there was so much stress on my knees, and why I had so much trouble holding my turnout. Is this something that teachers automatically mean to do when oyu are holding turnout, and they just assume you will use those muscles or what? Maybe I'm just a little slower, but I didn't think of those, and just had my whole rear relaxed all through all of those classes. And even further: When you developpe, how do you keep all of those muscles engaged? I can't seem to get the hang of that, or get my leg to 90 without sinking in my hip, AND just barely getting there!

Bebounce, after all these years of dancing I am still discovering and sometimes rediscovering muscles and places. It's a constantly ongoing discovery - and that's part of what makes it so fascinating.<P>Sometimes, when I am standing in fifth position relevé, I pretend there is a stool under me right under the derriere, and if I really use those muscles - WOW - they really hold me up. Think how wonderful it is to use them in a pirouette - or on a developpé relevé sur la pointe!! It's like discovering a whole new world.<P>And yes, they will not only give you support but also support that turnout. And, no, you are not slow. We all learn this stuff in pieces. Sometimes we "lose" a piece and then rediscover it another time. And, slowly, slowly, the pieces come together and it works. <P>Wonderful isn't it?<P><BR><p>[This message has been edited by Basheva (edited June 18, 2001).]

about the develope (sorry i probaly spelled that wrong)... when it seems like the leg muscle are not working properly it could be the feet. It you stongly extend and point your ankle to the ends of your toes, and feel the beam of energy shooting out of your leg, it enhances not only the balnce, height and correctness of your body but adds a certain quality of artistry, attack, and beauty to your dancing.