I was wondering if anyone had any good advice on increasing flexability in the center (center splits etc.) My right split is pretty much flat, but my left and center splits are horriable! does anyone any god streaches for improving my flexability??

Well, Andy, you have to realize that there is always going to be one side that is better and more comfortable than the other side.<P>I am going to give you a thread to read and then you can do a search. See the "search" at the top of the page? Click on that and then type in words like "splits" "flexibility" - but you are going to have to spell it correctly for it to come up for you. Then you can click on all the threads that come up and you will have lots of information.<P>Then if you have more questions - just ask and we will be glad to try to help.<P>Here is a thread to get you started:<P><A HREF=../../../ubb/Forum7/HTML/000291.html><B>STRETCH AND STRENGTH</B></A>

Thank you very much! <BR>I was wondering, is there anyway to increase the range of motion in your hips? when doing any streatches, kicks, or splits in second, I find most often that it is my hips stopping me, not my actual muscles. They seem to get stuck and are not able to go any higher

Well, Andy - a lot of that is very individual - how your hip bones are put together - how the thigh bone fits into the socket. It isn't just muscles, ligaments, - it is also the bones themselves. And you can't alter the bone structure.<P>Rond de jambe a terre, and grand rond de jamb en l'aire - are great for increasing the rotation in the hip joint....but then again only to a certain point.<P>One of the things you can do to aid the fluid motion of a grand rond de jambe en l'aire - is to be sure to keep your torso pulled up and forward, out of the hip - this will allow for a smoother and a bit higher grand rond de jambe en l'aire. As soon as you sit down into the hip - this closes off the action of the hip - feels like you hit a big bump in the road just as you start to pass second.<P>As for height - like in developpé a la seconde - if you can get a hold of the Celia Sparger book "Anatomy and Ballet" you will see on page 25 and 26 a picture and an xray of a dancer doing this. You can see in the picture that the hip really does start to tip up once you get much past 45 degrees.<P>Now I know your ballet teacher probably says that you should keep your hip down. And she is right - you try as much as possible. And you have to be careful not to sink into it or lean away from it. Be pulled up and forward - and do your best.

Here is an exercise I've sent to Jacqueline (Pearl) earlier:<P>==================<BR>1) squat on your haunches, feet parallel (6th)<BR>2) now lay your right leg straight behind you, if you can turned out (inner side down)<BR>3) push down your hip, you'll feel it in your inner tigh. That's a very good stretch exersice, it will improve your flexibility quite a lot, really<BR>4) when you pushed it down as much as you can, so that your, eh, let's say 'beginning of your leg' LOL ;o) almost touches the floor, slip your leg back a bit, and now repeat the same thing, 'it' has to touch the floor again.<BR>5) go on with slipping back and stretching on it till you have a full split. Now it's important to really, really, try your best to relax all your muscles and keep the split for at least a few minutes, if you can longer. <BR>6) come back, shake everything a bit and repeat to the other side!<BR>==================<P>We did this quite often........

Remember Andy - to only stretch when you are completely warmed up. Never allow anyone to stretch you or push on you - NO ONE.<P>And if you do any stretches - like the one Anastasia has posted above....don't go beyond what the bone structure allows. I would relax into it - not push into it.<P>And, thank you, Anastasia.....! I have sometimes done that one, but with my front leg folded in front of me on the floor - not folded under me. That would put too much pressure on the knee, in my opinion.

Thank you very much, I am tired of being the "unfelxable" one in the class!

i tried what anastasia suggested but my thigh can't touch the floor. not even when i use my hands to push it. i know it's kinda silly, but why can't i?

Pearl - because we are all made differently. No one exercise is going to work the same way for each person. You have to expect differences. And also you just have to be patient with it - don't "push" - just relax into any stretch.