here is an artcle from Dance Teacher magazine which is valuable to teachers for assessing natural rotation. <BR> <A HREF="http://www.dance-teacher.com/lvdt/articleDetail/0,1874,54,00.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.dance-teacher.com/lvdt/articleDetail/0,1874,54,00.html</A> <P>it's unusual because the physiotherapist writing it gives three different easy tests to assess turnout - not just at the hip joint, but also in the knee, where there can be further rotation. <P>normally there is a little more in the knee which one endeavours NOT to take too much 'advantage' of, but this is about recognising natural twists in the legline of the individual.<P>very valuable information for teachers.

I am familiar with these tests. I thought the article was very good! I have never met or worked with a dancer (ballet) that didn't have some degree of compensatory turnout. It is impossible not to, because the foot is on the floor in a closed kinetic connection. If a dancer worked a few inches off the floor (imagine!) or the floor was *very* slippery, then the dancer could work only with the available turnout, with the exception of flexing the hips and creating a lordotic posture. It's not a perfect world we live in regarding ballet technique, and the best we can do is educate the dancers to avoid compensating as much as possible. If a teacher is unable to use these tests to assess turnout, the teacher should be able to recognise anatomical signs indicating the dancer is compensating.