National Dance Week: Julie Kent

Julie Kent is in a class all her own, in my humble opinion. Her grace and poise are that of an angel's! I loved watching her in Center Stage and Dancers when I was younger and still love revisiting the classic works she's done over the years.

She began her dance training in Maryland with Hortensia Fonseca at the Maryland Youth Ballet. She attended the School of American Ballet, before joining the company, as an apprentice. In 1986 she was the only American to win a medal at the Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition and became a member of ABT's Corps de Ballet.

She starred in Herbert Ross's film Dancers in 1987 and in Nicholas Hytner's Center Stage in 2002. She's danced countless notable and featured roles with ABT and has danced as The Sugar Plum Fairy in the nutcracker, the title role of Cinderella, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Medora in Le Corsaire and numerous others.

Julie Kent has had two children and danced to full term during both pregnancies. She is currently still a principal with ABT and occasionally guest teaching throughout the country.

National Dance Week: Mikhail Baryshnikov

Oh Mikhail Baryshnikov, how I adore thee! I have a bit of a confession to make. I love learning about different people who defected from communistic countries to live in America. (Or in his case, initially Canada.) I was first introduced to Mikhail Baryshnikov by my mother when I was about six or seven. I'd never seen a male dancer that I thought was any good and he completely blew my mind out of the water. Leave it to the Russians to create something so amazing with their government!

Mikhail Baryshnikov began his dance training at the age of 9 in Riga where he was born. Four years later he entered the Vaganova school, in what is now, St Petersburg. (It used to be Lenigrad.) He won top prize in the junior division of the International Varna Competition and joined the Kirov Ballet and Mariinsky Theater in 1967, dancing the Peasant Pas de Deux in Giselle.

While on tour in Canada with the Bolshoi Ballet in 1974, he defected and later would join the American Ballet Theater as a principal and danced with Gelsey Kirkland during his time there. He also danced with the New York City Ballet and worked exclusively with George Balanchine.

Mikhail Baryshnikov is the founder of The Baryshnikov Arts Center and can be found teaching whenever possible and staying in the best dancer's shape he can.

National Dance Week: Paloma Herrera

I first saw Paloma Herrera's flawless lines and beautiful smile in a pointe magazine when I was about thirteen. I immediately fell in love! My favorite performance has to be Gulnare in Le Corsaire. She's such a beautiful dancer, you'll regret never watching her before!

Paloma began her ballet training with Olga Ferri in her homeland, Argentina in 1982 at the age of seven. She became one of the the most note worthy dancers of South America, winning competitions and receiving The Finalist Diploma from the Varna Ballet Competition in 1990, at the age of 14.

At 15 she moved to New York and continued her studies with the School of American Ballet, where she was given the lead role in Balanchine's Raymonda Variation for their annual workshop. She joined the American Ballet Theater six months later, was promoted to soloist at 17 and at 19 she became the youngest principle dancer in ABT's history.

Since then she has won the hearts of many ballet fanatics throughout the nation and was chosen as one of the top thirty artists to change culture for the next thirty years, by the New York Time's critics. Today you can find her still dancing her heart out for ABT and looking for a way to continue dancing for as long as possible.

National Dance Week: Leslie Browne

Leslie Brown will forever be the ballerina I cherish the most in my heart. My favorite dance movie, of all time, is The Turning Pointe, which stars the lovely ballerina, Leslie Browne.

I grew up picturing myself looking just like her one day, long lines, fair skin, beautiful smile and of course always happy as a wonderful ballerina. I remember watching her fall in love and get heart broken in The Turning Pointe (1977), over and over and over again as a child and seeing her dance with The Fonz on Happy Days. She will forever be the ballerina that made me love my craft, so here's a bit of her history.

Leslie began her training under her father's direction at his studio on Arizona, along with her sister Elizabeth and brother Ethan. At the age of fifteen she received a scholarship to study at the School of American Ballet and at seventeen joined the Corps de Ballet of New York City Ballet company.

Her career took a dramatically positive turn when she was hired on as an extra for The Turning Pointe, through her parent's ballet community connections. Gelsey Kirkland was originally cast for the lead role, but chronic tendonitis forced her to drop out, Leslie was the next natural choice.

After filming The Turning Pointe and being nominated for best supporting actress she went on to make Nijinsky (1980) and Dancers (1987). She guest starred in Happy days and in 1976 she joined the American Ballet Theater as a solist and was promoted to principal in 1986. She retired from the company in 1993. She has since been a guest teacher, choreographer and performed in Broadway's rendition of The Red Shoes.

Leslie Browne is currently on faculty with STEPS on Broadway, The ABT summer program and various master classes in NYC and around the world.

National Dance Week: Martha Graham

As promised here's my first post of dancer's who've inspired me and touched my heart in some way. First I'd like to focus on Martha Graham.

I've always loved Martha Graham's story and her style. She was a visionary in the choreographic field and a rebel to her core. She took dance and made it speak from the heart and never wanted to let go of the light inside her soul when dancing. Here's some brief facts about this amazing women:

Martha Graham was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1894. Her parents were strict Presbyterians and were somewhat wealthy. She was strongly discouraged from a career in the performing arts.

In 1925 Martha Graham and Robert Mamoulian produced a two color film, featuring Eastman students, entitled The Flute of Krishna. In 1926 she established her own company, The Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance and went on to teach Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharp, Merce Cunningham and countless other performers, dancers and actors. To this day she is credited as "The Revolutionary Mother Of Modern Dance."

Her choreography has been compared to Picasso's Painting and James Joyce's literature. Her desire to break away from classical constraints and embracing new "contemporary" movements earned her a place in the dance hall of fame.

Graham says in Blood Memory that she danced at the White House for eight different U.S. presidents. Franklin Roosevelt was the first, in 1937... She married the dancer Erick Hawkins in 1948, after a long love affair. The marriage was short-lived, and they divorced in 1954. It was Graham's only marriage and she had no children.

Graham's legacy lives on in the heart's of her former students and through the reteaching of her choreography and ground-breaking technique.

Recital Time! pt 4: Stage Makeup (For Kids)

And here's our finished look:


Any questions? Facebook me or comment on here! -Ms Ivy

Recital time! pt 3: Some Mommy Themed Basics

If your studio is anything like mine, you receive news letters pretty regularly. Reading them is always nice. Referring to them often is often helpful too. Our current news letter features what shoes to purchase for the recital, where the event will be, picture day and some fundraising information. Follow the instructions of your studio's guide lines to the T.

In our next studio news letter we'll be mentioning the appropriate items to bring back stage with your child. It will contain water, carrot sticks, apple slices or lunchables for snacks. (You don't want to bring anything too messy or your child's costume could get ruined)

A book, gameboy, coloring book or playing cards to keep yourself entertained with. (Nothing that can ruin a costume and hopefully nothing too loud)

For a parent recital can be really hard. Not a lot of mommies are ok with their baby being kept back stage without them. If you think you're one of these parents, sign up to be a backstage mom! You will usually be allowed to watch your child from the side of the stage and you'll get to know the rest of the children in your kid's class too. Although this is a good solution for some mom's, its a nightmare for others. If dealing with a three year old who's mommy forgot to give a nap, has a habit of hitting her friends and throwing lipstick when she's upset, isn't exactly your cup of tea, maybe spending some time getting to know the mom who will be taking care of your precious baby is a better alternative.

You don't want to be too stressed out during this time. Remember mommy, its about your baby! Be organized, arrive on time, sign in and out with the person at the door and wish your baby good luck. Remember how nervous you both were for her first ballet class? She's just as nervous now as she was that time! Show her everything's gonna be ok and she'll get to play with her friends in their pretty costumes til they do their dance! Be a good mommy and boost her confidence by being the cool mom who's kisses her good bye and brings her flowers afterwards.

I know its hard for you to hear mommy, but your baby girl doesn't need you back stage during this time. She's going to be busy playing and getting ready for her dance. Don't go back stage no matter what! You won't be allowed to grab her during intermission and you have to stay through the entire program. Enjoy the show! Watch the older girls, eventually your baby girl with be able to dance just like them. Your job during the show is to cheer your hardest for her when she comes out on stage.

As far as video taping or picture taking goes, it really varies between studio to studio. The studio I work for has decided to allow video taping of the performance and picture taking, but no flash photography. If the studio provides you the option of buying a professional quality dvd, take it! Your child will only be a child for so long and you'll be surprised to see how much you're child has grown from year to year.

Get some rest before the big day. Staying up all night the night before organizing costumes and preparing, is not the best idea. Make sure little one has had a nap and make you you've gotten your morning coffee. Recital time is very stressful for everyone involved. I promise you're not the only one who's running around like a chicken with its head cut off today! But keep yourself rested leading up to the event and organized along the way and we'll all be good.

Still looking for some volunteers for making some videos! Message me on facebook or leave me a comment. -Ms Ivy

Recital time! pt 2: Lets warm up

Give yourself a good warm up my lovelies! I personally find that sticking to a strict barre, jazz warmup or modern warm up to be a rather inefficient method.

To start, try doing some simple movements with your body to music you enjoy. This step is just to get your blood pumping and your muscles moving. You've never walked into a class and done grande battments right off the bat, now have you?

After I feel I've said a sufficient "Hello!" to my muscles, I usually do breathing exercises, with a light modern combination. Almost like a yoga preparation for your performance. Clear your mind and focus on preparing your lungs for this performance. You need it you know?

This is where my warming up varies depending on my mood, I either head straight to plies or do some hip opening exercises (I'll make a video soon, to demonstrate.) If I'm skipping that particular exercise, I do a good barre: Plies, Tendu's with Degage's, Rond de Jambe's, Frappe's, Develope's and Grande Battments.

Now its time for stretching, my favorite! According to Art of Ballet.com, stretching is individual and personal. Take your time and do it right. I always start in a butterfly, move through a pike into a straddle then start working on the individual legs.

To end our warm up sessions I generally recommend doing Sote's or Tenleve's. (8 in first, 8 in second, 4 in first, 4 in second, 2 in first, 2 in second, 2 in first, 2 in second, Repeat staring in second.)

I'll be converting this to a video log in the future, I just need some volunteers, to help me out. Interested? Facebook me or comment on here, my lovelies! -Ms Ivy

Recital time! pt 1: Some basics

Oh my lovelies, I hope you're as excited as I am, Its recital time kiddo's! Time to show mom and dad all the stuff you've been working on your entire dance career! Whats wrong? You're nervous? Well, I'm sure you'll be fine. Just follow some general knowledge and everything will be ok.

First things, first. Make the list. Your back stage woes go so much smoother when you have a list, I promise. When I was a kid my mom would make a list of every single thing I needed and place them all in plastic baggies with my name on them and I'd be completely set up and ready to go in no time. Now-a-days when I'm dancing I still do this. I have everything for the ballet company on a list in my office as well. I'm a bit of a compulsive person I guess.

The next piece of recital advice is bringing extra EVERYTHING.

Baby wipes/Shout wipes (to fix makeup mistakes or dirty hands.) Baby powder (for itchy costumes). Safety pins (for emergency costume repairs). Clear nail Polish (to repair minor holes/runs in tights when there isn't time to change them). Tylenol, Advil, Motrin or your pain reliever of choice. Extra contact lenses (because the show can't be stopped to search the stage for one). Band-Aids (the "invisible" kind -- stage is not the place for sponge-bob band-aids :P.

Those are some new ones I hadn't really put too much thought in before. (Thanks Dance mom.com!)

Some of the things we shouldn't have to mention are still oh so necessary, which I'm annoyed by, by the way. Make sure you have your hair and make up done properly and securely, don't wear nail polish and bring the correct tights and shoes. You have no idea how stressful it can be to have to send mom back home or to a local dance wear shop because Suzy Q forgot her tights at home! Bring your the correct stuff and you'll be good.

Next feature? Write your name on everything you plan on taking back home with you. Try to write it in a place that won't be seen by the audience, but easy enough for everyone to see when going through costumes at the end of the day.

Bring something to do. If you aren't in a lot of dances you're probably going to be spending a lot of your time bored out of your mind, back stage. Bring a book or a gameboy (muted, of course) but keep yourself entertained. Mom won't be able to go back and rescue you, you know.

As I find more advice, I'll keep you informed. Thank you my lovelies! -Ms Ivy

The Healthy Dancer

I know you've heard about the one kid in ballet class who's doctor insisted they took ballet to help with their posture or inverted hips or a myriad of other things, but what are the actual physical effects of dance on your body?

Googling this entry I found all sorts of mixed results, I've found everything under the sun talking about the negative and positive influences dance takes on the body. For a positive starter, we'll begin with Flexibility.

Flexibility helps promote good circulation throughout the body and can help alleviate muscle soreness. Its also incredibly necessary to get those lovely leaps and high develope's! Make sure you stretch daily to keep up with your body's needs.

Dancing is also great for building strength and endurance, two things "normies" actually have to worry about. Have you ever watched someone climb a set of stairs and get completely winded? It all boils down to their endurance, or lack-there-of in this case. The benefits of strength and endurance are obvious, the help you continue throughout your day without having to stop.

Some of the positive mental and emotional benefits of dance are slightly harder to find. Movies like The Black Swan certainly show us the down side of the ballet community, but what are the positive effects it has on our mental health?

Dancers and Health together is an organization that shows the world the positive side of involving dance in your life. Aside from the a fore mentioned movie, dancing promotes a sense of accomplishment and over all well being. Any well put together ballet program will provide you with a set of goals to master and achieve. Personal growth is a very healthy character trait to develop. (Develop it early, I promise its worth it.)

Now for some of the negative aspects. According to the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation, dancers put themselves in jeopardy everyday by the loud music we expose ourselves to and by our frequent use of rock rosin. Whats wrong with rock rosin? This one surprised me too, just fyi. It apparently has the capabilities of causing severe skin irritation and asthma. How completely and utterly horrifying! Rosin is an everyday part of most dancer's lives. My best advice is to use it sparingly. Don't let it make direct contact with your skin either.

We've all had our parents tell us at one time or another to turn our music down when its so close to our ears, but what about when its blasting at us with the bass vibe from hell, during a jazz class? Or when we just have to feel it louder, during our lyrical or modern classes? The effects the sound has on the body are astonishing! Asking any seasoned dancer will provide you some profound insight on how music can be related to, but remember, smart dancers take care of their bodies (ears included) so they can dance long healthy lives.

The longer you dance, the harder dancing becomes. A lot of the ballet veterans have had knee surgery, hip replacements, ankle and foot surgery, etc... How healthy can that be for you? Lisa Probert, of the English National Ballet brings certain obvious things to light is this interview.

Dancing is a fun, healthy life style in the long run. Just be safe, smart and use common sense. You can't really go wrong with that, now can you, my Lovelies?

What would you like to hear about next? Comment or message me on my facebook! -Ms Ivy

The New Green Dancer

Let me start this off by saying that I am not a hippy. I love the earth as much as the next guy, but saving the planet isn't at the top of my priorities. I'll can easily say its selfish of me, but I do a small part and I hope it makes a large enough impact to matter in the long run. I'll admit that being a dancer from north, central Florida who loves her air conditioner, that I'm not willing to give up my creature comforts for the whole of the environment, but doing small things can help everyone and our future generations awareness to the ever growing problems.

We've all heard about global warming and about not leaving the earth polluted for the generations to come, but how much can we really help out with as dancers? A lot of dancers first approach would be to create pieces to raise the awareness of the world and hopefully change how we live. The piece Future of Tomorrow was based entirely on the environment and was widely received as an awe inspiring look into our planets true face. I will say that these pieces have noble intentions and really make themselves a statement, but what did they really do to help the environment? Most of the people who follow the dance community already care about the world around them. How could they have really helped in the long run?

Well lets look at how most dancers attend class and some simple, easy changes that can really help out in the long run. First of all lets talk about your hydration system. Are you still using disposable water battles? Shame on you! Did you know that it takes 17 million barrels of oil to make these water bottles? Which is enough to run 100,000 cars for a year, according to the Pacific Institute. Wow, what an impact on our earth! Not to mention that 70 to 80 percent of the 34.6 billion plastic water bottles Americans buy each year end up in a landfill or incinerate and millions of gallons are used in manufacturing the bottles and that two gallons of water are wasted for every one gallon that goes into the bottles through the purification process. Opt for a metal water bottle instead. They're quite stylish and re-washable too!

Now here a simple one that might even make mom happy, carpooling. Although its not always feasible and sometimes its down right impossible, carpooling really helps cut down on the carbon dioxide put into the atmosphere and could help create stronger friendships in the process. For every gallon of gas your car consumes, it creates 20 pounds of carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming. The average car emits about six tons of carbon dioxide every year according to Julia Wang of TerraPass. Thats a lot of crap we have to breathe in everyday! Carpooling and walking to and from dance can really help cut those numbers down.

Now lets look at our clothes for just a minute. Look at the label of your leotard and tights. You'll probably see its made out of a blend of Nylon, Spandex and Lycra. How does that effect our environment? Well its simple, they're made from plastic. Plastic takes forever and a life time to degrade and is only recyclable once in its life time. Not to mention all the chemicals that were used to forge that striking halter leo you're sporting these days. Unfortunately its not really as simple as just wearing 100% cotton either. According to the Organic Consumers Association, it takes one-third of a pound of agricultural chemicals to produce one cotton shirt in the United States. That roughly means that your 100% Cotton Leotard is actually about 73% cotton and 27% chemicals. So whats a trendy, environmentally aware dancer to do? Its simple really, buy used leotards. I know some of us cringe at the thought of wearing a leotard someone else has danced in but its really the best way to help out. (You may notice I only said leotards here, thats simply because wearing used tights in disgusting and would be like wearing used underwear. Ew)

However, if you still aren't comfortable with buying used, just try to buy a leotard with the highest amount of cotton available in it. This is a good example. Stylish yet breathable, what more could you ask for? There are also some interesting options for shoes now a days. Finding shoes made from vegetable dye instead of complete nylon is an amazing feat of human technology, in my opinion!

However you decide to help the environment helps out in the long run. Remember that it won't be our planet forever and only we can make the change!

What would you like to hear about next, my lovelies? Leave me a comment or message my facebook. -Ms Ivy

hair, tights, shorts, shoes and confidence

So here you are. You're all geared up and ready for class. You walk in the door, excited for a wealth of knowledge and physical release, only to be sent home. Where did you go wrong? What happened? Its obvious, your teacher just has it out for you. That jerk, who does she think she is, telling you to go home?

Hold on, lets take a look at ourselves before we go off blaming the teacher. You're emotionally prepared, right? Ok good. You're mentally prepared, right? Also, good. Wait, what're you wearing again? Oh... Thats why. Well what do you expect the teacher to think when you walked in the door wearing your hair in a pony tail, tan tights, shorts and socks? You may have been prepared in every aspect inwardly, but your outward appearance doesn't show it.

We all know that ballerinas spend years with their hair in a bun, but why? Why not a spunky pony tail? Ooh! Or better yet, pig tails? Well the answer is relatively simple. When you learned how to add, you wrote it down right? You didn't do anything in your head until you where confident on paper. Well when learning how to turn your eyes need to learn how to adjust to spotting. If you have hair getting in your face every time you turn, you're not giving your eyes the proper training they need to spot confidently and always have a direct turn. For some more stylish and perfectly acceptable options, try a french twist, or a french braid (or if you do it inside out a dutch braid). Just make sure you tuck those ends under the braid itself.

So why all the hype on the color of your tights? Well, if tan tights do one thing and do it well, its making your legs look fabulous. It hides all the semi-straight legs and the muscle development so well that most ballet studios shun them entirely. I will agree that tan tights look fabulous on you. I will agree that when you look fabulous, you feel fabulous. I will not agree that you should be wearing them to your ballet class. Why would you want to hide the thing you're paying someone to fix? Ditch the tan tights for some pretty pink ones next time. Seamed is even better so you can focus on your turn out while you check youself in the mirror!

Oh yes... You're wearing shorts too aren't you? Tsk tsk tsk... While I'll admit that sometimes wearing shorts makes it easier to see your alignment at the barre and they generally make you feel a bit more confident around your special time of the month, they really hinder your teachers ability to teach. If you're wearing shorts, you're hiding your entire pelvic region for the teacher's immediate view. This is a crucial part of your development, as your turns come from having a strong center and so do most other basic moves. Don't hide your ballet bread and butter from the teacher!

And last but not least, we come to your socks. As a teacher and a dancer I have a lot of mixed feelings on socks in class. I feel that they give you a better feel of the floor and more control of you person foot development in a tendu. I also know from personal experience that they don't protect your feet from the harsh impact of your grand allegro, or provide a realistic surface for your pirouettes. Remember, class is all about training you to do something great. If you aren't doing everything you can to be great, then why bother? Instead of socks next time, opt for your classic ballet slippers. They are the proper training shoes for all dancers and look darn good on your feet. (And save dancing barefoot for your modern class. It was meant to be danced barefoot, after all.)

Alright, my lovelies, just one more thought on your classroom wardrobe, to feel like a ballerina you need to look like a ballerina. I know it sounds crazy, but it works. Haven't you ever walked in your class, with your hair in a pretty bun, your black leotard and your pretty pink tights and ballet shoes and just thought, "Wow, I look lovely!" Why do you think I call you all my lovelies? When you dress the part and try your best, you are lovely! So stop hiding behind your clothes and get out there and dance!

What would you like to hear about next? Comment or message my facebook! -Ms Ivy

Pointe Shoes

We all dream of wearing the magical shoes one day, but how're they made? Whats their history? Who was the first person to ever wear them? If you're anything like me you're obsessed with ballet, and if you're a lot like me, you're obsessed with history.

So who was the first person to dance on pointe? Well, Marie Taglioni often gets the credit and the blame for being the first to dance on pointe. But no one really knows for sure. It is established that in 1832 Marie Taglioni danced in the full length La Sylphide on pointe. But almost certainly there were dancers before her who rose onto the tops of their toes. It's even possible that Mme. Camargo had done so one hundred years before. There are references in newspaper accounts of various ballerinas with "fantastic toes" or "falling of her toes. " Taglioni herself most likely danced on pointe before La Sylphide.

You also have to take into consideration that ballet was a lot different back then. Men had most of the glory back in those days, and women had to face a lot of social criticism for being performers at all. The Eighteenth Century saw an increased prominence of the female dancer and the expansion of the ballet vocabulary to include more jumps and turns. Among the other stars of the era were Mlle. Lyonnais, famed for her gargoulliades, and Fraulein Heinel, who dazzled Europe with her multiple pirouettes--but on demi-pointe.

Taglioni wore soft satin slippers that fit like kid gloves. They had a leather sole and some darning on the sides and under, but not on the tip. That's all. It must have been a lot like standing barefoot. The blocked pointe shoe with a stiff sole as we know it today did not evolve until much later.

By the end of the century the ballerina faced new challenges. In Russia, in St. Petersburg, Marius Petipa was creating what would become the classics: Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, La Bayadere, Don Quixote, and many more. At this time there were two main--and rival-- schools of ballet in Europe: the French School, which Petipa brought to Russia, and the Italian school of which Cecchetti is a famous example. When the two of the great ballerinas of the Italian School, Virginia Zucchi and Pierina Legnani, came to St. Petersburg, their visit has a profound effect on the history of ballet.

Whereas the French school emphasized refinement, the Italian school was more athletic; its dancers developed powerful calves and thighs. The Italian school pushed technique to the limit in order to achieve dazzling feats. The Italians had a secret weapon, a closely guarded trade secret, for turning multiple pirouettes: spotting. They also had better shoes.

Pointe shoes have evolved so much since then too. Take this video for example, I highly doubt they made them like this back in those days! The modern day pointe shoe is a work of modern ingenuity and classic refinement. Gaynor Minden makes what I like to call "sci-fi pointe shoes." Instead of using the traditional paste and cardboard, they use plexiglass and come pre-padded. No toe pads required!

The wait for going onto pointe is a long one. It feels like its taking forever and your teacher just won't budge! To be ready for pointe, you must have had at least four years of classical ballet training (And I mean bare minimum by at least) and be old enough and strong enough to handle the pressures of pointe work. Its hard to make yourself look oh so lovely, when you've barely had time to cultivate your own sense of style.

Pointe shoes are a beautiful part of your ballet training and one you'll love for years to come. What would you like to hear about next? Comment or send me a facebook message! -Ms Ivy

(Resources for this post include: The Ballet Companion and Pointe History)

The truth on turn out

Turnout is a headache among the best of the ballet community. Coming from a teacher who was born "pigeon-toed" I can be honest and say its my least favorite focal point in ballet. Turn out was originally designed to emphasize the beautiful ankles of the aristocrats during their lengthy court court dances. After a few decades it was discovered to allow dancers to hold positions on their legs longer by giving a much wider platform to stand on. Thus, a constant annoyance is born!

Kinesiologists have recently argued that it is impossible for anyone to have perfect turnout without their bodies being damaged as a young child, or having it from birth. The idea was that a muscle has to be torn and healed and torn and healed may sound a bit familiar. (Stretching anyone?) But recent discoveries have shown the looseness of a muscle could be well determined by your person physical make up, your diet and the amount of stress you carry with you.

But Ms Ivy, turn out is how far out our feet go, what does that have to do with stretching? Well my lovelies, turn out is actually a movement in and of itself and therefore not a noun.

It is a constant stretch from behind the hips to the inner thigh and your progress is shown by how far you can open your feet. Its a little not fair, isn't it? Something you control by opening your thighs is marked by your feet which are half down your body away! Luckily for us we've discovered all sorts of new ways to not only increase our turn out, but also build strength while doing it.

Most of us ballerinas remember taking ballet and having to lay in that horrible "frog" position for forever, it felt like! It was said to increase out turn out which no seven year old really cared about. Well how many of us wish we'd started doing it back then, instead of waiting for now? Apparently we don't have to go back in time and yell at our former self to wake up and quit cheating our future selves out of a career though. Question and answer blogs like this, really help us out as grown dancers. I mean come one, a rand de jambe helps increase motion in the hips? Interesting!

Oh, my favorite website for anything, Ehow had something to say on the matter, of course. This one mostly focuses on a daily routine for your hips. I love getting something prepackaged for whatever I feel the need to work on, don't you?

My last note on turn out is this. You will never achieve perfect turn out, no matter how hard you strive. It is physically impossible to do everything you need to in ballet with perfect turnout. That doesn't mean we ever stop trying! But accepting our limitations and working around them is how a mature dancer responds to the individual demands of their bodies.

What would you like to hear about? Post me comments or message my facebook. -Ms Ivy