Ballet Exercises - Will bad turnout affect my dancing career?

by Bailey
(california)

Ballet Exercises - Will bad turnout affect my dancing career?

Hello Odette,
I have written to you once before and have found your answer and advice on this blog very helpful:) but now I am having a problem regarding my unfortunate turnout. Will having a bad turnout affect my dancing and or pursuit to a career? and also do you have any advice on how I can improve my turnout? thanks!

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Reply by Odette
To:- Ballet Exercises - Will bad turnout affect my dancing career?

Hello Bailey,
Thanks for your message it's great to hear from you, I'm pleased my advice is there to guide you along the way. The first thing I want to say, is I have seen lots and lots of ballet dancers as I grew up in becoming a professional and each one has different facilities which includes turnout. Not everyone has naturally flat turnout and for some, you have to work on it more than others. It won't necessarily affect your ballet career, because you will have other strengths in which teachers will see potential in, but of course it may always be an area which you are always striving to improve. That is completely normal, as every dancer (including me) has weaker points which stick with them through their training and career.

I have written some excellent pages on turnout for other young dancers who have a similar question to yours, so take a look at these pages here -

How to Improve Turnout

Mainly, you want to be working in the correct way in order to see your turnout improve. In the long term, I don't think it does any good to force or push your turn out beyond your facility which can only cause more damage or injury. You must think of your turn out starting from the glute muscles (backs of the legs). It is not just from your feet, because in order to turn out to first position you must engage your whole leg to rotate down to the feet.

If you can strengthen your glutes, then it will help your turnout muscles to improve. You can research glute exercises and especially look at Pilates which has specifics ones for the glutes.

I hope this helps you and let me know your thoughts. Keep in touch!

Best wishes,
Odette