ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

, turnout (also turn-out) is rotation of the leg at the hips which causes the

feet The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...

(and knees) to turn outward, away from the front of the body. This rotation allows for greater extension of the leg, especially when raising it to the side and rear. Turnout is an essential part of

classical ballet Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique (such as pointe work, turnout of the legs, and high extensions), it ...

technique. Turnout is measured in terms of the angle between the center lines of the feet when heels are touching, as in

first position ''First Position'' is a 2011 American documentary film. It follows six young dancers preparing for the Youth America Grand Prix in New York City, an annual competition for dancers ages 9–19 to earn a place at an elite ballet company or school. Di ...

. Complete turnout (a 180° angle) is rarely attainable without conditioning.Kirstein, Stuart (1952), p. 26. Various exercises are used to improve turnout by increasing hip flexibility (to improve movement range), strengthening buttocks muscles (to enable a dancer to maintain turnout), or both.

Physiology

In properly executed turnout, the legs must rotate at the hips. If turnout is achieved via lateral rotation in the knee joint (vs. at the hip), the knee will still face forward. This is considered to be less aesthetically pleasing and can cause knee injury. Some dancers will use an

anterior pelvic tilt Pelvic tilt is the orientation of the pelvis in respect to the thighbones and the rest of the body. The pelvis can tilt towards the front, back, or either side of the body. Anterior pelvic tilt and posterior pelvic tilt are very common abnorma ...

(shortening the hip flexors) because hip flexion reduces the tension on the ligament and allows lateral hip rotation to occur more easily. This will however, affect the dancer's posture, since it requires the back to hyper-extend to remain upright. The extent to which an individual can rotate their legs is largely predetermined.Grieg (1994), p. 52. The degree of turnout attainable is determined by the shape of the

femoral neck The femoral neck (femur neck or neck of the femur) is a flattened pyramidal process of bone, connecting the femoral head with the femoral shaft, and forming with the latter a wide angle opening medialward. Structure The neck is flattened from ...

and the angle at which the femoral head is inserted into the

hip socket The acetabulum (), also called the cotyloid cavity, is a concave surface of the pelvis. The head of the femur meets with the pelvis at the acetabulum, forming the hip joint. Structure There are three bones of the ''os coxae'' (hip bone) that ...

, the orientation of the hip socket, the elasticity of the

iliofemoral ligament The iliofemoral ligament is a ligament of the hip joint which extends from the ilium to the femur in front of the joint. It is also referred to as the Y-ligament (see below). the ligament of Bigelow, the ligament of Bertin and any combinations ...

, and the flexibility of the hip and thigh muscles.Grieg (1994), pp. 51-52. However, the structure of the bone may be influenced by ballet exercises before a certain period of bone development attained around the age of eleven.

References

Sources * * {{Ballet Ballet technique Ballet terminology Dance and health

Physiology

See also

References