Mastering Functional Turnout: How to Turn Your Leg Out to the Side

Achieving proper turnout is one of the most challenging yet essential aspects of ballet technique. In this focused tutorial from Broche Ballet, we dive deep into the mechanics of how to properly turn your leg out to the side. Many dancers struggle with maintaining their turnout without compromising their posture, often leading to the common mistake of tucking the hips under or gripping the glutes unnecessarily.

To master this movement, we must shift our focus away from the feet and toward the hip socket itself. Turnout originates from the rotation of the femur bone within the pelvis. When you are standing at the barre or practicing in the center, think of your leg as a spinning cylinder inside its socket.

Instead of trying to force your heel forward—a common cue that often leads to a tilted pelvis or a loss of core engagement—focus on the deep external rotators that allow the entire leg to spin outward from the very top. Maintaining a neutral pelvis is crucial when working à la seconde. When you tuck your hips, you lose the natural curves of the spine and limit your functional range of motion.

This video demonstrates why keeping your hips level and stable allows for a freer, more honest rotation. By understanding the anatomy of the femur and the socket, you can execute movements like tendu, dégagé, and grand battement with greater precision and grace. Broche Ballet is dedicated to helping adult dancers understand the "why" behind the movement.

This lesson will help you visualize the internal mechanics of your body, ensuring that your turnout is functional rather than forced. Whether you are working through a slow adage or preparing for a pirouette, the way you initiate rotation to the side dictates your overall stability and aesthetic line. Join us as we refine your technique, focusing on bone-on-bone alignment and muscular efficiency to transform your ballet practice.