What You'll Learn
- The mechanical reasons turnout often slips when transitioning to center work
- How to use coup-de-pied and relevé to find a stable vertical axis
- Exercises to strengthen hip opposition and connect the glutes to the knees
- Practical tips for practicing balance at home, including 'kitchen relevés'
- How to identify and correct imbalances between your dominant and non-dominant hips
About This Video
Have you ever found yourself holding a perfect, high-rotated retiré at the barre, only to have your knee drop and your hips shift the moment you test your balance? This common frustration is at the heart of today’s Q&A session at Broche Ballet. Maintaining turnout while balancing in the center requires more than just leg strength; it requires a deep understanding of your vertical axis and the active opposition between your hips.
When we use the barre, it is very easy to rely on that external support to "cheat" our turnout or prop up our weight. This creates a false sense of stability. Once that support is removed, our internal stabilizing muscles must immediately take over to maintain the position.
In this video tutorial, we explore how to find your true center by developing a strong, reliable axis. We delve into specific foundational movements like tendu and fondu to help you feel the vital connection between your standing leg and your working hip. One of the key technical takeaways is the importance of the coup-de-pied position.
By practicing relevé in coup-de-pied, you learn to "buckle" the hips together, creating a solid, unified foundation that prevents the working leg from pulling you off-balance. This exercise is essential for developing the "wrap" of the turnout from the hip socket rather than the knee. We also discuss why one hip is often more difficult to manage than the other and why it is essential to target that "harder" side with consistent, intentional practice.
Whether you are practicing in a professional studio or doing "kitchen relevés" at home, these techniques are designed to help you transition from the barre to the center with grace and confidence. By focusing on hip opposition and the alignment of your glutes and knees, you will find that a stable, turned-out balance is well within your reach. Even just 15 to 30 seconds of focused practice can make a world of difference.
Join Broche Ballet as we break down the mechanics of the retiré balance.
