r/BALLET • u/Unimprester • Jun 28 '25
Constructive Criticism Slow progress - but progress nonetheless
I've always struggled so much with my a la seconde. I started ballet at 17 (am now 31) and I feel like I missed out on some muscle coordination there. I really struggle to maintain my turnout on the standing leg, I've been working hard on those intrinsic glute muscles. And I've been doing exercises specifically for the side extensions. This is progress from march 28th till today, so exactly 3 months.
It's really funny to see the same slack elbow and floppy hand lol, I need to work on that. Also, this is my good leg. My bad leg is... Worse
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u/MelenPointe Jun 28 '25
Before opening this post up, I was looking at just the photos and thought 'oh! Look at that improvement in the standing leg!'.
Considering this was the first thought that pop up in my mind, I wouldn't call this a small progress.
Congrats! ❤️
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u/Unimprester Jun 28 '25
Yes the standing leg!! That really is the key to this I think. I always tried to tell my leg to turn out but it wasn't working.
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u/Ok_Duck_6865 Jun 28 '25
3 months is fast. You look great! The improved turnout and obvious strength in your working leg is awesome.
I’ve been back about 6 months and cannot get my extension above 90 degrees no matter what! I’m in my 40s though and was away… forever.
What exercises have you been doing? Developee a la seconde is the most challenging for me for some reason.
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u/Unimprester Jun 28 '25
Soooo challenging. Even when i was still doing gymnastics I felt like this was impossible. It's really all in those deep rotators. I posted a comment with some of the exercises
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u/bbbliss quit the sub, don't talk to me Jul 01 '25
Are you also working on your core? That's usually the key for me if it isn't hips or glutes. I also struggle w a la seconde the most too!
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u/Ok_Duck_6865 Jul 01 '25
Trying! One of my current teachers is really into torturing us with planks and sit ups for that reason. I do appreciate the focus on cross training for strength- I know there’s a lot more I can do on my own but those classes wipe me out, lol.
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u/bbbliss quit the sub, don't talk to me Jul 01 '25
Haha that's so real, she sounds like my jazz teacher. "Alright, get on the floor" and I'm like ahhhh it's clamshell time lol
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u/Ok_Duck_6865 Jul 01 '25
Clamshells yes! I remember the first time I was like … okay, I get this should burn but also don’t please ask me to stand up again for 73 days. I’ll just live here horizontally on my mat. Bring me snacks.
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u/fantsywor1d Jun 28 '25
please share what you've been doing, i can't figure out what exercises help with this and you look incredible 🥹🫶🏼
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u/Unimprester Jun 28 '25
Hiii everyone since people have been asking I'll write up what I've been doing more or less consistently. Source for the exercises: bunch of places, BWI studio, youtube, class experience, Instagram
Key: active flexibility, consistency, core strength, glute strength
Notable exercises:
Lay down on your back into side split, potentially with weights or a stretching band. Spend a minute here and then do a rep of 6 moving the legs together while holding turnout. Then another minute and another set.
Side extensions on your knees, start on all fours. Wrap the stretching band around the opposite shoulder and the foot of the extending leg. Extend the leg out to the side. Move leg from side to arabesque (you can make this a rep too). Then the hard part: turn to one side, keeping the leg up and turning it out. This burns the heck out of the 'standing' leg. You can pulse or bend and stretch or hold, or what I like to do is repeat the part where I turn from arabesque to the side.
split pushes (idk what to call it), sit upright in your best side split. Push down with your legs to lift your hips up. Use a yoga block and your hands if you need to. Up and hold a few times.
standing leg extension with a stretching band. This one is great for the standing leg. Wrap the band around the opposite shoulder and the foot of the working leg. Extend the leg side. You can pulse up and down here or move side to arabesque and back. Bending and stretching the standing leg is also great.
clamshells, but lift your hips.
side planks with the top leg in retire
Hope this helps 🤪
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u/firebirdleap Jun 28 '25
Well done! You look a lot more stable, especially in your standing leg. Support in the standing leg and core strength os SO important and overlooked in side extensions. This is a lot of noticeable progress for 3 months, come back in a year ago and i bet you'll be incredible!
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u/Ok_Sweet_2375 Jul 15 '25
How did you get it that high I need to know🥹
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u/Unimprester Jul 15 '25
Where you need to start kind of depends on your strength level now. If your not a horizontal yet then you probably need to work on your overall strength and technique first. Lots of core work. Floor Barre should help. Then you need to identify where you're weak and work on that. For me it was my glutes and hip flexors mostly
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u/sheabutterbunny Jun 28 '25
Ummmm fckin AMAZING progress!! Wow!!
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u/Unimprester Jun 28 '25
Thank you 😊❤️ it just feels like soooo much work and time for a few cm higher. But I have to take into account that it's not just higher but also much better technically.
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u/JohnlockedDancer Jun 28 '25
You should be proud of yourself! I don’t think 3 months is slow, I think that’s fast!
Also, would you mind sharing the exercises you did?
I started ballet at 16 and I’m 32 now, so I feel like we have a bit in common!