Flexibility help?

Question:I do ballet but I'm not very flexible, I can't do very good arabesques, developpes or the splits as a result which is making it harder. Does anyone know any stretches which could help this and just flexibility in genral. I would appreciate a lot of detail because its hard to see from text what its like..websites would be good too.
Thanks soooo much
xxx

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I do ballet but I'm not very flexible, I can't do very good arabesques, developpes or the splits as a result which is making it harder. Does anyone know any stretches which could help this and just flexibility in genral. I would appreciate a lot of detail because its hard to see from text what its like..websites would be good too.
Thanks soooo much
xxx

was in your position once like a year ago. I am NOT naturally flexible and was desperate to get my splits. I will tell you what I did and it totally worked! Every day (you HAVE to do this every day) i stretched. First I stretched out my right side (the side that I am more flexible on) like we do in ballet class. You have to remember to breath and sink into the stretch. Muscles do not begin to fully stretch for 20 seconds so you must hold each stretch for at least 30 (I usually hold them for around a minute, going off of how my body feels-- when it feels stretched). After my body feels properly warmed up I set a timer for 55 seconds (allowing 10 seconds to get positioned into my right split). Since you aren't all the way down, the key it to keep both legs straight-- even if you feel that it is making you higher off the ground. Repeat this process on the left. Now for your middle split. Open your legs into a straddle as far as you can and reach forward. Keep your back straight--- don't curl so you can get farther off the ground. Hold this for at least 20 seconds (the time it takes for the muscles to become adjusted to the stretch) until you feel stretched. With each exhale (you MUST remember to breath deep, long breaths) reach slightly farther further. Key tips are to keep your feet flexed and faced upwards-- even though you may get farther down with your feed forward and pointed. Once you feel that you have done this for long enough find a wall space that is flat and wide enough for you legs. Put your butt up against the wall, with your legs straight and upwards. Then open your legs as far as they can with your butt still against the wall, your knees/legs straight and your feet flexed (flexed feet with stretch more parts of your legs than pointed feet). Breath deeply and set a timer for 3 minutes and 10 seconds (the ten seconds are extra time to allow you to get into position). After the 3 minutes are over close your legs (getting back to your original position) and push away from the wall. Now do your middle split for 45 seconds (set the timer for 55 like you did for your right and left splits). Make sure you aren't falling back too far (although it makes you feel farther down). Breath deeply even though it hurts using the exhale to go further down technique. I usually watch TV during my stretches to distract me from the pain. Hope this helps-- if you have any questions email me!

Try exercising butterflies everyday

to be flexible you really need to stretch every day. start with simple things like sitting on the floor and reaching to touch your toes. also make sure to work on your splits and straddle. also you can stand up in a straddle position and try to reach the floor and both of your feet. doing these daily should help! good luck!

First of all, how old are you?

I have been dancing since I was 3 years old. That is 17 years of dance and I know from experience that it takes a dancer a VERY long time get a flexibility that is needed to perform some of the most technical things like aerobesques for example.

I go to studio dance everyday and the first thing that my instructor makes us do is left,middle and right splits. We hold them for 90 seconds each.

We also do wall splits. Where you lay perpendicular to the floor with your butt in the 90 degree angle of the wall and floor and put your legs vertically up on the wall and spread them to the spread eagle. Hold it for ten minutes each day and just let gravity weigh on your legs.

Also, flexibility isn't the only thing that plays a key part is doing the techniques you discuss. You also have to have a lot of muscle mass as well.

Try to some push ups, sit ups, calve raises and lunges to build muscles.

Someone could be the most flexible person on Earth but it takes the combination of both flexibility and muscle to do the things you desire to achieve.

Keep it up. I don't know how old you are or how long that you have been dancing but it is worth all the sweat I've shed.

=)

just do the stretches you do in class at home. also just practicing the move and holding it (like splits for example) can really help. just do it as well as you can and just try to get a little better each time. stretch often. flexibility takes time, believe me. and also don't stop. when i was little i took ballet and was really flexible but then i quit. when i started dancing 7 or so years later i wasn't nearly as flexible as i had been. so keep at it and do it regularly for best results. good luck!

thats wierd, because doing ballet means hardcore stretches everyday your doing it. Especially in the beginning of class and even on your own time. Ballet = stretching all the freaking time. Seriously. I am like a freaking rubber band now. But then again it depends on how long you have been doing ballet. Arabesques have nothing to do with flexibility but agility and balance. um do your stretches and take more time on them. I recomend lunges legs and floor stretches. As for balance which i can tell you need help on, try working out as well. After work outs stretch. stretch. stretch. Very important to ballerinas.

You are a lot like me, or how I used to be,
I did tons of dance classes (ballet and other types) and for some reason I was good, but not very flexible.

It's so frustrating! But, some people are naturally flexible and some people aren't. We aren't. Annoying, I know!
Basically, I had to do stretch ALL the time at home if I wanted to get my splits and leaps better, etc.

Every time I watch T.V now, I stretch, sometimes in a straddle position.
After 1 month of intense stretching at home during T.V, before and after dance classes, and doing my homework, I improved A LOT. You'll eventually be able to do a split, you just have to put a lot of work into stretching on your own. And once you can do splits, keep up the stretching, or you'll lose it.

Heres a really good stretch:
-Put your leg up on the barre (or if you are at home, put one leg on a table, chair, counter, bureau, desk, anything!). Fondue and lean over to touch your toes, etc. You can really improve on this one, and it's really a great stretch.