Dr. Elena Markoulis is one of our physical therapists who loves working with dancers, as she was a competitive dancer herself! One thing that Elena frequently sees in dancers is weakness in their hip extensors and abductors. In traditional dance styles, dancers frequently work in a turned out position, which causes their hip flexors to do most of the work when we do a jette or battement. Increasing the strength of your gluteus maximus (a hip extensor) and gluteus medius (a hip abductor), can help add power to your leaps and turns, improve your turn out, and decrease hip pain! Here are four exercises that you can do to improve your hip strength and become a stronger dancer.
1. Hip CARs (controlled articular rotation): starting in a quadruped position, rotate one hip out to the side as far as you can in a turned out position, then slowly rotate your hip into a parallel position before bringing your leg back to the table. make sure to keep your core engaged and avoid arching your back. perform 10 forward, and 10 backward on each side.
2. Quadruped hip extension: Starting in a quadruped position, straighten one leg out behind you. Squeeze your glutes and lift your leg up towards the ceiling. keep your core engaged and avoid arching your back. perform 2x10 on each side.
3. Clamshell in side plank: start in a modified side plank position with you knee and elbow down on the table. lift your hips up and engage your core, then squeeze your glutes and rotate your hip into a turned out position, then slowly lower back down. this can also be perfomed with a resistance band placed right above the knees. keeping your hips elevated the whole time, perform 2x15 on each side.
4. Resisted hip external rotation in passe: start in a parallel passe with a resistance band (anchored to an object) around the outside of your knee. Engage your core, and squeeze your glutes, then rotate out into a turned out passe, then slowly reutrn back to the starting positon. repeat 2x10 on each side.