Assessments:
1: Balance test for static hip stability
2: Hop-down test for dynamic hip stability
3: Split squat test for hip control
4: Balance test for core stability
5: Leg lower test for lower core strength
6: Elbow tap test for anti – rotation strength
Grab your journals! Let’s discuss ways in which we can enhance our presence on stage.
Take this short assessment to check if those inner thighs are something you can work on for improved turnout, extensions, alignment and pancake splits.
*Please note that we don’t need to have the knees be All the way down to the ground in the seated and supine butterfly. Also note that we don’t need to work towards a full middle split as Irish dancers. A full middle split takes the legs out to a full 180 degrees, whereas the pancake split is less at around 90 degrees – this position will be a little more accessible for most.
Any questions, give me a shout. You will now find an inner thigh flexibility class in the library aslo.
In this video we shall gage an idea of our current turnout range and identify where we may be restricted. When it comes to improving your range and control in turnout, the more you know about the anatomy of turnout, the better. I recommend watching the “Anatomy of turnout’ lesson before this one.
This information can then help you to select mobilizers that will be the most effective in improving your range safely. Grab a notebook, pen and perhaps your phone to take images and let’s go!
If you’re anything like me, you are a visual person and seeing the bones & muscles work will be helpful in learning more about turnout and how to maximize it. I think this particular video is more for some of our older dancers 12+ as well as parents and teachers of course. Please give me a shout if you’ve any questions. And please find a couple references below and further reading..
IADMS paper..
https://iadms.org/media/3597/iadms-resource-paper-turnout-anatomy.pdf
I also love the work of Lisa Howell from The Ballet Blog – she has great resources when it comes to teaching turnout to very young dancers..
The visuals used during the video are from the Visible Body app – highly recommended to learn everything anatomy!
Welcome to this 3 part mini series about Mindfulness and the attitudes that mindfulness often embodies. Grab your journals 😉 Come into this with an open mind (aka ‘beginners mind’ as you will learn here) as always. The first three attitudes we will cover here are: Beginners mind, Non judgement and Compassion.
Let’s use the Thomas test to assess whether our hip flexors are in fact actually tight.
Welcome to this lesson on the kinesiology of Front Splits. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to really get to know your own body, exactly what might be holding you back with some of your Irish Dance skills and goals? As we are currently in a program dedicated to front splits, leading into developing the strength and power for clicks and extensions, this class is a great introduction to those muscles that are involved. Enjoy!
What might be restricting your front split? Let’s start to explore with this video. Please have a yoga mat, blocks and a camera ready for these assessments.
The initial video is a lesson from the ‘easy flexibility’ program & can be found on youtube. *This is also a course that I am currently enrolled in 🙂
What is an anterior pelvic tilt? and do you have an anterior pelvic tilt? Find out with Coach Fran with this assessment.. From here we will then learn to fix it and improve your posture for Irish Dance.