This class is designed to help Irish dancers work on both the flexibility and strength needed for a stronger, more active point.
We’ll move through focused exercises for the feet, ankles, and lower legs to improve range of motion, build control, and support better foot positions in the air and on the floor.
Perfect for dancers who want to develop a more pointed, powerful, and supported foot without just forcing the position.
Well, I certainly felt my turnout muscles during and after this class.
A little reminder: your turnout is initiated by the deep external rotators at the back of your hips. If you haven’t already, check out our Anatomy of Turnout class to learn more about what’s actually working.
As you move through this class, try to connect to those muscles rather than just forcing the feet or knees out.
Whether you struggle to hold your back leg turnout, maintain turnout as you travel across the floor, or keep it when the leg lifts in front, this is a great class to come back to again and again.
This class can be used as part of your warm-up before dance to activate the right muscles, or as a standalone session outside of the studio. You can also follow it as part of the full 4–6 week Back Leg Extension Program to build strength, mobility, and control over time.
Key Points
If your back leg sinks, it is not just a flexibility issue.
Your glutes need to be strong enough to hold alignment.
Your quads help prevent the knee from bending or dropping.
Your calves and ankles help you stay lifted and maintain toe height.
Only add weight if you can maintain good alignment and control.
Stay consistent and prioritise quality over rushing through reps.
Please also find a PDF of progressions for this program. Let us know if you have any questions at all.
Need those ankles to loosen up and be extra twisty and flicky? Enjoy these drills and pop them into your training consistently.
A short video with some strength tips to improve your Birdies.
Today, we revisit crossing, working on the mobility and strength to achieve this!