Most dancers like the idea of having a good arabesque line but very often in their effort to produce this, the body becomes slightly distorted and out of line which thoroughly defeats their original purpose. So often the basic principles of balance are not practiced and the height of the leg becomes the most important focus. Especially for young dancers, this can cause injuries and weaknesses that over time could prevent them from dancing. Working to strengthen the muscles that will support the arabesque line will help your students to be healthy and to reach their goals of having great arabesques.

I have found that using floor exercises is a good and safe way to strengthen the use of turnout and also the abdominal and lower and upper back muscles. Without correct usage of all these areas your students will struggle with their arabesques.

Let’s break it down into different areas. We can start with understanding and strengthening the areas that control turnout. Without adequate turnout the arabesque is never going to be a pleasing or controlled line. Here are two exercises that will promote strengthening the use of turnout.

1)      Lie flat on the floor near to a wall, keeping the body completely straight, legs parallel. Turn both legs out slowly keeping the feet flat and slightly pressed against the wall. Make sure that there is no movement in the hips but emphasize that the inner thigh muscles need to be drawn together. This is very important because many young dancers have trouble identifying the use of the inner thigh muscles. Pressing the feet into the wall at the same time helps the dancer feel as if they are standing and that they need to press into the floor for good balance keeping the hips still at the same time. This exercise can also be done sitting straight with the legs in front and the hands gently resting on the floor slightly in front of the hips. Sitting against a wall will help the dancer to really be in a straight and pulled up position.

2)      Lie flat on the floor with straight, parallel legs and toes fully pointed. The tips of the toes touching the wall. Bend the knees to the chest as much as possible keeping the legs parallel and the toes pointed and on the floor. Let the knees fall open in a natural position, keep the toes stretched and heels together. Stretch the legs and feet until the toes touch the wall and then slowly flatten the feet to a first position. This is a great exercise for building strength in the muscles needed for turnout and it also builds better awareness for the dancer of how to use their turnout. This particular exercise is also very helpful for any of your dancers who have swayed backed legs.

      Exercises for strengthening the spine are helpful for any dancerand will promote good health. These exercises also strengthen the core muscles that are vital for a dancer to execute a good arabesque.

1)      Lie flat on the floor with the legs straight and parallel. Arms should be stretched and lightly resting on the floor. Slowly lift the legs and then lower them 8 times. Follow this by lifting the torso up and down with the arms stretched in front of the shoulders 8 times. It is important for the hips to be pressed evenly into the ground and for the shoulders to be pressed outwards and downwards so that there is no collapse in the chest area. It is not necessary to raise the legs or the torso high and it is safer at first to keep both lifts small until the student gains sufficient strength.

2)      Lie flat on the stomach, hands resting under the chin. Legs straight and parallel. Lift the legs up and down without letting them separate 8 times. Try to get the dancers to feel that the legs are being pulled down and away from the hips as they lift the legs. Next, keeping the hips flat on the floor and taking the arms straight forward gently lift the torso up and down 8 times. The position of the head is very important for this exercise because of the weight of it. It should lead the movement as the spine lifts and look outwards and backwards. The next step is to lift both legs and torso at the same time 8 times making sure that the inner thigh muscles are activated along with the buttock muscles and that the legs stay firmly together. The dancers should feel that the legs and torso are being pulled away from each other as the stretch upwards occurs.

After the dancers complete these exercises it is important that they stretch out the lower back area. I suggest sitting back on their heels and then reaching the arms forward as they relax the upper body onto the thighs. Encouraging them to take deep breaths in through their noses and out through their mouths will help with the relaxation.

 So let’s now get on to the actual arabesque. I find that many students grip the very muscles that they need to accomplish a great arabesque. I like to have my students face the barre and tendu derriere. Making sure that the dancer is aware of their placement with hips and shoulders square to the barre. I then have them lift their leg up behind them but also with the feeling of extending it away from them. By getting the free feeling of extension the leg is able to rotate outward much more effortlessly. The height of the leg is not important in the beginning. It is that connection between the leg and the back that needs to be emphasized. Once the dancer understands the mechanics they will not have to struggle to get the leg up higher it will start to float up.

 Placement for the arabesque initially is more important than the height of the leg. Understanding the role of the supporting leg will also affect the arabesque. Sometimes the dancer will place their weight towards the back of the foot instead of keeping it slightly forward. This affects the placement of the hips which for an arabesque to be successful needs to be in line with the toes. Encouraging the dancer to press the foot into the floor as they lift the torso away from it, almost as if the feet were growing roots like a tree will help them to have a stable supporting leg.

 Finally, it is common for dancers to release their ribs and stomachs when trying to do an arabesque. I find this especially prevalent with students who have very flexible backs and weak abdominal muscles. The exercise outlined above will help with this problem.