Safely Improving Your Turnout

Forcing turnout in ballet positions during plie or demipointe can put dancers at a high risk of overuse injuries. Many dancers cannot turnout (toes pointed outward 180 degrees from each other) using proper alignment. To compensate for a lower degree of turnout at the hips, many dancers will roll their ankles and feet inward. This excessively stretches the foot and ankle ligaments and tendons causing them to lose their stabilizing function. Turning out from the hips while keeping the ankles and feet in proper alignment, and engaging in exercises that strengthen the hip rotators can reduce the risk of knee, ankle, and foot injuries.