Understanding Forced Turnout in Ballet: Signs, Risks, and Solutions
Forced turnout in ballet refers to the practice where dancers push their turnout beyond their natural hip range of motion, often by changing the position of the pelvis, twisting at the knees or ankles.
This can lead to significant long-term issues, both in technique and overall health of a ballet dancer.
Below, we’ll explore what forced turnout is, how to identify it, the risks it poses, and healthier approaches to achieving optimal turnout.
What Is Forced Turnout?
Forced turnout occurs when a dancer rotates their legs beyond the capacity of their hip structure. Instead of maintaining a natural turnout supported by the body’s own range, they may change the position of the pelvis, twist at the knees and lock them, or evert the ankles to create the illusion of a more turnout in ballet.
This unnatural strain on joints and tissues can lead to various musculoskeletal problems.
Signs of Forcing Turnout
Dancers can look for specific indicators to know if they are forcing their turnout:
Corrections to close or open ribcage when standing in ballet class.
Being told to activate your core but feeling unable.
Feet slipping out of alignment during exercises like pliés or not being able to maintain balance.
Knee discomfort or pain when in a turned out position.
Hyperextended lower back or an exaggerated arch that makes you feel like your core is inactive.
Tilting or tucking of the pelvis as a means of compensating for limited hip rotation.
The Pelvis and Spinal Considerations
The position of the pelvis significantly affects ballet turnout.
Here’s how different pelvic positions can influence your alignment and maximum ballet turnout use:
Anterior Pelvic Tilt: This forward tilt can create an illusion of greater turnout but often leads to hyperextension in the lumbar spine, poor core engagement, and flared open ribs. This will also decrease your ability to balance and perform pirouettes appropriately.
Neutral Pelvis: Ideal for maintaining healthy turnout as it supports core activation, distributes weight evenly, and aligns the spine correctly. Ensures proper weight distribution for optimal alignment in pirouettes.
Posterior Pelvic Tilt: Often occurs when dancers overactivate the gluteus maximus, which can limit turnout and place undue stress on the lower spine and hips. Often occurs due to teachers saying things like "Tuck your tush," or "Flatten your back." Teachers who want to understand how to correct a student's arched back to gain a neutral position click here.
The ribcage and upper body alignment are directly affected by pelvic position. Dancers who force turnout might hear corrections like “stop flaring your ribs” or “open your chest” because their posture has been compromised to compensate for pelvic misalignment.
The Role of the Gluteus Maximus and Deep Rotators
While teachers often advise dancers to “use your glutes,” focusing solely on the gluteus maximus for turnout is not ideal.
Overactivating this muscle can push the pelvis into a posterior tilt, leading to decreased hip mobility and potential issues like gluteal bursitis.
To maintain effective turnout, dancers need balanced activation that involves the deep rotator muscles (such as the piriformis, gemelli, and obturator muscles). Unlike the gluteus maximus, these muscles are positioned deeper in the hip and contribute to controlled external rotation without overloading the pelvis. The engagement of these muscles will feel subtler but provides a more sustainable turnout foundation.
Adductors and pelvic floor muscles also play a crucial role by stabilizing the pelvis and supporting rotation at the hip. Proper training helps dancers avoid over-reliance on superficial muscle groups and promotes healthy movement patterns. These techniques of activating the deep rotator muscles are trained in depth in my turnout course which can be accessed here.
Risks at the Knee Joint
Old-school ballet teaching often emphasized torqueing the knees outward during pliés to maximize turnout. This practice, especially when paired with commands to “hold the turnout” while straightening the legs, places tremendous strain on the knee joint.
For young, developing dancers and aging ballet dancers alike, this can lead to:
Ligamentous injuries and joint instability.
Early-onset osteoarthritis and long-term damage to cartilage.
Furthering development of osteoarthritis for aging dancers.
The Ankle and Alignment Issues
Forcing turnout doesn’t just impact the hips and knees; it can also trickle down to the ankle joint.
Excessive eversion—rolling the ankle outward—can misalign the lower leg, disrupt the kinetic chain, and lead to compensatory issues throughout the body. This can result in chronic problems such as:
Lower back pain due to compensatory mechanics.
Plantar fasciitis and bone spurs from chronic stress on the big toe joint.
Hallux rigidus, characterized by stiffness and pain in the big toe.
A Balanced Approach: Myofascial Mobility and Healthy Turnout
To safely and effectively improve turnout, dancers need to focus on myofascial mobility as part of their conditioning. My method emphasizes releasing fascial tension to maximize each dancer’s natural range and teaching how to engage the right muscles without compromising alignment. This approach helps dancers achieve their personal best in turnout by working within their body’s limits, preventing injury, and promoting sustainable technique.
I’m not advocating for dancers to be lazy or underperform in their turnout. Instead, I teach them to understand what their end range is and how to use their muscles effectively while maintaining healthy alignment. The days of forcing dancers to appear uniform in their turnout are over. It’s about recognizing each dancer’s unique structure and optimizing their capabilities to the fullest.
What should you do?
Old-school methods that rely on forced turnout are not only outdated but dangerous. Today, we know that by integrating intelligent training and respecting the body’s natural limitations, dancers can achieve their best turnout without risking long-term damage. My Turnout Course provides comprehensive training that incorporates myofascial mobility, balanced muscle engagement, and technique enhancement tailored to each dancer’s unique body.
Interested in learning my Veronica K Method™ of improving ballet turnout?
Check out my Turnout Course and discover how to make the most of your potential without risking injury. Visit www.veronicakballet.com/earlyaccess/ for early access Black Friday deals or join my other ballet injury prevention and technique conditioning courses at www.veronicakballet.com/improve-ballet-technique/.
For personalized guidance, consider booking a 6-week private coaching package with me at www.veronicakballet.com/privates/.
Questions? Email me at info@veronicakballet.com or setup a free consult by clicking the link below. A $10 holding charge is applied for no-show respect for appointment. Your $10 fee will be credited to your account for use on any Veronica K Platform merch, makeup, services, or memberships.
References:
Coplan JA. Ballet dancer’s turnout and its relationship to self-reported injury. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2002;32(11):579-584.
Wilmerding V, Krasnow D. Turnout for Dancers: Hip Anatomy and Factors Affecting Turnout. IADMS Resource Paper. 2011.
Kaufmann J-E, Nelissen RGH, Exner-Grave E, Gademan MGJ. Does forced or compensated turnout lead to musculoskeletal injuries in dancers? A systematic review on the complexity of causes. J Biomech. 2021;114:110084.
Champion LM, Chatfield SJ. Measurement of turnout in dance research: a critical review. J Dance Med Sci. 2008;12(4):121-135.
Negus V, Hopper D, Briffa NK. Associations between turnout and lower extremity injuries in classical ballet dancers. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2005;35(5):307-318.
Reid DC. Prevention of hip and knee injuries in ballet dancers. Sports Med. 1988;6(5):295-307
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