Hi all!

I've had always a big trouble with spread eagles and ina bauer positions. I think that the problem is that my feet cannot open enough. However I am very flexible otherwise: I can do splits and bent back. I was wondering if your body has to be structured in a certain way in order to perform spread eagles and ina bauer, or if everyone can do it - it's a matter of technique....

I think it has a lot to do with the flexibility in your hips and low back. You can practice and the skill will improve (there is hope because my spread eagle has improved over the years). But, I think some people's bodies are just naturally more comfortable with these skills. I've always been able to do a beautiful Ina Bauer but could never 'open' my hips enough to do a very nice spread eagle.

Hi,
They are natural to a point - you do need open hips for eagles. I would suggest you start with very small inside eagles and work from there. Be careful not to push anything. I had a groin injury, and it's taken me years to be able to outside eagles and outside bauers again.
Have fun.

I'm most definitely not a naturally flexible person, yet I can perform spread eagles and ina bauers well because I have very open hips. In fact I have such very tight piriformis muscles that I naturally find it hard not to stand with my legs turned outwards!

Nicki

Next question is, can a coach readily tell whether you have naturally open hips or not? Is this something detectable so if they are open, you would want to master this type of move on the ice because it is quite striking.

I think you'd know yourself if your hips are naturally open or not. Try standing in a spread eagle position off the ice. If it feels natural as it does for me, then you have open hips. Unfortunately I get told off by both my physiotherapist and my chiropractor because my hips are so open I can't actually lie on my back without my legs and feet turning out sideways .

Nicki

I'm the same way. I guess it's hereditary, my mom's are like that too.

I, also, have natural turnout. MY problem is "turn-in"! I suffered a bad periformis tear a few years back when I had to make a transition into a strong, fast inside edge after a jump combo in my program. Still using the PT exercises that I had to do daily to recover! I think that it is very much related to genetics. If you're not "naturally" turned-out, one of the best exercises that I do for warm-up is "the frog." Lying in a prone position, close to the wall (or with a couple of skating kids around to sit on your butt; otherwise, you need to push yourself towards the wall [I learned this in ballet and it feels great!]), you go into a frog-like position (feet together, hips touching the floor) and get your feet as close together as possible, without experiencing any pain. If you do this regularly, your hip flexibility will improve. Again, though, a lot is genetics. You shouldn't push this, though, because you can really injure yourself if you go beyond your natural ability. After awhile, just start trying little spread eagles on the ice. I, personally, find spread eagles rather "ugly" and don't do them, but have an awesome bauer!

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-Dick Button

I deffinitely do not have an naturally open turn out. A year ago I couldn't do anything near to a spread eagle or ina bauer but I worked really hard on it and now I can do them. Taking ballet really helps open up your hips.

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Yes, I've just started ballet and the first thing you learn is that it is NOT the turnout of your feet, but the hips. So do not force your feet into position until you've loosened the hips, or you could do knee damage.

Second that! I did ballet from that age of 4 so turnout for me isn't a problem (plus I'm hypermobile) but you've still got to be careful, your feet should NEVER be out of line with your knees (ie rotated further back that you knees). NEVER put your feet into place and then try and get your hips to follow (yes, I've seen people doing this at the barrier) because it doesn't work, it HAS to come from your hips.

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How do you loosen the hips? Is there an exercise to do before turning out the feet?

"oh my God you have SUCH OPEN HIPS!"

Yeah, it's obvious.

I've been able to do a spread eagle since about the first time I stepped on skates. I've been messing with the Besti squat (how rude but fun) ones.

Oh, those are so much fun (Besti squats). I have one in my program into an axel and it just flows. I am not flexible in my lower back so that I have strong spirals (so no, it's not the back muscles for that) but fortunately I have great turn out and can spread eagle and bauer! The only thing that it really killed me on was the 2nd figure test with all those inside pushes.

Does everybody know any excercices to get open hips?

The exercises done at a ballet barre help strengthen turnout from the hip. The most important parts of doing them, though, are to turn out from the hip and NOT the knee/ankle and to keep your bum tucked in.

Ballet exercises are really difficult to describe using words. I'd suggest adding a ballet class to your summer schedule. Try to find a ballet school that emphasizes technique. We'd spend 45 minutes of a 1 1/2 hour class at the barre, sometimes longer. You generally won't find that in dance schools that cater to really young kids, so you may have to find a more "professional" school. A pre-pointe class should really work a lot at the barre because the instructors should be working specifically towards strengthening the body to get ready for pointe work.

I also have naturally open hips, though by some strange genetic force I'm also bow-legged and knock-kneed. I also have loo-oo-oo-se joints (as in my knees rotate 45 degrees instead of the normal 15 and my hips open past 180 degrees in a split -- not bad for a fat chick!), so getting into an inside or outside spread eagle/ina bauer OFF-ICE is a snap. On ice, well, not so much because of the whole slippery thing.

You know your leg is turned out by the direction your knee is pointing. If you extend your leg to the front, it's turned out when the knee faces to the side. Same with the back. If you extend your leg to the side, your knee should point towards the ceiling. When you bend your knee (plie), your knee should go right over your middle toe (with your bum tucked under).