Can a prescribed turnout conditioning program reduce the differential between passive and active turnout in...

Preliminary and speculative findings are reported on the benefits of a prescribed turnout conditioning program (TCP) designed to facilitate pre-professional dancers' active use of natural turnout potential. While of some debate, it is reported in the literature that many dancers use less turnout than what is available to them when measured passively. Key muscles required to achieve full turnout were the focus of the TCP, and exercises were introduced in a manner that, theoretically, should stimulate appropriate activation patterns for proper turnout biomechanics. A group of female pre-professional dancers (13 to 17 years old, training 20 to 25 hours a week, N = 16) were measured before and after the 7-week program for total passive turnout, total active turnout, passive hip external rotation, and tibial torsion. Statistically and functionally significant improvements were found in both static total active turnout (standing in first position on a large piece of paper) and dynamic total active turnout (standing in first position on rotational Balanced Body discs). These results indicate that the TCP was effective in improving active turnout, thereby reducing the differential between passive and active turnout in pre-professional ballet dancers. Implications are discussed for dancer-specific turnout conditioning programs, the role of cognitive imagery cueing, and emphasis on the importance of quantity with quality in the conditioning and teaching of active turnout.