Highland dance exercises

Some suggested exercises. These suggestions have been collated from the highland-dance mailing list.

NB All information in here should be treated as a friend's suggestion - ie while we believe the information to be mainly correct, you should apply common sense about following it. If it hurts, if it looks wrong for you, don't do it*.

For elevation:

For turn-out:

For turns:

For the upper body:

"I have major problems with my upper body and would appreciate any suggestions regarding this. All and any answers are welcome, b/c it drives me crazy, and I can't seem to fix it. Two major and possible related problems are:

1) My hips, particularly my right one, always pop up when I take my foot to 3rd aerial or thereabouts. This then sets my whole upper body wiggling, particularly in backsteps or high-cuts when I'm changing feet a lot. I can see it in the mirror, but I can't find the muscles to pull them down.

2) I can't seem to use my turnout muscles in 3rd aerial or thereabouts without tightening the muscles in my supporting knee. This makes elevation really difficult, so I usually cheat, and only go out to 70 degrees or so, which I can achieve without using muscles. However, I know I should go out to 90, but my knee tightens every time, even if I do it lying on the ground or in the air.

If anyone has any suggestions regarding these or any other ideas for the upper body, particularly in relation to up and down hip wiggling, I would really appreciate it."

For high cuts:

"Any tips\hints for making split highcuts easier?"

Fitness training:

Treating shin splints


* In other words - if you follow this advice and get hurt, we're sorry, and that was most certainly not the intention, but we don't accept any legal responsibility. Or to put it yet another way: if you feel like suing, don't. We never forced you to follow this anyway.

Extracted from postings to highland-dance, the highland and scottish step dance mailing list. See http://www.scottishdance.net/highland/.


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This page is maintained by Ian Brockbank
ian@scottishdance.net
Edinburgh, Scotland

Last updated 8-10-02 .

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