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If money was no object....
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If money was no object....
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Split Leaps - Just for my reference!
As basic as the leap is, there are still a great number of gymnasts who cannot perform this skill correctly. Many gymnasts are reaching a 180 degree split of the legs, but they are not keeping their hips square, in line with their shoulders. Once a gymnast has become accustomed to turning her hips in order to reach a larger split of the legs, it can be very difficult to correct.
Training a gymnast to keep her hips square during a split… Continue
Posted on July 10, 2009 at 5:30am — 5 Comments
Stretch Safety Article Copied from Dance Magazine
By Jen Thompson Peters
ShareThis
Dancers sometimes stretch to the point of contortion to improve their flexibility. But painful forced stretches can cause micro-muscle tears or pulls. Even seemingly harmless ones can do damage. Here are some popular stretches that physical therapists caution can strain muscles, plus some tips on smart ways to stretch.
The Frog: Turnout Without Tears
In this stretch, the dancer lies on her stomach and rotates her legs externally with her feet pressed… Continue
Posted on June 23, 2009 at 11:07am — 4 Comments
Livin' in a box
After over stretching my right hip flexor and being told by my sports masseuse that I need to not stretch it for five weeks, I've had to be inventive with my routine. Time is ticking away to the performance date that i want to debut my enterology, so I'm working on that at the moment, as well as strengthening everything else.
So, I did about an hour of spine work today, working with plou… Continue
Posted on June 8, 2009 at 2:30pm — 4 Comments
First post, the post that hurts the most! :D
After a really good session on friday, the first for a while i was equally pleased and frustrated with my progress or lack of in certain areas. I told my self to buckle up and be patient, good things come to those who wait.
Today I had another go, a brief stretch after a nice hot bath and a bit of tai spine manipulation from a friend. Whilst watching ANTM, decided to have a proper go at working on my spli… Continue
Posted on May 11, 2009 at 1:04pm — 1 Comment
About
Events
Blog Posts
Hi again!
Posted by Lilly Johnson on November 6, 2009 at 8:30pm — 2 Comments
music to practise/perform to
Posted by lora on November 5, 2009 at 6:39am — 2 Comments
little trip to paris for halloween.
Posted by George on October 22, 2009 at 6:17pm
new funny video
Posted by Roberto alvarez on October 21, 2009 at 5:50pm — 1 Comment
Sickness and Stretching
Posted by Stella Sanguina on October 21, 2009 at 1:46pm — 4 Comments
Right splits
Posted by Alan on October 20, 2009 at 6:08pm
Center splits
Posted by Ariana Isa Stepanova on October 20, 2009 at 2:05pm — 1 Comment
Stall Bars!
Posted by Stella Sanguina on October 9, 2009 at 9:25am — 1 Comment
Naughty-Titled Playlist of My Videos
Posted by Aldis on September 26, 2009 at 6:50am — 8 Comments
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Comment Wall (23 comments)
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Its great that you are going for a ragdoll act! I am sure you'll be great in it! You definitely have a lot more flexibility than you give yourself credit... And to think that its increased too... How is your ragdoll act setup? is it just you on stage, or do you have an assistant? There are some ragdoll acts on youtube, but some of them contain some extreme flexibility, and really does require all round flexibility... They don't seem to have weak sides, it seems your left-leg and your right-leg need to be equally flexible... I remember the first time i saw a ragdoll act, it was rediculously amazing, that at some point i was really wondering if there was a girl in there, that it had to be a doll... I even wondered how it was so that every girl working at the circus could do splits... Now, thinking back, i realise how splits aren't really that difficult, but also, circus people are multi-talented, they have to partake in a few shows, have a few skills, and contribute with a few acts... So it makes a lot of sense...
I would join your stretching class in a heartbeat, I think its really great that you have that as an option, it might take awhile, but soon you might have a few people who join the class, and that way have your own little stretching and contortion gang...
My stretching finally seems to be taking off again. I think i injured my right leg a bit, so i have been giving it a break, just letting it rest up. Also, rather let it rest before i really injure it. But my stretching has been really good for about a month or two... Which is a nice change, since there was a time when i really struggled getting into a stretching routine... With my goal of middlesplits, which are really improving steadily, i have been neglecting some other stretches. So i have been reintroducing a lot of hip stretches and frontbending, because i have been overly focussed on middlesplits...
Its great that you are gaining confidence in your boxact, when i was 17 i did a bit of that, and its really a lot of fun. Its quite scary, especially when you start thinking that you might get stuck like that...But its really exciting! i had a lot of fun though, i didn't have a box, so just tried small spaces, etc.
How are you? and how is your stretcing going? I am finally getting back into a stable stretching schedule, it was awhile there that i stretch when i can, and when i could, it wasn't really all that great... Really just going through the motions and not really holding the stretches as long as i should have... But its great to finally be able to stretch consistently and also diligently... But having time is a luxury!! Thats also often why i think about all these 16 year olds who are flexible, and i remind myself that this is all very easy when you are 16, and have a lot of free time available...
Have you decided to host more of those stretching classes again? I would love to attend something like that... But i am so far thinking about joining the University gym here, they seem to have a Yoga class a couple of times a week, and also a Tai Chi class, which i am really amped for...
Check out the link, i think its quite interesting, and to think a few of the names mentioned in it are people who have signed up here... Pretty good to know...
Its winter here at the moment, so its really a bit of a downer. I used to stretch mostly in the evenings, but lately its just been too cold... But i have been trying to get some more stretches done, but i have been sick for about the last month now. I have done some light stretches in between, so it doesn't seem like i lost too much...
So at the moment i am really just trying to get back into a stretching schedule again. I think once i have that going again, the pace will pick up again. But i have been working like mad on middles, so they are at that inconsistent state at the moment. One day they are rediculously close, i can almost feel it!!! and then the next day they are so far away...
Its great about your hipflexor healing. I injured my hamstring a couple of years ago, and i am still quite cautious to not injure it again. I injured it back then because i didn't warm up properly and rushed into a stretch... I don't tend on making that mistake again. And only once it healed completely did i try stretching on it again, because at that point had i injured my hamstring a few times already...
I think thats a great stretch you are working towards... its also an impressive one!!
Do you think that you get more stretching done in the summer? If it hadn't been that i have been sick for most of this winter, i probably would have gotten more stretching done... So with that in mind, i still get quite a bit done, but i guess it helps that winter doesn't really get that cold here... But i still prefer summer for stretching, it really just helps with motivation...
Its quite tricky to gauge a lot of people here on what stretches they do and what stretches work for them. A lot of people want to be flexible, but do'nt know, and other people are flexible, who go to a class, and then just do what they are told. And then you get flexible people who are just lucky enough to just be able to do... I have however need variety, and repetition and patience... lol...
How is your hip-flexor doing?
I don't really know of a lot of contortion information, because generally those seem to be variations of the contortionist handbook. What i tend to do is look more at yoga sites, specifically advanced yoga sites. They have pictures, descriptions and advice, but they always come with a disclaimer, that yoga isn't about stretching or achieving difficult poses, which i agree with, but its still nice to have that information available...
Its great when you have good stretching sessions. I haven't really had a good one in awhile, and its been really cold here. Really really cold, so in the evenings, i just get into bed, i have no energy to stretch, and its really too cold too... I got to do some light stretches today, but i don't know with this cold when i'll have a chance again before this weekend.
A knot isn't as high up on the contortion ladder, but i still think its impressive, and its also a very rewarding pose too...
As long as you feel that its worth it to rest your hip flexor. Its better to let it heal first, because i have also learnt the hard way.
I know what you mean about missing certain stretches, especially when you haven't stretched in awhile. One way that i get reminded of stretches, especially when i haven't in awhile, is that i get these stretching dreams. Its kinda funny how i only get them when i haven't stretched in awhile. And lately i seem to be getting better in my dreams... Do you ever have stretching dreams?
I am sorry to hear about your hip flexor :( Its probably best you caught it before it got worse (not that i know what i am talking about) but i think its best to rather let it heal for a week or two, than let it heal for months... Thats really demoralizing... :(
My stretching is going pretty good! I am finally back into a schedule or a routine, although i stretched again last night for the first time in about 2 weeks. I was sick with the flu, but its all better now. I am quite sore today, and funny enough, in muscles where i thought i didn't really get a good stretch done. Seems how wrong i was, lol... But i am just glad to be stretching again, because i just started to feel stiff, because lying in bed all day made my back sore, and my hamstrings stiff... I just hope i can keep this momentum going for another week, i am sure that will spill over into a month, etc... Its always tough getting a routine going again...
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