All-Star Correct Flying Postions

[BlueCat]

I agree that it generally looks better when the heel is forward, but it is not "wrong" to do it with the heel sideways. Differences in relative arm/torso/leg length make the heel-forward position impractical for some flyers regardless of flexibility.

 

[Nothanks]

IMO a pretty great heel stretch

wouldn't this be considered her having her toe being "in" instead of "out" though?

 

[lollypop]

My understanding of the positions are:

Front stretch - both hands on the foot, leg in front of the body like a split
Heel stretch - the foot/leg completing a high V with shoelaces facing to the back
Bow - leg coming up along the side of the body like a centre split
Arabesque - chest lifted, shoulders faced more forwards, hips simultaneously facing the front and the audience side lifted (much to the horror of my ballet years) with the active leg turned out so shoelaces face to the audience
Scorpion - knee and shoelaces facing to the back, torso faced to the front, with the legs like a split leant back into evenly (irrespective of bend in the leg or not)
Scale - hip open to the front, shoulders facing to the front and I'm blanking on the foot :eek:

Of course these are theoretical goals generally, what I end up doing is... different...

Also, the foot never sickles so the leg and foot continue in a straight line.

 

[lollypop]

This thread is making me a more confused flyer. I think we need to start a thread for the BEST CUPIE! I can't screw that one up, right :eek:

All I know is DO NOT TURN OUT... Trust me.

 

[Deleted member 1556]

wouldn't this be considered her having her toe being "in" instead of "out" though?

They do a full up to stretch though, so I think it's just from the momentum haha. Could be wrong though!

 

[kristenthegreat]

My understanding of the positions are:

Front stretch - both hands on the foot, leg in front of the body like a split
Heel stretch - the foot/leg completing a high V with shoelaces facing to the back
Bow - leg coming up along the side of the body like a centre split
Arabesque - chest lifted, shoulders faced more forwards, hips simultaneously facing the front and the audience side lifted (much to the horror of my ballet years) with the active leg turned out so shoelaces face to the audience
Scorpion - knee and shoelaces facing to the back, torso faced to the front, with the legs like a split leant back into evenly (irrespective of bend in the leg or not)
Scale - hip open to the front, shoulders facing to the front and I'm blanking on the foot :eek:

Of course these are theoretical goals generally, what I end up doing is... different...

Also, the foot never sickles so the leg and foot continue in a straight line.

I had essentially tried to edit my comment to write all this out, but I couldn't do it in four minutes while being as thorough as I'd like.

My one issue is with the arabesque. A common problem I see with fliers is that they tend to twist open (with the front hip) and it begins to look more like a side star than an arabesque..that and lazy bent knees. You can SO tell on the side angle shots from worlds who gets lazy with the arabesque. NOT a pretty sight..

 

[thebowqueen]

wouldn't this be considered her having her toe being "in" instead of "out" though?

Yep. Her toe is in on that one.

 

[Iamshannon]

orange has some pretty good arebesques! if you pause between 0:46 & 0:48

heres a picture her arms arn't in a perfect T but i find the leg extention good!

THOSE ABS. jealous.

 

[Iamshannon]

Correct scorpion, to me.

THIS MAKES ME WANT TO CRINGE. (no offense to this girl, this just isn't an arabesque to me. I have this pictures saved on my computer as "cheater" hahaha)

I like how she has her hips opened/turned to the front/kneee to the front like a dancer on the arabesque. That is a good way to get a high arabesque without having to drop your chest, and it makes twisting cradles easier because you are really already squared to the front. I don't like how her chest is to the front though. If her shoulders faced the side and her arms were in a T, i think this would look a lot more acceptable. But i also just noticed that the group under her is facing the front as if she were pulling a stretch or bow. Interesting position to say the least.

 

[Aussiekat]

I like how she has her hips opened/turned to the front/kneee to the front like a dancer on the arabesque. That is a good way to get a high arabesque without having to drop your chest, and it makes twisting cradles easier because you are really already squared to the front. I don't like how her chest is to the front though. If her shoulders faced the side and her arms were in a T, i think this would look a lot more acceptable. But i also just noticed that the group under her is facing the front as if she were pulling a stretch or bow. Interesting position to say the least.

I have a feeling that she's in a transition, there's no coach that would ever allow an arabesque to be based with the main leg facing front.

 

[ShoWStoppeR]

see, when i was an allstar, for arabesques they wanted the knee turned to the audience. however, i now go to a uca college, and they tell me thats a big no no haha knee is supposed to stay facing down, not out.

 

[cheerheart4life]

Ballerinas do it facing the crowd and thats where it came from. But idk if theres a "right" way. Just seems
more natural!!

 

[thebowqueen]

I like the arabesque with the knee facing out and the body tilted forward but the chest up. I also think having the body tilted forward makes squaring off for the double much much easier!!

 

[cupieqt]

I had essentially tried to edit my comment to write all this out, but I couldn't do it in four minutes while being as thorough as I'd like.

My one issue is with the arabesque. A common problem I see with fliers is that they tend to twist open (with the front hip) and it begins to look more like a side star than an arabesque..that and lazy bent knees. You can SO tell on the side angle shots from worlds who gets lazy with the arabesque. NOT a pretty sight..

My BFF, a dance teacher, and I were JUST talking about this today. One of my coaches sent me a pic from one of these threads saying it was a "new trend" in arabesques. It's not new to me but it's definitely incorrect. You're not supposed to open the hips!!! "Maybe I'm an arabesque purist" I thought, so I showed dance teacher bff and she recoiled in horror much like I did.
Me thinks we'll be sticking to the "old" arabesque.

 

[gofriars610]

My junior year my high school's coach changed from a traditional, old-school high school only coach to a former all star coach. He liked arabesques with the open hips. We called it "peeing on a hydrant." the old coach liked it the ballerina way, with squared hips and knee down.