Unit 5: Pelvis, Femur and Hip Joint Reading Response

Question 1

From “Improving Pelvic Alignment”

1. What are the three steps used to guide teachers in improving their students’ pelvic alignment? (Katarina’s Response)

Answer 1

The first step is for the teacher to ascertain who amongst their students is in need of their pelvic alignment remediated. The optimal visual assessment would take place over multiple lessons when students are carrying out varied barre exercises where the teacher can observe sustained positions more closely.

Then the second step is to provide personalized feedback to dancers struggling with achieving proper pelvic alignment while also listing movements that contribute to the issue. Teachers should complement the aforementioned feedback with anatomical education, ideally supplying students with visual skeletal demonstrations. Afterward, opening up the classroom to discussion and questions based on anatomical instruction will reinforce the information.

The third step is to continue observing the dancers and provide necessary feedback based on continuous observation of each individual’s progress. Teachers who observe dancers needing further improvement can implement these daily exercises: abdominal strengthening, hip flexor stretching, and lastly, carrying out the “pelvic clock” (clockwise and counterclockwise). All of these serve the teacher to open their eyes to the weaknesses in each student and help improve their alignment.