The amazing power of flexible ballet stretching that can transform even a body as stiff as a log!

preface
Flexible Ballet Stretching Experience
Muscle and skeletal maps useful to know for self-tuning
Book User Manual

CHAPTER 1 Flexible Ballet Stretches to Start Right Now

Self-tuning ① Twist
Self-tuning ② Increase
Spiral, the most basic of ballet stretching
Lesson 〈Twist × Stretch〉 Spiral Forward Lean [Level 1]
Lesson 〈Twist × Stretch〉 Spiral Twist [Level 1]
Self-Tuning ③ Breathing
Lesson 〈Breathing〉 Diaphragm Stretching
Column - Make sure to do the other side too, don't miss the order

CHAPTER 2 This is how your body changes when you do flexible ballet stretching!

The pelvis is corrected
Makes joints easier to move
Become flexible without overdoing it
Your posture becomes more beautiful
Column - Take it one step at a time, don't rush, and stretch consistently.

CHAPTER 3 Challenge the ballet movements of your dreams with flexible ballet stretching!

(POSING-1) I want to release my shoulder blades and place my hands behind my back.
CHECK CHECK the right way! How far can you go without overdoing it?
If your shoulders are stiff, you can't turn your arms back.
Stretching your shoulders and back with a towel
Input Movement of the scapula is linked to flexibility of the back.
Output Spiral Forward Lean [Level 2]
Put your hands together behind your back with the force of the input bit
output spiral bend
(POSING-2) I want to reset my pelvis and bend forward 180 degrees from the hip joint.
CHECK the flexibility points needed to lean forward!
If your hip joints are stiff, your body will not bend forward.
You can bend forward a lot by using your lower back
The action of the deep muscles increases the force of forward bending.
The power of breathing makes your body flexible from the inside out.
Output Spiral Forward Lean [Level 1 Hard Mode]
Twist output to stretch the diaphragm
Output Bend your legs and lean forward
(POSING-3) I want to stretch my adductor muscles by straightening my torso at a 180-degree angle.
A weak core limits hip joint movement.
input Use the force of twisting your arms to straighten your torso
Output Spiral Twist [Adductor Stretch Version]
Output Spiral Twist [Ballet 5th Foot Position]
(POSING-4) I want to gently lean back like a bow while maintaining abdominal pressure.
CHECK CHECK the right way! How far can you go without overdoing it?
CHECK: Focus on your pelvis! Tips for flexibly leaning back
Output back twist method
Maintaining abdominal pressure stabilizes the torso
Releasing your thoracic spine allows you to arch your back more.
Output Thoracic Spine Stretching
Input Stretch your body up and down by pressing the ground
Stretching the diaphragm by stretching the sides
output spiral twist stretching

Ballet Stretching Prescription
Neck and shoulder concerns - If you want to relieve stiffness in your neck and shoulders / If you want to straighten your forward-hunched shoulders / If your shoulder heights are different on both sides
Torso-related concerns - If you want to create a beautiful posture / If you want to correct your torso
Back-related concerns - If you want to make your hip joints more flexible / If you want to correct a stiff or hunched back
Leg Concerns - If you want to make the back of your thighs (hamstrings) more flexible
Sleep-related concerns - If you want to sleep soundly / If you want to wake up refreshed
Ballet-related concerns - If you want to do well in turn out (positions 4 and 5) / If you want to stand well in relevé / If you have trouble keeping your back straight when doing arabesque / If you want to do well in cambrai

There are special stretches that are good for ballet!

The ballet boom is strong.
Many people start ballet as a hobby as adults and then become completely captivated by its charm. Many toddlers and elementary school students also learn ballet because it helps them develop a beautiful body, correct their posture, and grow taller.
Ballet, an art form symbolizing the extremes of beauty, has come down to earth and come to us from heaven.


However, before doing ballet, it is essential to do a stretching process to loosen up the body and make it soft and flexible.
Because flexibility is the most important part of ballet, along with strength.
That's why most ballet classes include a stretching program before full-fledged ballet practice.
"Ballet Stretching" is a book that intensively introduces the principles and methods of the most effective stretching that combines ballet and posture correction to create a body optimized for ballet movements.


Among ballet movements, movements such as the arabesque, which stretches the limbs forward and backward, the cambrai, which bends or leans the body like a bow, and the debloffe, which raises the legs almost 180 degrees, are beautiful postures that show the extreme limits of human movement.
What kind of training do ballerinas undergo to achieve such beautiful postures? Ballet movements may appear as light as a butterfly, but they are actually an extreme art form that requires tremendous strength and flexibility.
To perform ballet movements that challenge the limits of the human body, ballerinas create beautiful flexibility by adjusting their muscles and joints into a 'form' that is easy to move.


"Ballet Stretching" applies this very concept to corrective stretching.
There are three points to note in ballet stretching.
This is a self-tuning method called 'twisting', 'stretching', and 'breathing'. It is a solution that anyone who wants to make their stiff body flexible should definitely try. It is introduced in an easy-to-understand manner through photos and illustrations.

Improve your ballet movements with the three beats of ‘twisting’, ‘stretching’, and ‘breathing’!

Many ballet students have wishes such as, 'I want to do more of the du cambrai,' 'I want to lift my legs higher when doing the debloffe,' and 'I want to extend my arms and legs in the arabesque.'
However, this movement absolutely requires flexibility.
Leaning forward to stretch your adductor muscles at a 180-degree angle or placing your hands behind your back are all symbolic movements of the flexibility that everyone dreams of.
So how can we improve flexibility? First, we need to understand why our bodies are stiff.
According to the author, the cause of stiffness is “because the body is not aligned properly.”
To use an analogy, it is like an umbrella whose shaft is twisted and cannot be opened properly, and the joints and muscles are not functioning properly, which puts the brakes on the body's movements.
Flexible ballet stretching is what helps to correct the body's misalignment.

"Ballet Stretching" is divided into three parts.
Part 1, 'Flexible Ballet Stretching to Start Right Now', introduces the principles and methods of stretching that maximize flexibility.
The three methods suggested by the author are 'twisting', 'stretching', and 'diaphragmatic breathing', and the book provides friendly instructions so that you can practice on your own, from basic stretching to more difficult levels, and is structured so that you can gradually increase the intensity of the stretching.

Part 2, "This is how your body changes when you do flexible ballet stretching!" explains, with illustrations and anatomy, why proper ballet stretching corrects the pelvis, allows for easier joint movement, and improves flexibility and posture from an anatomical and orthopedic perspective.
It is also a chapter that motivates you to want to get better at ballet.


Part 3, "Challenge the ballet movements you've always dreamed of with flexible ballet stretching!" introduces authentic ballet stretching that increases flexibility in specific areas, including the shoulders, scapula, thoracic spine, and hip joints.
While doing ballet, you may have experienced various problems, such as having difficulty stretching your adductor muscles (splitting your legs) or your shoulders going up when you do sit-ups.
It would be even better if you looked at the book and chose the stretches you think are most necessary for you based on the movements and focused on doing them.


Beautiful ballet movements in a flexible body!

It is difficult for amateur ballet dancers to follow ballet movements precisely.
This is because ballet movements require the use of muscles and joints that are not normally used, and the difficulty of the movements themselves is high, so they develop in a spiral pattern only after the strength and flexibility have been built up step by step like a pyramid over a long period of time.
So, is there any way to learn ballet movements even a little faster? The author advises, "If you want to master difficult movements or postures, the shortcut is to break down each part of the body and how it moves."


A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
If you want to be good at ballet, it goes without saying that you have to be good at stretching.
Slow and steady like a turtle is the shortcut to becoming good at ballet.
"Ballet Stretching" teaches the principles of stretching to increase flexibility for ballet, as well as effective techniques for stretching well. This will help beginners learn accurate ballet movements more quickly, and those with more than 2-3 years of ballet experience will find their ballet movements much more beautiful.
It can be a very helpful teaching material not only for ballet learners but also for teachers.


If you stretch well, you will be able to perform barre and center walks with much more grace.
Be sure to pack 『Ballet Stretching』 in your ballet bag along with your leotard, tights, and shoes.
This is another essential ballet book that you can read before going to the ballet and read again afterward.


Until the day comes when you can do a 180-degree split, place your hands behind your back, and bend your upper body forward completely, let's gradually increase the adductors, move your shoulder blades, and place your hands behind your back little by little with "ballet stretching."
Because beautiful ballet movements are created through a flexible body.