#TakeAim - Hips over the knees over the shoulder

Hi everybody….I thought that I would begin to do my blogs as a complement to my weekly podcast.

As you know this week’s podcast talks about basic body placement and shares an exercise with you that is very basic yet quite effective.

If this horrible covid 19 pandemic has done one positive thing it is that I really feel that it is making me a better teacher. Doing my zoom classes for skaters has taught me that I really need to break everything done – what I think I break down in a studio in person will not suffice for zoom. And honestly, I am welcoming the challenge.

So, the exercise that I share with you on my hips over the knees over the shoulder podcast

Is one that I have “broken down” and I hope that you will find helpful as a skater or for your skater.

I teach an axis that runs from the top of your thigh, across the middle of you knee over the front of your ankle over the lace of your skate over the toe (pick). The shape and dimension of your skaters’ leg will dictate the angle of the plie over the boot. This is fine and very helpful actually as you might find an interesting correlation between this plie exercise and what you are working with on the ice with your skater.

Watch the alignment of the hips. Remember to draw a horizontal line from hip bone to hip bone; not a diagonal.

Remember the quality of the knee bend; static and non-static. Remember to incorporate it considering where the hips are in relationship to the axis of the knee and toe.

Strength of inner thigh plays a large part in this exercise as well.

Next week’s podcast and blog: ballet-based movement to strengthen the inner thigh.

Xo

paula