When it comes to injury-prone body parts, knees reign supreme for dancers. But a little strengthening can go a long way in preventing painful outcomes. We turned to Dirk Hartog, a physical therapist with Westside Dance Physical Therapy in NYC, for three exercises that'll support and stabilize your knees.
Photography by Erin Baiano. Hair and makeup by Angela Huff for Mark Edward Inc. Modeled by Nellie Licul.
Exercise #1: Knee Rotation Control
NOTE: This exercise encourages proper rotation and control of your lower leg, which, if incorrectly turned out, can strain around and below your knee.
1. Put a sock on your right foot. Lie on your back with your hips and knees bent at about 90 degrees and your feet hip-width apart and planted firmly against a stable wall. The front of your tibia should be in line with the space between your second and third toes.
Exercise #1: Knee Rotation Control
2. Slide your right foot up, stopping just before your heel or ball of your big toe comes off the wall.
Exercise #1: Knee Rotation Control
3. Leading with your heel, slowly slide your foot back down the wall, until your tibia internally rotates— you'll know if it has because your right foot will be slightly turned in and pointing to your left foot.
Exercise #1: Knee Rotation Control
4. Slide your foot back up the wall, which will encourage your tibia to return to its neutral position. Repeat this exercise 10–15 times with your right foot, then switch legs.
Exercise #2: Body-Weight Squats
NOTE: This exercise helps strengthen your quads, so they can absorb the shock of jumps and floorwork, protecting the soft-tissue structures of your knees.
1. Begin with your feet hip-width apart and your toes slightly turned out. Find your neutral lumbar spine position.
Exercise #2: Body-Weight Squats
2. Extend your arms in front of you and slowly sink into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Exercise #2: Body-Weight Squats
3. As you squat, imagine that you're easing into a chair, so that your knees pass over your toes—this will encourage your upper body and hips to remain properly positioned throughout.
Exercise #2: Body-Weight Squats
4. Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise 10–15 times for 2–3 rounds with 30-second rests in between.
Exercise #3: Turnout Stabilization
NOTE: This exercise promotes proper use of your glutes and external hip rotation to control turnout, which takes pressure off your knees.
1. Begin standing with feet hip-width apart. Soften the backs of your knees so your quads are relaxed and you're not hyperextended. Find a neutral position for your lumbar spine by tucking your pelvis under, then arching your back—the midpoint between the two is where you should be. Place your left hand on your chest and your right hand over your belly button.
Exercise #3: Turnout Stabilization
2. Slowly sink into a plié (about 50 percent of the way down) and shift your weight onto your left leg. Make sure to keep both knees in parallel, and distribute the weight slightly more onto the heel of your left foot.
Exercise #3: Turnout Stabilization
3. Keeping your pelvis square, bend your right knee so that your foot lifts off the ground. Swivel your right leg to the right, away from your standing leg. Activate your deep hip external rotators by keeping your kneecap aligned with your second toe as you rotate. Make sure to keep your left knee facing forward, and your rib cage and pelvis aligned. Hold for 10 seconds, then return to the starting position.
Exercise #3: Turnout Stabilization
4. Repeat this exercise 8–10 times, then switch legs.
A version of this story appeared in the April 2019 issue of Dance Spirit with the title "The Bee's Knees."