getting into splits

10 replies

attillasnemesis · 14/11/2013 12:50

My 10 year old daughter has been attending a local dance school for 6 months. I have no previous experience of the dance world and find some of their methods a little bit extreme! To get the girls into splits they have them straddled between 2 chairs and gradually move them apart to help them get as low as possible. They also push on their backs whilst they are sitting in straddle to help them get their chest on the floor. Is this normal practice? Thanks.

OP posts:

TallulahBetty · 14/11/2013 13:04

Sounds brutal to me but i have no idea if that is normal or not

TallulahBetty · 14/11/2013 13:05

Brutal as in painful and there's no way I could do it. Not in the true sense of the word

MoreSnowPlease · 14/11/2013 13:08

This reply has been withdrawn

Withdrawn at poster's request

Sparklymommy · 14/11/2013 13:50

My dds stretch and body conditioning teacher stands on her! The dance world is brutal but it does garner results. Dd is 10, and has been dancing since she was 2. She was flat in the splits at about 7. They push up against the studio wall for box splits.

Verybadmummy · 15/11/2013 22:33

My mother is a physiotherapist and what you have described is exactly why I was not allowed to do gym as a child. A child's body is still very fragile at 9/10 and I think it is wrong to force it into unnatural positions. That is my view and I would never let kids be treated that way.

Original poster

attillasnemesis · 16/11/2013 08:22

Thanks for your comments. I will just monitor the situation for now.

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intitgrand · 16/11/2013 22:30

Certainly normal in gymnastics although the chair thing sounds a bit dangerous, and the teacher should not be standing on her.She has no control, doing that!!
Little ones can often get into splits under their own steam, but by 10 they have sometimes begun to stiffen up and it isn't as easy especially if not naturally flexible in that plane
After a hot bath/shower have her do her stretches and get down the best she can.Then stand her in a corner so she doesn't twist.Raise her leg and have her push against your resistance as hard as she can for a few seconds.Then tell her to relax and raise her leg (keeping it straight) as far as possible , tell her to say when to stop.Hold it there for at least 20 seconds .Relax and repeat.It is called PNF stretchimg and it is like magic! she will see instant and dramatic results!

Original poster

attillasnemesis · 18/11/2013 07:23

Thanks for this. I have just had a look at PNF and we will certainly give it a go.

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PandaNot · 25/11/2013 19:33

The pressing down in straddle is usual in gymnastics but the splits between two chairs is dangerous. Stretches have to be under control and there's no safe escape from being stuck between two chairs!

Annaliesey · 04/01/2014 11:04

My daughter is 9 and does a lot of dance and her school does as you've described with stretch, flexibility and technique classes but at no time would I expect the chair thing as others have said because of lack of control. There are plenty of other things as alternatives that are safer.

I've heard stories of kids having muscles ripped or damaged by other people pushing down so I would want a lot of reassurance they knew what they were doing.

My DD does front splits and over splits naturally now and is working on box splits. They do exercises against the wall, rolling gently forwards on the floor.

What I have seen is kids do things in class but then go home and try to do without warming up and end up having accidents or pain :(

Flip