The Secret to Higher Extensions: Why Stretching Alone Isn’t Enough
Every dancer dreams of effortlessly lifting their leg into a beautiful extension—one that floats and holds without gripping or tension. But here’s the truth: higher extensions do NOT come from just stretching more. In fact, the secret lies deeper—within your alignment, nervous system, fascia, and muscle activation patterns.
As I work toward my Level 1 Teacher Training Certification under Lisa Howell, a leading dance physiotherapist and creator of The Ballet Blog, I’ve gained powerful insight into how the body truly functions—and why so many dancers hit a plateau when it comes to extension and turnout.
Alignment: The Foundation of Freedom
Without proper alignment, your body cannot function efficiently. If the ribs are flared, the pelvis is tucked or tilted, or the spine is unstable, you create compensations that limit movement. When alignment is off, your supporting leg struggles to stabilize, your turnout is blocked, and your working leg can’t move freely.
Even more importantly, the nervous system interprets misalignment as instability or threat, which means it will limit your range to protect you. You might feel “tight” no matter how much you stretch—because your body simply doesn’t feel safe going there.
Fascia: The Missing Link in Mobility
Inside the body is a network called the fascia system—a continuous web of connective tissue that wraps around muscles, bones, and organs. It affects everything from flexibility and strength to proprioception and coordination. When fascia is restricted or dehydrated, it limits your ability to move with ease and efficiency.
Before dancers can access true strength and control in an extension, tight fascia must first be mobilized. This is why fascia release, hydration, and low-load dynamic movement are so important—especially for dancers who feel “stuck” even with strong technique.
In my training with Lisa Howell, I’ve learned that fascia and muscular systems respond best when we follow this four-step progression:
Mobilize → Isolate → Integrate → Function
Think of this as baking a cake—you can’t skip steps or rush the process:
Mobilize – Release tension, hydrate fascia, and free up the joints.
Isolate – Wake up small stabilizing muscles (core, multifidus, deep hip).
Integrate – Link those muscles into larger patterns like turnout or développés.
Function – Apply it in class and choreography with control, grace, and freedom.
Skipping this process often leads to compensations, gripping, and injuries. True progress takes time, intention, and education.
Passive vs. Active Flexibility: Know the Difference
There’s a significant difference between holding your leg up with your hand and lifting it on your own. The first is passive flexibility—you have the range, but not the control. The second is active flexibility, which requires deep strength, alignment, and neuromuscular coordination.
True extension comes when the body learns to support and lift the leg from the inside out—using the right muscles, at the right time.
Stabilizers vs. Movers: Let Each Do Its Job
One of the most important distinctions dancers must learn is between stabilizers and movers. Your hip flexors can initiate a leg lift—but they aren’t designed to hold it at height. When dancers overuse them, it leads to tightness, fatigue, and injury.
Instead, the deep stabilizing muscles—like the multifidus (in the spine), deep abdominals, and smaller hip rotators—must be trained to support and sustain. These are the muscles that keep your pelvis level and your working leg free.
When you activate stabilizers properly, your extensions feel lifted, supported, and almost effortless.
Want to Experience This Kind of Training?
At my training facility, I help dancers take their training beyond the surface. It’s not just about stretching or repeating exercises—it’s about making smart connections between your fascia, alignment, strength, and technique.
I work with dancers in a layered progression:
We start on the reformer to align, mobilize, and awaken key stabilizers.
Then we move to the mat for core-focused integration and patterning.
And finally to the studio floor, where everything connects to functional ballet technique.
And sometimes, if the fascia is too restricted or the muscles are holding on, we go to the table for manual releases or fascia cupping, allowing the body to reset and move more freely. This whole-body approach teaches dancers how to feel the difference—and carry it into their dancing with power and grace.
Whether you're working on extension, turnout, strength, or injury prevention, I meet each dancer where they are and guide them step by step.
Spots are limited, but I love working with focused, driven dancers who are ready to go deeper.