My turnout is awful -- 45 degrees one hip, 50 on the other. Is it even worth continuing ballet? Experienced dancers please answer honestly.
I've been in and out of ballet since i was 5. I'm 29 now, and restarted classes about 7 years ago. But I've always had to take breaks because I would get injuries from forcing turnout. I never had good turnout naturally, and I eventually developed knee, ankle, and hip pain from overdoing it.
Now that I've come back to it as an adult, I want to be more mindful of my body and do things more intentionally. But each time I try to progress, my pains come back (even when I'm not forcing turnout.) It's like 2 steps forward, 5 steps back. My ballet instructor told me i'll never reach 180 turnout, but I can continue to improve and work on it as much as my body allows. She also told me my alignment is off and that might throw off my form and technique. I've been working with her in private classes to correct everything.
I finally found went to a PT that was classically trained as a ballet dancer, and she told me one longer is a cm and a half longer than the other, which explains my misalignment and possible cause of joint pain. She also checked my hip rotation and told me its 45 and 50. I asked if I can improve it at all, and she seemed hesitant to respond, but she said most dancers want to start with 70 to 80 degree turnout. She said I can work with what I have but shouldnt push it too far.
At this point I'm wondering if its worth continuing my lessons? Everything in ballet is tied to turnout and I just dont have it. I don't and cant be a professional by any means, but I at least want to improve and get better. I see so many adult dancers revisit ballet and see results within months and one year, but I can't seem to progress the same way, even with my years of experience. If I have such little rotation, is it worth bothering at this point?