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cpd for dance teachers 
How do ballet teachers understand postural alignment in classical ballet? Do they involve
turn out when they talk about posture? Many thanks
Hi Catherine
These are interesting questions you ask. As teachers of classical ballet we should consider neutral posture and alignment as well as the impact of turnout on posture and alignment. Students may have a good neutral posture and alignment but struggle when in turnout. Anatomically there may be issues that affect (restrict) the degree of rotation of the legs in the hip joint and these need to be considered when teaching turnout. There is also the alignment of the knee and lower leg joints to consider. Although we tend to focus on the main turnout coming from the hip we should also remember that the lower joints also play a part in turnout. When we actively stand on one leg and pay attention to good posture and alignment we can really feel the energy throughout the whole leg like a spiral of energy travelling from the foot and spiralling all the way up to the hip and beyond. Activating all of the leg in this way is a very different feeling to simply standing on one leg without firing up the muscles and so on.
Some issues that can affect turnout include: the boney structures of the pelvis and hip joints for example, the socket (acetabulum) part of the ball and socket or hip joint. Some sockets naturally allow more turnout because where they face allows more turnout from the hip. Muscles and ligaments will also affect the amount of turnout and resulting alignment. Should a student force turnout beyond what they are able to achieve anatomically this will show up in the alignment – perhaps if the foot is forced out to make it look as if the dancer has greater turnout than he/she has. Teachers looking for the alignment of the foot in relation to the ankle, knee and hip and so on will pick up on the forced out foot and help the student to pay attention to the correct alignment for him/her throughout the whole leg and body. Tight muscles and/or ligaments will of course affect the amount of external rotation of the legs in the hip joints. And this impacts on other aspects of posture throughout the body.
I hope this answers your questions although I have perhaps said more than you were wanting.
Best wishes
Sho