This exercise targets a common issue among students: the inability to maintain proper rotation during a dégagé. This exercise, through repetition, aims to instil the correct muscle activation and awareness needed for executing dégagés with proper rotation. It's designed to enhance the student's proprioception—awareness of the position and movement of the body—by focusing on the activation of the deep external rotators.

Preparation:

Have students set up on a mat near a wall. Guide them to wrap a resistance band under their foot, across the calf and thigh muscles, avoiding the knee. Ensure they're lying on their back on a mat, with feet positioned in fifth or third, according to their level and turnout capability.

Steps:

1. Students begin by lying down with the resistance band properly positioned.

2. Instruct students to roll through the foot into tendu devant, focusing on keeping hips square and activating the rotators.

3. Encourage extending with long toes, then returning the foot to the starting position while maintaining muscle activation.

4. On the third extension, guide students into a demi rond de jambe en dehors, closing back in the starting position. Repeat the sequence into à la seconde, utilising rond de jambe en dedans for return.

5. Allow for multiple repetitions until students feel the correct muscle activation. Switch legs and repeat the sequence.

Focus:

Emphasise hip squareness and the activation of deep external rotators throughout the exercise.