I’m not a fan of the traditional butterfly stretch for dancers. 

So many dancers push their hips to the floor, rounding their spines and sickling their ankles—all in the hope of improving turnout. 

But this approach only encourages compensations that lead to injury, not to mention that it doesn’t mimic the functional turnout we need in ballet.

The standard butterfly often forces the body into unhealthy positions: ankles sickle, spines round, and pelvic alignment is thrown off. If you’re doing butterfly to stretch the adductors, trust me—I can show you 10+ safer, more effective ways! 

But if you must use butterfly, here’s a modified approach that respects your body’s natural alignment.
✅ Allow gravity to gently open the hips
✅ Engage your core
✅ Stack the spine
✅ Lift the heels to create a neutral ankle position

This way, butterfly becomes a safe, passive stretch that honors true hip rotation without forcing turnout. Want to improve your turnout the Safer Stronger™ way? Comment SAFETURNOUT for a free training on elevating your ballet technique!

Teachers & Dance PT's comment TRAINME to learn how to integrate the Veronica K Method™ into your classroom for a fraction of the cost! 

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