Does anyone have any suggestions for getting more height on leaps? Or any good ab and leg exercises to gain strength?

Use the plie before you leap. It will help you get more height so you can extend more. Also push up on your leap (not forward).
Hope this helps.

--Abby

I agree with Abby. The plie before the leap is very important. Also, taking dance classes are a great way to supplement baton twirling and help with leaps.

Also, work on your splits for flexibility.

that's it! I am so glad I read this thread - my daughters leaps look more like hurdles and I know she is flexible and has a good split. Now if I can just convey to her 9 year old brain to jump up and not "over" we may actually see some improvement THANKS!

My dance instructor says to pretend there is a string pulling you up through your head/chest. She said it will give the effect of staying up in the air longer by leading with your chest.

--Abby

Go into a gym and leap acrossed the floor, but to prep for it just jump.

We do that all the time and it really works because of muscal memory, your muscals get used to that feeling of what they are supposed to do.




hope that helps
-kayla

you could also try practicing in ankle weghts, then take them of + you'll fly
x

thanks for all the great advice!

i agree with what everyone has said here. also theres another thing you could try that helps with back leg height. stand on the leg that would be the back leg with your front leg extended at about 90 degrees. then try and jump up and kick your base/back leg. you wont get very far, but it is a great tool for helping with leap height. if you have trouble balancing, you can use a table or something else for balance, just be careful not to use it to help you jump higher. that defeats the purpose then.

The ankle weights are a good idea, but not for anyone under the age of 16. To get Higher leaps you must do more than just increase your flexibility. Doing buns of steel a couple times a week will also increase your power.

Something that I have used with students in the past seems to work well. Instead of entering from a Battement'leg position, start from Developpe'. Basically, your "front" leg starts with a bent knee and the thigh is parallel to the the floor. As you spring off your "back leg" and extend it behind you, just extend the lower part of your leading leg.

Something else that helps is another dance term called open hip vs closed hip. Gymnast usually do splits in closed hip position; basically, the knee cap is facing the floor. Dancers and twilers usually use open hip which means the leg is rotated away from midline and the knee cap is facing the wall to your side (90 degrees from the floor).. HOpe this helps.

pliometric exercises work wonders

As well as a juicy plie to propel you into the air, you also need core strength. Doing Pilates exercises can help with this. Think, too, about going up and over as in an arc.

Whatever else you do, do NOT use ankle weights, unless you have something against your knees and other joints. Using ankle weights to gain elevation (jump higher) in your grands jetes (leaps) is not something I would ever advise to anyone.