Re: OMG, check out Irina's spiral!
Rgal,
Putting my master's degree to some use:lol: : Flexibility is specific. That is, someone can have a very flexible spine for arching and holding her leg up, ie, Irina and Beillmann and layback spins, but holding up the leg in a high arabesque position requires a different kind of flexibility plus strength. Irina's hips are tight when extended to the back and I think this is the problem. But all skaters have their flexibility limitations--okay, Sasha has very few:lol: --but some are more noticeable. Michelle can get her leg high in back, but she doesn't have the flexibility for a classic layback (ie, with the free leg high and turned out, like Sasha, Sarah, and Angela).
As for the "correct" arabesque position: Yes, Irina's free leg is somewhat out to the side (abducted), but if you watch any skater in the "arabesque" spiral position with a deep outside edge, the free leg always abducts, even Sasha's. It helps the skater maintain balance. Also, looking at photos can be deceptive. The position of the hips/legs can change depending on where the skater is in the spiral sequence. If they are "rounding the bend" or going into the deepest part of the edge, they make adjustments for speed and balance. That's why it's hard to compare ballet and skating positions. A ballerina in an arabesque is not traveling along the ice on a narrow blade and trying for a lot of inside or outside lean on the edge. Anyway, like Joe said, the photo is to show the phenomenal edge quality. Line as never been Irina's strong point and nobody is saying it is. One of Sasha's strengths is her line, no doubt about that (althought now that I say it, I'm sure somebody will disagree:lol: ). Anyway, here are two links to some okay but not great examples of spirals (Google kind of sucks with skating examples, but it's fast!):
images.google.com/images?...gle+Search
images.google.com/images?...8&filter=0
On the second link, there are two photos of Michelle's spiral. On those you can see the abducted leg (leg out to the side) as well. I couldn't find photos that show Sasha and Sarah's spirals from an angle that shows the abducted leg, but I have it on tape. Anyway, like I said, photos can be deceptive and for me, a slightly abducted free leg is not a problem. Even a grossly abducted free leg is not a problem for me if the skater is going for a killer edge
Rgirl
urple;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:small;">Why, oh, why can she not lift that leg up higher? She's flexible enough to do Beilmanns on both legs and yet she can't lift it to a decent height in a spiral. WHY NOT?</span>
