Cecchetti Grade 5 Practice Exam

Turnout is the outward rotation from the hip that you must keep active as you move through centre work. The goal is to maintain that turnout consistently, moving through each position with the hips square to the front, thighs rotated, and the pelvis held level and controlled. When you keep the turnout through every transition, your lines stay long and your balance stays solid, while the joints stay aligned and protected because the rotation comes from the hips rather than wobbling knees or shifting parts of the body. Rotating the hips randomly disrupts the steady line and balance you’re building. Trying to increase turnout at every step isn’t realistic or safe and tends to distort the alignment. Relying on turnout only at the beginning means the rotation will be lost as you move, so the posture won’t hold through the sequence.