Performing a flutter is something that I have been trying to do for my entire dance career. I have had numerous instructors explain it in numerous ways but to no avail. I can do a roll and a pop but no flutter.
I found out something that totally explains it when I started going to a medical massage therapist twice a month. It came about when she massage my ribcage. Yes, ribcage. The muscles and tendons there need love too!
This is when she discovered that even when having me breathe in different ways, she could not get them to release. Most people can- at certain times- get their hands under their ribcage almost creating a cavern. Even if not on both sides, on one. I cannot. The muscles are so tight that they do not expand enough to the outer edge for me to do so. They expand enough for me to breath, but not for me to get the air pocket there to then result in the flutter!
So, for instance, this photo below, my ribcage, even when I take a deep deep breathe, doesn’t expand out that far, and in that manner. I don’t have that kind of “flare”
There are yoga exercises that one can do to help this but it doesn’t change the shape of my ribcage and how small and compact it is.
This has caused me to ponder, if the tight ribcage came first or second. I have allergy induced asthma. So, do I have asthma because my ribcage is so tight? or is it tight because of that.
One of the methods for training or attempting a flutter is to hold your breathe and breathing techniques. But for someone with asthma, telling me how to breathe is not useful. Even though asthma is allergy related, stressful situations like that can cause me to have one through anxiety.
SO what can I do? I have continued to go to massage therapy and to do some of the yoga stretches recommended but I may have to face facts that I may never flutter. OR rather, I may never flutter and it be visible. And I am OK with that.
I hope that this post has helped other dancers who are perhaps frustrated with their flutters. It may not be for lack of trying!