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Why is turnout important in classical ballet?

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Peasant Dance by Pieter Bruegel the Elder shows villagers dancing, drinking, and socializing outdoors near rustic buildings, with musicians playing in the foreground. — dance *Peasant Dance*, oil on wood by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, c. 1568; in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

In classical ballet, turnout—the outward rotation of the legs from the hip sockets—is a fundamental requirement for proper technique and movement execution.12

Turnout is essential for the following reasons:

Range of Motion: It enables dancers to lift their legs high in the air during jumps or arabesques, providing the necessary clearance for the legs to move freely.1
Posture and Balance: Along with other training exercises, turnout helps the dancer achieve perfect posture, or "placement," ensuring the body's weight is lightly balanced over the center of gravity.2
Formalized Movement: Ballet choreography is built upon specific rules regarding the positions of the feet and body; these positions rely on the legs being turned out from the hip sockets to maintain the aesthetic and structural integrity of the dance.2

Dancers work extensively to attain a full turnout, which involves rotating the legs so that the heels touch back to back and the feet form a 180° angle.1