US Weekly: April 24, 2000 Amanda Schull admits "you can't learn to be graceful," but these simple exercises borrowed from her ballet routine are a good way to make your legs appear longer and strengthen them without adding bulk. 1. First, Schull stretches her legs on a barre. She finds her center of gravity, places one leg on the barre, then rises on the ball on the opposite foot (this strengthens her calves, thighs and glutes). 2. Schull stretches different parts of her calf muscles by changing the position of her feet. Her advice: "A stretch may be difficult at first but keep working at it. When I was little, I used to sit on the floor and try to touch the ground with my elbows. I couldn't do it at first, but after several tries, I was able to." 3. Unless you were born with turned-out hips, you might not be able to achieve a demi-plie this pretty, but it works the thighs, derriere, abdominals, and Achilles tendons (remember to keep your rear pulled in). (pics can b found in pic gallery under miscellanious) Who: Amanda Schull, the Hawaiian-raised. 21-year-old actress who also recently signed a one- year contract with the San Francisco Balet company. Project: Center Stage, a film opening May 12 that tells the story of three roomates who attend ballet school in New York. Schull plays the innocent girl character, Jody Sawyer. Discovery: "The producer happened to see me in rehearsal while I was getting the same corrections from my teacher that my character, Jody, gets in the script. She ran in and asked me to try out. I did, and then I went to Los Angeles to read for the director and to New York for a screen test. A few months later, I landed the role." Future: "I'm not going to give up the career [ballet] that I have worked for all these years for a possibility [acting]. I want to wait and see how the movie does."
