Position:Home>Dancing> How do i improve my pirouettes?

1/ First, start with a good preparation!. Square hips, relaxed shoulders, into the corner, or en face, but not shaky to start with… It will be over in a second, but if the preparation is flawed, there’s no way you’ll pull it up!. Relax, focus, spot!. Done!

2/ Your plié should be a preparatory one!. So, don’t settle into it!. It’s useful sometimes to deepen the plié JUST before you relevé!.

3/ Make sure you are spot on into your axis (if you fall forwards, backwards, to the side, it gives you a clue on how to rectify your axis next time… Easy: if you fall backwards, it means that you should lead with your nose more next time!)

4/ Push against the floor with your relevé, and pull towards the ceiling with your torso

5/ Remember to feel BOTH sides of the body erect!. You don’t want to ‘collapse’ on the side of the leg that goes to knee, or that goes into arabesque or attitude

6/ Don’t use your arms to propel you; in an ideal world, they ‘sail’ with you, but for now, just remember to use the correct form of 1st, 5th position or whatever is asked of you!. Round them at all times without leading the turn with them too much!.

7/ If your body leads first and the arms follow later, it will create an imbalance!. Remember to have both arms opposite the belly button (for a 1st position forwards) or just above your forehead (for a 5th en haut – don’t leave them too much behind, as it will help you turn without falling backwards, which is what usually happens as soon as you raise the arms)

8/ Smile, it will help you relax!. I know you need to spot, but you shouldn’t have an ‘evil stare’ towards the audience, whether it’s on stage or for the benefit of your teacher!

9/ Speaking of spotting, if you don’t understand this concept before starting on the turn, it’s not going to happen! So, to understand what is happening, turn slowly onto yourself (no need to do a balletic relevé or anything, just turn on the spot, and see if you can retain the spotting when you turn more than once) Once it’s correct (and only then!) you can attempt to do a single pirouette

10/ There is no shame (and in fact, you should do that regularly) to go back to a simple relevé… and HOLD it… If you do that and you are right on balance; well done, you can start spinning again (not uncontrollably of course, we haven’t done all of this for nothing!!)
You can also attempt to turn at the barre if the prospect of doing them in the centre is too daunting… Only remember that it should only be a ‘preparatory’ exercise, because usually your arm pushing against the barre will somewhat misalign the rest of the pirouette (so it’s good to have a ‘feel for it’ but don’t abuse it, as you will not know how to push yourself into the pirouette without the barre otherwise); there is also a risk of ‘fearing the turn’ as your knee may bump into the side of the wall, the barre fittings etc… So if you really can’t do them without being 3 metres from the barre, you may as well attempt them in the centre…

11/ Enjoy it! the more you focus on this and how awful your pirouettes look, the more convinced your body will be of this fact… If you convince yourself that you are perfectly able to nail them each time, and improve, you actually will!Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Wow, I used to be able to do three, I took the summer off and now I can barely do one!.

Shows what a summer really means in the world of dance doesn't it!.

Try holding yourself in retire for a long time, on relive!.

If you're doing jazz pirouettes then I know a good start!.!.!.
1!. stand in 5th with arms in front of you (rounded - middle 5th)
2!. tondu to the side, open arms to second
3!. tondu back into a lunge (front foot is the one bent)
4!. Lift your foot into parallel retire
5!. put it down, repeat 2 & 3
6!. 1 pirouette
7!. repeat 5
8!. 2 pirouettes
9!. repeat 5
10!. 3 piouettes
etc!.!.!.!.
you get the idea, keep going till you can't go no more!.

Excuse the grammar!.
haha

<3333333333Www@QuestionHome@Com

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it's always been stressed in my classes (i must be retarded lol) that a strong core helps turns a lot, but if doing double and triple turns are cake to you already, it seems momentum might be the only issue for you!.

i say do the usual pirouette exercises that SamiR has pointed out as well as crunches or any abdomen exercises to strengthen your core, and if that doesn't help, then see if your instructor could possibly offer some advise to increase your turns!.

i hope this helps someWww@QuestionHome@Com

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practise practise Www@QuestionHome@Com

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