Advice on pirouettes?

[Guest Soph]

I really have a problem with doing pirouettes and i cant find anything to improve them. Could anyone give me any advice or exercises that i could do to help them please?

[Mel Johnson]

Yes, be sure to turn. After you've got that down, listen to your teacher for added refinement of technique. That may sound sarcastic, but it's not meant that way. So many people get so wrapped up in the preparation, they can't actually turn! It's not in the "how" it's in the "what" of the step.

[Victoria Leigh]

Hi Soph! Since you are new here, it might help us help you if we knew a bit more about you, such as how old you are, how long you have been studying, how many ballet classes a week you take and the length of the classes, how many pointe classes, and basically where you are in terms of level or advancement. Pirouettes are kind of hard to "teach" in this format, but if we have some idea of where you are, and what is going wrong, we might be able to offer a bit more help.

 

A general note on correcting anything that is wrong: take it back to it's roots. Start with a, b, c. Placement and alignment in the preparation, strength and center on the relevé, an awareness of what motivates a turning movement, knowledge of how to spot, and then an ability to combine it all into a pirouette! Sounds simple enough, right? NOT! But, certainly can be done. Sometimes you have to work on one part of it at a time and correct it, and then put it all together. But you really do need someone to see what you are doing in order to correct you.

[Guest ballet princess]

This helps me a lot with pirouettes, so i decided to share it with you too.

 

You cant turn unless you have a good center of balance. You can work on this by simply going to center floor and then do a preparation for a pirouette. Then releve up to passe. Hold this for as long as you can and keep count. Try to beat your old record everytime you do this excersise. It will become easier and easier.

When this becomes easy, start doing quarter turns, but try to sustain it at the end so that landings become easier. Work your way up and before you know it you'll be doing triples!

 

Good luck!

 

PS. Dont be afraid to turn, just remember the basics and Go For It! ;)

[Guest jane]

That sounds good ballet princess! I'll try that, my teacher told us we would be doing triples next lesson!

 

When I pirouette, I find that I do turn, but as I'm drawing it to a close in fith (this is for single turns) I wobble a lot and slam my foot down to stop. It's not at all pretty! Its as though 3 quarters of the way through the turn I suddenly have no balance whatsoever. Can you think of something I might be doing for this to happen?

[Guest Soph]

Thanks everyone! Today in class i was extra happy because i was doing perfect doubles non-stop and a few triples. I just relaxed on the preparation and thought ' i am fearless'.

 

In answer to your question i am 14 i have been studying since i was 2 years old. I dont know what graded sylabuses you do in America but i am doing Intermediate R.A.D and Advanced 1 I.S.T.D. I do 11 ballet classes a week all at least one hour long.

 

Thanks again for the advice!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love

soph

xxxxxx:)

 

Hi jane whenever i feel like that i just fight putting my leg down and hold my centre as much as i can.

[Victoria Leigh]

Jane, it sounds like you are busy going down instead of going UP at the end of the pirouette! You must be going up in order to get the working foot down to 5th or even 4th with control. Think of finishing the pirouette still in the retire position, and then come down to 5th by decision, not because you are falling down.

[Guest Medora]

Okay I'll chime in because I have trouble with landings too. ;) When I try to end the turn in retire and hold it up like Ms. Leign is saying, I end up getting stuck on my toes and then have trouble getting out of it, thus still not landing the turn. Of course there are those rare occasions when I nail the landing, but that is what happens most of the time. What am I doing wrong now?

[Mel Johnson]

This is an onstage expedient for a solo dancer, so there's nobody to match. If you're at the end of the pirouette, and in the retiré, and the turn is over, and you're stuck, do a petit assemblé dessous. In other words, just hop out of it, closing the foot in back. This is not for class, where you must strive for the correct finish all the time.

[Guest thumpinhippo]

Ok... I wasn't sure wheter i should post here or start a new thread. Since people are giving advice on turns, does anybody have any suggestions for fouettes???

[Victoria Leigh]

Practice, Practice and more Practice!!! ;) Seriously, they are just pirouettes, but pirouettes which require the strength and focus to continue the consecutive relevés and not lose your center. First, of course, one must own decent pirouettes en dehors. Then one must have the strength to do consecutive relevés on one foot. Then one must be able to maintain placement and center, and very importantly, be able to spot. After that, it's just doing it, over and over and over again.

[Guest jane]

Thanks

I'll give all that a try! I can't wait until the next lesson!