Looking down while turning

[Guest karenfixe]

I was hoping anyone could give me some advice on this one. I used to be a very good turner for both pique's and pirouettes, but lately my teacher says I'm looking at the floor (and spotting there) instead of at eye level. I didn't even realize I was doing it! He says it happens at the last rotation when I look down and suddenly lose balance. It doesn't end too pretty.

 

Last year, I had a really bad fall while doing a fouette jump and my foot slipped out from under me. Needless to say, I fell face first in a not-so-graceful swan dive into a wood floor. Thankfully I turned my head enough to avoid breaking anything but ended up bruised and sore for awhile.

 

I'm guessing that I'm worried that I no longer "know" where the floor is and it's a confidence issue. The only time I can spot properly is when I'm close to the mirror - which doesn't help when you have pirouettes in a combination moving across the floor. Any ideas for either some back-to-basics exercises or confidence rebuilding mantras??

 

Thanks,

 

Karen

[Guest dragonfly7]

Hi,

 

I had the same problem, only even worse. I looked down through everything, from tendus to combinations, but especially during turns because I was away from the safety of the barre and was scared to do anything. So my teacher bought a cheap tiara especially for me (I was new in class and did the looking down thing most) and set it loosely on my head and told me I had to go through the whole class without it falling off. We did that for several classes after and I swear it worked for me. No kidding. I know it sounds amatuer-ish but hey, it did the trick.

 

I think it's either lack of confidence that makes one look down or just not concentrating on spotting - which can either be a physical issue (stiff neck muscles) for which others on the board may have suggestions or just a mind trip. In my case it was in my head. My teacher also suggested imagining a floor under my chin, and that my head was to just stay level on that floor. That also worked for me.

 

Not sure if this was any help, but good luck and keep dancing !

[Guest MKdance]

I too have had that exact same problem, and have overcome it for the most part. I loved the tiara idea, I think that would work great. I was lucky enough to have a small class, and very observant instructor who was not shy at calling out " Michelle don't look down!" That actually helped remind me, and also picking things to spot that are higher off the floor than what you would normally want to spot, such as exit signs etc. Obviously you dont want to dance with your nose in the air, but picking something higher makes you concentrate on keeping your head up. I know this sounds simple, but I hope it can help!

[Mel Johnson]

MKdance's idea is the correct course. If you know that you're doing something wrong, and know when it happens, think consciously of the correct way to do it - then do it that way! It's just a mind over matter question.

[2 Left Feet]

My teacher told me once that not everyone spots the same way, ei: not everyone can spot the eyes. We've found that, for me, I have to spot my upper chest (when using the mirror). It's just the way I'm built that makes this the best place for me to spot. As everyone is built differently, you may want to experiment to find the best place for you.

[Guest karenfixe]

That's really interesting... I thought you always had to spot your eyes. As I get older, I seem to require being closer to the mirror to see my eyes. ;)

 

I'm going to try your idea and look for my face/chest/hair, etc.

 

Thanks y'all!

 

Karen

[pleiades]

My teachers have told me never to spot my eyes. The reasons are. . .

 

1. If you're performing there is no mirror so it's a crutch that can get you into trouble. Same goes for croise turns

 

2. Something almost deadening happens to the intensity of your impression when focusing on your eyes rather than outward into the world.

 

For what it's worth.

[balletowoman]

I agree pleiades, esp. for point 2.

 

I always tell my students to imagine a bubble around them (or a cube, whatever is easier or preferred). The bubble/cube around you should be as big as about 2 lengths of arms. As it's an imaginary thing, you will also have to 'imagine' a spot. It really works as you work 'internally'. You simply 'imagine' a big picture or anything that you find interesting ;) on the wall of YOUR cube to be able to spot (it's yours because then, there is no longer a problem of epaulement. You will not use the front of the room/stage as reference, but the front of your body/your imaginary cube).

 

I don't know if this makes sense to you all (it's difficult to explain), but once you have worked that way, you can spot anywhere (even in the dark almost!) in any context. You will be placed correctly (pirouettes and turns en diagonale, en manege, en face etc...) and if you imagine that the spot is placed high enough (the picture on your wall in front of you should be at eye or slightly above eye level) then there is no reason why you would spot on the floor...

 

It's also excellent if you're shortsighted as you don't need to spot something 'for real' and look like you squint...

 

I also would recommend that the picture you imagine is big enough, so that you're not 'focusing forward' (thinking of an object that is too small to locate)... I know it sounds silly, if you imagine it, you don't need to locate it (but the mind works in mysterious ways), but as in spotting a 'real' object, it's always better to create one that is big enough to be easily spotted indeed!

[Guest karenfixe]

Balletowoman,

 

I like the bubble idea. You know, whenever I've performed, I've had to look for red Exit sign at the back of the theater to know where I was spotting. This made things a bit precarious and I'd always assumed that professionals had to do the same thing. Maybe they're looking at fine art they hung inside their bubble?

 

Karen

[Guest beckster]

Until I moved to London I had never been in a studio where the mirrors were in front. I was used to spotting a wall and fixing my eyes on whatever happened to be in front of me, be it a curtain or a picture or a random piece of brickwork or whatever. Now, my turns have gone totally downhill because I find it so hard to spot with a mirror! I've taken to using an imaginary spot which basically means that I don't focus on myself. It's hard to get used to though. It does seem a bad idea to spot yourself. I guess we all need to be able to spot no matter what studio or theatre (!) we were in, so can't rely on one specific thing as a spot.

[lampwick]

karenfixe,

Did you have a hiatus from ballet after your "Grande Tombe"? I've found that since returning to ballet, turns seem to be the most difficult thing to regain a feeling for. My teacher has to remind me to spot sometimes. Seems like a very elementary concept, but for some reason it's easily forgotten about.

 

Not directly related to spotting, but I just got a neat tip for pirouettes that seems to work for me. My teacher said that most people tend to think "plie, turn (with a releve somewhere in there)" If you think very consciously, "plie, releve, then turn" it seems to stabilize the position well. I did a perfect double turn after going through these steps in my mind a split second before trying to pirouette. Worked like a charm. Seemed simple enough, but it made such a huge difference.

[Guest karenfixe]

lampwick,

 

Actually, yes, I did have a little hiatus after the 'Grande Tombe'. I ended up being out of classes for three weeks. The first week, I was still hurting and very sore. The second week, the physical pain was subsiding, but the seeing the floor rush up to my face kept running through my mind. The third week, well... I was just plain scared. I know it's stupid to let something like that get to me, I've been dancing for over 20 yrs and have fallen off horses before as well.

 

I'm pretty good about the spotting, it's *where* I'm spotting that seems to be the problem at times. I guess I'm trying to ensure that the floor is really under my feet. You also bring up a very good point - about trying to turn before being in the full releve. Once I read that, a lightbulb went on in my head. :eek: When we do singles in the center, or just passe releve to hold, my turns are beautiful and very stable. I think I might be too focused on getting that third revolution instead of making sure I'm pulled up. I seem to have a hop between the second and third turn. hmm... ;)

 

My favorite teacher imitates Jack from Will & Grace (TV show) and says he wants to see "Passe 2003". He imitates the passe's through the decades from the thirties to present day by bringing his passe from mid-shin height higher and higher til the toes reach the knee (or just above the knee) of the standing leg. It's pretty funny really, but dang if pulling up properly isn't the key to everything in ballet.

 

Thanks for switching the lightbulb on!

- Karen

[lampwick]

I love these sorts of lightbulbs. My retire positions at the barre are perfectly on balance, but I never get onto my leg in pirouettes (and a hop during turns would be a clear indicator that you're not correctly aligned) This split second thought did the trick for me (at least for now until the next major mental block:)

 

I had a similar fall landing a tour jete years ago. My leg somehow evaporated or something?-- and just wasn't there to catch me. It was during an end-of the year school performance and I was the lead (with WAY too much adrenaline it seems). Happened during my first entrance and I had to finish the group variation and go immediately into my solo adagio. Try doing SLOW penchees with horrible nervous shaking and pain. It had to be the loudest fall in history.

 

Yours sounds head first though. That's bound to cause some mental blocks. I wonder if a Yoga practice would help. There's lots of inverted positions which are about getting over fear, like the headstand. I've been trying to get over a fear of being upside-down. I could never dive into water because of this and it limits some things I can accomplish in Modern class. Yoga could be useful.

[Guest karenfixe]

Yup, my retire at the barre is pretty good too. I've got class in an hour and am going to try that "split second" mental imagery in pointe class. And yes, I'm thinking that I'm not "on my leg" like I need to be or else my passe is falling while turning which is preventing me from finishing the third revolution.

 

OMG! You fell on stage? Jeez... I think that's everyones worst nightmare! I'm so glad you survived and continue to dance. I know what you mean about the "loudest fall in history". To me, I can still hear the 'crack' of my elbow taking most of my weight then the exploding sound in my head as my right cheekbone hit the floor. It was LOUD! Yes, I did almost a headfirst dive when my foot slipped out from under me from a foutte jump. At 35 yrs old, it takes a little longer to recover from the soreness and I think I scared the hell outta my teacher. ;)

 

I've never been afraid to dive into water (well, at least from the edge of the pool) or do handstands/cartwheels. I was so afraid that I'd shattered my cheekbone and I literally saw flashing sparkles through that eye. Since then, my teachers are commenting on my looking down while turning and sometimes jumping. I'll look into the yoga idea... sounds like a good one. I've been doing more weight training lately and it's making me more aware of my muscles and giving me a sense of feeling 'grounded'. Does that make sense?

 

Karen

[dancepig]

I found a simple way to improve spotting techniques. Start a conversation with someone in the studio and continue the conversation while practicing turns. By continuing the conversation, you keep your eyes on the person you're talking to and you get perfect spotting. Plus, at least for me, I was more relaxed because I was concentrating more on the conversation than the turns and the turns came much easier. Unfortunately, this is not possible to do all the time, but it is a good way to practice turns.