turns

[Guest Daniella64]

I am a jumper and not so great a turner. I am having trouble with chenne (sp?) turns on pointe. I always over turn b/c i don't pick my feet up enough, anyway i can do about 20 without any prob. but i dont think they look or feel very smooth, and i want to do more, and turn faster! any tips? what is the best thing to do with your arms?? how can i have mor control and not over turn? thanks a million!!

[Mel Johnson]

Chainé turns can be tricky if you don't step out with the feet from one to the next. They must be kept close, but not so close that you seem to be doing a lot of soutenous in one place. I think you've answered your own question with a very reasonable diagnosis. And usually, in chainés, the arms are down in bras bas, so that they don't slow the turn.

[Guest Daniella64]

Thanks! I usually hold my arms in sort of a pique turn way which i think is too high, i will try them in bras bas in class tonight, that should increase my speed! My teacher always says I am soo good at pointing out my own corrections , and i always practice until I get it right, its just I dont have a place to practice chaine turns at home ( i have an apartment) so i can only practice in class and it seems we move to quickly through them for me to really break it down and get it right. I will also try concentrating on opening my feet. You know i think I have the hardest time because you cant really break chaine turns into small practice turns to get the prep and transition right, you kind of have to do them quite quickly and several in a row. I started ballet late, and although i made the company, its in times like this where i really wish i had the early training that make things like this come so naturally for the other dancers. oh well! Ill let you know how i improve! Merci!

[Mel Johnson]

OK, now that you've had time to experiment with bras bas, try it up a little higher, almost like demi-bras, except with the palms in. The piqués are distinctly done with the arms in first, but now, I'm trying to get you to go somewhat faster, with the arms rather farther down, so that they don't act like a governor on a steam engine, and slow you way down.

[Guest Daniella64]

Thanks, I will try thta in class tonight. Last night my chaines where better, even my teacher noticed an improvement, esp. with my feet! thanks again!!

[Mel Johnson]

That's what we're here for! Glad it's starting to come together for you!

[Guest Daniella64]

My turns are much much better now, we had a difficult combination of turns on point with 32 chaines after 8 piques a tambe arabesque, faille and followed by 8 en boite, 8 soutenu and then 16 chaines. and i did great, i did double chainnes the entire time, so my speed has certainly improved. thanks again!

[Mel Johnson]

32 chaines after 8 piques a tambe arabesque, faille and followed by 8 en boite, 8 soutenu and then 16 chaines.

Huh?! Just how wide IS your studio, anyway? Most people, that would eat up the entire stage of the Metropolitan Opera and fall into the pit, unless it were done in a circle.

[Guest Daniella64]

hahahaha, yeah i forgot to tell you that, the were done in a circle of course! we have been doing all our turns and jumps in circles in this class for like a month, i guess our teacher has a reason for this? anyway no that that is cleared up! : )

[Victoria Leigh]

Daniella, if you are looking for your signature, I deleted it. We do not allow Young Dancers to post their email addresses on an open site. When you get to the Buddy Board, you may post it there if you want to give it to someone, but please do not put it in your signature for anywhere else on the board!

[Guest Medora]

Hi Everyone! My pirrouettes have been getting better, and a few weeks ago my teacher discorvered something that has been messing them since began ballet! How can I describe this. If I am turning to the right, my right side "cinches" for lack of a better word. I do it when I releve. It's very slight, almost a reflex kind of thing. She didn't even see it until she just had me to pirouettes out of fifth without using my arms, simply keeping them center. Do I just need to hold that side? Haha, I've been trying and don't really feel this either!

[Victoria Leigh]

Sorry, Medora, but I'm not understanding what you are saying is happening to your right side. Can you try describing it differently?

[Guest Medora]

Alright, this is a little hard for me to describe. I plie, everything pulled up, square, and straight. Then I begin to turn. One thing my teacher told me is that "I am using my upper body to turn instead of just my legs and feet." I think what I am doing is momentarily collapsing on the side of the direction I am turning towards. It is a very slight collapse, almost a reflex or flinch sort of thing, but it is enough to throw my alignment off and result in my arms not staying square in front of me by the end of the turn. I think this is what I was told is happening. My teacher told me to lift more on that side, so I am trying, but this flinch, or whatever it is is still happening. It happens at a very split second, and it is hard to feel. Maybe I am impatient and need to just work on it longer, but I thought it couldn't hurt to ask. Does that help at all? If not then I can ask her again and try to reword it tomorrow!

[Victoria Leigh]

The upper body IS involved in creating the impetus for the turn. It can't be done with just the legs and feet, at least not beyond a single turn. The back muscles are very important in turning and in creating the turn. If you are gripping your leading side, or dropping it, there is no support from the back muscles. Check it out by just doing a relevé around the corner, less than a full turn, but far enough to see in the mirror what you are doing at the point where you come around the corner to the front. If your head gets there and your right shoulder is not there yet, you are holding that side, or gripping it, and not allowing it to open and the other side to come after it to continue the turning action. In the beginning of the turn the leading side opens and the other side must come around from the back muscles, and keep coming until until it catches up with the other side. (This is assuming you are using a rounded starting position of the arms. If you are using the straight from arm, which can only pull in and not open to the side, that is a different action.)

[Guest Medora]

Thank you Ms. Leigh! I am still trying to absorb all of that, but it seems to make sense. So, I gather that I am not using my back muscles, which actually I have really stuggled to activate. To be honest I am still working every day on opening my back. I probably should have it by now, as I have been shown many times; I think it may be a weak part of my body, well anyways I'm working on it and I will ask for more help... ... And, I am holding my leading side and not allowing it to open enough? Like, the movement from the shoulders? I am holding my upper body back from just allowing it to turn in my efforts to stay firm? I think I understand, I am just having trouble showing you that I understand.. I will talk to my teacher about it some more. Thank you!! I will think about it some more, practice the releve around the corner and see what I find! Gratias!