Pirouettes and me...

[JennyKaye]

Hi all, just a quick question, i'm useless at any pirouettes, i just find them unbelievably hard ! Any ideas on ways to get better.... or even good learning techniques I can try and home!

Thanks!

[Mel Johnson]

Do them as you've been taught to do them in class, but don't try to kill them! They just happen to be balances that turn. If you toss your arms or snap your head too violently, you'll knock yourself off balance. Take it easy on yourself, and you'll turn a lot better!

[Victoria Leigh]

Yep, that's right. Just relax and allow them to happen, assuming that you have good control of your alignment and placement, can find your center on demi pointe and pointe, know how to spot, and know how to motivate a turn. If you have not learned these things, then let us know, and we can try to back up a bit and start with the A,B, C's.

[Guest meliss83]

i have question on spotting if i may add it to this post on turning. I try and try and try but i can't seem to spot correctly, i've been working on it for awhile. I can do it pretty good when we practice with quarter turns and half turns, it helps me to get around.... but when it comes to full pirrouettes and also shanay (spelling sorry!) turns my spotting is horrible. Any advice to improve with this?? thanks!

 

-melissa

[Victoria Leigh]

Melissa, spotting, like most everything else, is a matter of practice. If you know how to do it, then you practice until you get your body to understand it too. (Remember, brain=smart....body=stupid. Takes body much longer to learn something difficult. )

 

And that would be "pirouette" and "chaîné"

[JennyKaye]

I think my alignment is slightly out, and I am a late starter in Ballet and have never really 'learnt' how to pirouette, i just tried to follow people in a lesson!

Could I have some ABC's please

[Victoria Leigh]

Jen, I really think you need to go to your teacher for this. Pirouettes are complicated, and need to be taught from the beginning in terms of every aspect leading up to the actual turn. One cannot TEACH technique in this format. We can help sometimes, with specific things, but the job of teaching what you are ready to learn is that of your teacher! Sorry.

[JennyKaye]

Thanks Ms Leigh, I will ask my teacher if she can help me with them, I can sometimes get round but I can't hold my leg underneath my knee for the whole turn and put it down at the end of the pirouette (I always drop my leg before I finish the turn), I think my balance is poor, any exercises that can help me improve my balance?

[Marjolein]

I have problems with pirouettes as well, mostly because i was a late starter in ballet and never relly learned how to do them. I just learned from copying people in my class. Would it be helpfull to just practice my relevé passé at home a lot, until i get a good decent balance, and then start practicing turns at home?

[Mel Johnson]

Yes, practicing the different subparts of the turn will probably help your ability to turn.

[Victoria Leigh]

Jenny and Marjolein, use your work at the barre first to establish your center in a retiré relevé. Then, in the center practice just getting to the position and holding it for a few counts. Then take it around the corner, like a quarter turn, staying up and controlling the lowering of the retiré leg to the 5th or 4th position. When you can do that, then go further, to a half turn, and then a full turn. Remember that it's not enough to just get around. You must have a very good position while turning, and maintain it until the turn is all the way around and you BRING the working leg down, not allowing it to FALL down! You have to be busy going UP at the end of the turn, not coming DOWN! As your working foot lowers towards the ground your body should be resisting upwards, almost like you are being lifted. Practice this at the barre first, until your body understands it. During your barre work, everytime there is a balance of any kind, don't allow yourself to fall out of it. If you can learn to control getting off of your balance point then you will be able to finish the pirouettes.

[JennyKaye]

Thanks for the advice, I shall practice at home before my class tonight!

[Marjolein]

I started practicing my balances in front of the mirror yesterday, and i realized i sickle my foot in passé. Any tips on how to learn not to sickle?

[Mel Johnson]

Try to feel the point more on the outside of the foot while you're doing retirés. Also don't press the working foot hard against the supporting leg.

[JennyKaye]

Sorry to sound stupid but what does it mean when the foot is sickled... my teacher said mine was the other day.. (?)