REALLY BAD TURNS

[Guest theskysthelimit]

I cannot turn to save my life. I'm fourteenish and can do a double pirouette pretty solidly and 3 if i'm lucky, but that is the extent of turn-ableness. I cannot fouette, pique etc. My spot goes all over the place and I can never get my arms in the right place. HELP!

[Victoria Leigh]

In your other post you wrote about an extremely flexible back. It sounds to me like you are having trouble finding your center, and probably are not using your abdominal muscles well enough, and also keeping your body weight forward enough. If you can do two pirouettes en dehors and en dedans, and sometimes three, then you should be able to do some fouettés, and piqué turns should not be a problem at all. Have you been taught HOW to turn? Do you know how to find and keep your center? Do you know how to spot? Do you know how to use your back muscles and your torso to create the turn? Do you have ankle and leg strength enough to do consecutive relevés on one foot? These are things your teacher must address and teach you how to do. There are no tricks or shortcuts here. It's all basic technique.

[Guest cheeriodancer10]

I'm not very good at turns either, so my teachers have told me a lot of things that might help you too . I'm constantly corrested on my tilted pelvis, which keeps my spine out of allignment I think. In fouette turns my teachers tells me to keep the rotation in second position and really emphasize it. In pique turns my teacher has said to make sure the arms are not "wild", just a simple open, close movement. Hope this helps!

[ABT Wannabe]

I used to have trouble with my turns as well. A good way to think of it is to keep your supporting side strong, and think of from your feet waist and everything on your standing leg being in a straight line. It really helps! Also, think of a string at the top of your head pulling you up. It helps you balance.

Hope this helps and good luck!

[Guest DanceFreak5678]

Pull up in your turns, it really will help you get around alot better.. and the higher you spot, the easier it is to turn because what good will it do for you to spot the ground? Also fouettes are hard because you have to have impeccable timing with both your arms, and your legs... fouettes are all about the timing. If you work on it at the barre it will become easier in the center. Also, in pique turns, make sure you are on top of your supporting leg.. if you can do a double en dehor you can do a single pique turn. HTH!

[Guest TinyDancer1205]

My turns got a lot better when i actually started thinking harder about something really simple: Getting over your leg and pulling up (this helps your balance too actually) You may think you're doing this, but sometimes you let smaller things slip your mind. Always make sure you're waaay pulled up and completely over your leg. Like others have said, strengthening your core muscled will help too. Maybe try pilates to strengthen your abs and lift some light weights to help your arms so they can stay in place? As for spotting, just practice it until you think its going to come out of your ears! Good Luck!

[Victoria Leigh]

The arms are held from the back muscles, so the arms themselves do not need strengthening. The abs and the back are the important ones.

[Guest ballet4life]

One thing that my teacher has told me that has helped in turns, is to imagine that you are separating your ribs from your hips, so that you don't "grunt down" in your turns, which is what i tend to do. Also, make sure that you are on your leg. A good picture for that is seeing if there is a staight line from your arm-pit through the ball of your foot, into the floor. It has worked for me well. Hope it helps you!

[Mel Johnson]

Anything that helps you get up onto a balance and stay there is a good start. Remember, the pirouette is nothing more than a balance that happens to turn!

[mohnurka]

Remember, the pirouette is nothing more than a balance that happens to turn!

 

Unfortunately it sounds so simple! And doesn't really happen all that well....

[Marenetha]

I once had someone tell me that all a pirouette was was a stable center, and that if you had strong abdominal muscles, and a stable center, you'd always be able to turn. I have no idea why that's true, but it is - I've been doing a lot of ab work, and it's really lovely. It just feels like you're balancing in pirouette, and it's like, HAH! I choose to come down now!

[mohnurka]

Oh yes, when you just do a pirouette, and then "choose to come down" is always a wonderful feeling!

[Guest enpointe3636]

I have the same problem. I'm awfulll at turns. I can usually do a "solid double," but I don't think I've completely mastered the whole "spiraling up" idea. Plus, the girls in my class are (unfortunately for me) natural turners. Half of them, I haven't seen do a single for months. I have A LOT of trouble with pique turns en pointe, and step ups, which I have to learn for a variation. There's four parts to the variation, one being all double piques, double step ups..double everything. I think I have a pretty flexible back also (not to mention scholiosis), because I can go pretty far back on my combres (sp?). Although, my teachers have rarely said anything to me about my back. Help please!

[Mel Johnson]

The problem you're having with turning is related to your difficulties with hip rotation and foot turnout. As those improve, so will your turns.

[Victoria Leigh]

Enpointe, developing ballet technique takes many years and a lot of hard work. Pirouettes are technique. When you are having problems with technique you need to go back to the roots of the movement and figure out the cause of the problem. For instance, are you placed correctly in the preparatory position? Is your weight placed where it needs to be? Can you relevé or piqué to the pirouette position and be on your center and hold it for a moment? Do you understand how to motivate the turn by using the plié, the relevé or piqué, the back muscles and the head? Are you solid on a single turn? If you are solid and centered on a single turn, then a double takes just slightly more energy and spot.