Weak left arm?

[Lidewij]

When I do a pirouette to the left, I can do a clean 1 and a half one, sometimes 2. When I do one to the right (so using the left arm to get more speed), I either go very slow and fall over after half a turn (when I do the same as when turning to the left), or (when I use all my arm power, I just can't seem to get anything in between) I get a very very sloppy full turn.

 

Any tips? Or should I just work on my balance when using my 'full power'? (I am already working a lot on balance.. My balance is really bad.. )

[Victoria Leigh]

Hello Lidewij, welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers

 

Pirouettes, like most everything, have a better and a weaker side. Sounds like you might be a natural left turner, and the right side is harder for you. You might try, in addition to working on your balance, NOT trying to do it with your arms. It is your back muscles that do the work of moving you around your center. If you use the arms too much you just knock yourself off center. The arms are a part of the turn, of course, but the motivating movement must come from the combination of the relevé and the use of the torso to remove the leading side and bring the other side around.

[Lidewij]

Thank you very much! I just tried a couple of times with my arms in my side, and it seems that I turned much better than when I use my arms..

[Mel Johnson]

There you go! You're putting too much into the arms! I was just thinking of this in rehearsal this afternoon, and did a few singles and doubles without arms and without even SPOTTING, they were so slow! Some people knock themselves off-balance with their arms, some people jerk their head so violently when they spot, they lose their balance.