Left and Right Turns

[irishprincess]

So, even though, at the moment, I'm not taking a ballet course, I've found a jazz teacher, and we're working on some private technique. Day one? I can't turn "left". My right turns are fantastic, my left turns....are crap.

 

So I wonder.....Why do I suck so badly on my left side?? Anyone else understand this frustration? Because countless routines for me are being screwed up by left turns...

[Victoria Leigh]

Irishprincess, we all, or at least most of us, have a weaker side, especially when it comes to turning! It's like being right handed or left handed, one side is dominant. There are some ambidextrous people, but they are in the minority I think. The only answer is to work twice as hard on the weaker side.

[skyish]

I'm ambidextrous and I have some obvious weaknesses about some particular turns. At first I was thinking that I was good at left turns because I wasn't able to do clean right turns but it was changing for en dehors pirouettes. Then I understood that it is not about my brain or my leftyness (which I'm not) it was about my left knee. See, I have some medical things about my knee and I guess I'm not able to go on my left demi pointe correctly enough which messes my turns up. Maybe apart from being "righty" for turns, you have some weakness with your right foot This weakness of yours is also valid for two-feet turns?

[ripresa]

My left turns are worse too. I've become more aware of it, and notice that even in real life, just walking around, I notice that sometimes I drag my left foot a little bit.. so my right leg does more work.

 

I've been practicing doing more releves on left leg, and stretching it.

[Balletbabe32]

My left side is my weakness in flexibility as well as turning. I read in Suzanne Farrell's biography that Balanchine would choreograph things for dancers that were not their strengths, thus forcing them to really work on it for their performances. I do this to my students, and I try to remember that I need to work on my weaknesses as well. But sometimes I just want to go to class and feel good and beautiful and totally slack off.

[irishprincess]

I want to work on it every day.....but I'm trying to find the best exercises to strengthen myself, as opposed to just doing sloppy turns over and over again in my kitchen.

[gav]

I practice balancing in a proper pirouette position instead of practicing the pirouettes themselves... in the kitchen... while i'm talking on the phone... as I brush my teeth... (Actually, the teeth-brushing balances might be the most helpful because I really have to get my lower body, core and back aligned to be able to brush without falling over!)

 

I generally just rise up on a straight leg and then think about placement in the position instead of getting into the position. I do it out of habit, but I guess I can use class to get to the position if only my body knows what the position should be. Sometimes I relevé up from a plié to a balance instead -- but not in the bathroom, which is too small for that.

[irishprincess]

Oh.

 

So, I just tried that. Finding my balance and all. That could be the problem.

 

Well, at least I have a place to start!