Pirouette: Turn it around

Turning is one of the most essential skills in dance. Learn tips to turn like a pro so you always be On Point.

Don't you wish we could all be effortless turning queens? I think the world would certainly be a better place. I can't promise that after reading this you will instantly be a turning champ, but these tips will definitely make you journey to perfect turns easier.

One easiest things to tell anyone is the oldest tips of all time to acquire any skill really: PRACTICE. If you are like me though and require just a little more direction check out the list below!

1. The Prep - make sure when you prep your hips are aligned in parallel and that one leg does not cross behind the other (in ballet this is common so if you have a ballet background of course go with what you are taught but for those who are more of a novice I recommend just starting in parallel for ease). Get a deep plie. This has everything to do with how easy it is for you to get up into releve!

2. The Arms - Your arms should be in placement as if you were holding a beach ball, nice and round. Keep your shoulders down and match the height of your arms to that of your belly button. Arms are really important for turning as they help you keep your center of balance, so try to keep this position as tight and stable as possible when turning!

3. The Releve and Passe - After you've got your prep and you know where your arms are going, from here there's only one way you can go: up! If you're unfamiliar with the term, releve is when you pull your body (and its weight) up onto the tip of you toes. When turning, the leg that you prep back with (if turning right, prep with your right leg back; opposite for left) will be the leg you pull into passe or the leg that will be connected to your knee. Releve is all about thinking to pull your body straight up towards the ceiling like your attached to a string, but at the same time, pressing your toe into the floor to keep you grounded. This is really weird to think about at first but after trying it a few times it starts to make sense. This diagram below is the ballet representation of what your body should look like as far as positioning, the only thing different about jazz turns is that your knee will be positioned to the front instead of the side:

4. The Spot - Spotting is one of the most important and hardest thing for a new dancer to master. Spotting is used all throughout dance to maintain balance and eliminate dizziness. Find something at eye level on a wall and start with just staring at it. No pirouettes yet, but start slowly rotating around your right shoulder (or vice versa if doing a left turn) until you can no longer see the spot that you chose. Once your 'spot' is out of sight, whip your head around, keeping your chin level, so that you've completed the circle and can see where you started once again. Keep practicing this! Once you can master spotting it will make your life so much easier! And if you get too dizzy find an unmoving object on the ground and stare at it until the dizziness goes away:)

If none of that helped and your still confused on what's happening, check out the videos below to get a visual representation of what your body should be doing!

For any other dance visual representation/walk thoughs, HowcastArtsRec has great videos that really explain everything in detail! Their link is below if you have more dance questions and don't forget to comment or ask questions on the post or in the forum! I hope this helped and I can't wait to hear of any progress and don't forget. . . PRACTICE!

https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&v=LLTM_KP0Dsg&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.howcast.com%2Fvideos%2F497190-How-to-Do-a-Pirouette-Ballet-Dance&redir_token=toipvNo0NBOBS7WJTP392Nj-hUx8MTU1NTQ0MjgzNkAxNTU1MzU2NDM2