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Pirouettes


Kaylie

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I have consistent triple pirouettes en pointe but I can only get 4 rotations on a good day if I'm lucky and I haven't been able to get more than that. How can I get 5-6 rotations consistently by the end of the year?

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Welcome to the forum, Kaylie.  

 

This is possibly a silly question but why do you need more than a triple, unsupported? I can't think of many (if any) solo variations for females that *need* 5 or 6 pirouettes.  Even in PDD work, I think fewer turns in time with the music looks better than multiple fast turns for the sake of it.

 

What do your teachers say? 

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It's not so much of a need for me as it is something that I want to achieve for my own satisfaction if you know what I mean. Also, I have been doing more contemporary dance lately and with contemporary solos many dancers do many more turns than 3 which is something that i wanted to achieve. 

Edited by Kaylie
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Ah, I assumed you meant in ballet, en pointe.  I think this is a question for the teachers here, or your teachers!  

 

I do think that physique plays a part in how naturally turns come.  If you are shorter and strong, with a lower centre of gravity, multiple turns do seem to be slightly easier than if you are tall and very leggy, for example. 

 

Have you ever seen Kathryn Morgan's videos? 

 

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I liked her tip about counting the pirouettes backwards. And yes, they are mostly in your head. If you think you can't do a triple, you won't be able to. Maybe multiple pirouettes en pointe are required for vocational school and professional company auditions? I don't know.

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My dd is only 10 and we won't let her do pirouettes en pointe but she had been consistently able to do a triple last year and seemed stuck at that. She attended Rosina Andrews workshop and within the first 30 minutes was able to nail a quadruple. She can now do 6. Rosina has a book and uses the science of pirouettes to help find where you need help. Dd highly recommends and am sure though this is jazz position alot of the basics of the positioning cross over?? 

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43 minutes ago, Anna C said:

Aren't true Jazz pirouettes in parallel though? That might make a difference.

Yes Anna like I said the techniques tips may cross over - my DD has improved her jazz and ballet pirouettes as a result of these workshops - Rosina works on posture, core, hip alignment, supporting leg and feet, arms as well as the jazz pirouette position. It may not help but the OP was asking for advice so I was sharing my DD experience. 

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1 hour ago, Pointetoes said:

I think DD is hoping for a miracle or something along those lines 😀 In reality she is hoping for a confidence boost 

Pointe toes - my DD came out of the workshop absolutely buzzing. Such a positive experience and she learnt alot Inc her quadruple - some of it helped her fouettes too ! Hope your dd enjoys it. 

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9 hours ago, Kaylie said:

Has anyone tried the 'turn board' and has it actually helped to improve pirouettes? I'm thinking of ordering one but not sure if it works well.

 

 

Kylie I've heard it said a turnboard puts weight in wrong place as you'reon flat feet. Does help with spotting etc.

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I have a turnboard, and it does help with spotting and 'turning confidence' (I used to be almost scared of pirouetting!) but it doesn't enhance your technique or anything, and it is a very different feeling to performing a ballet pirouette.

 

I found really, the best solution was just practising pirouettes over and over in class (with teacher supervision, so you are placed well and right). Try to maintain as good a placement and posture as you can (pull in and up especially through the tummy muscles) and spot, breathe out as you turn. Don't 'bounce' in your plié - only bend once, with purpose! I also found visualising somebody pushing my working leg (the leg in retiré) away helped with turnout and momentum. And remember to have your toe in the right spot on your knee (this will depend on different teaching styles - We are taught to have our toe just touching underneath the knee). 

 

Really  useful advice for me, given by somebody on the forum, was to visualise yourself as a barber pole - straight and strong, balanced, and pushing down through your foot, rotating about the longitudinal axis. The most important thing, however, is to believe that you can do it and be positive! Nothing bad can happen! It's not the X of the world of it goes wrong. Enjoy the dancing!

 

Sorry that was long winded! Combining every pirouette correction I have been given! I can do consistent triples and occasional quadruples in ballet now :) Just working on my Pointe pirouettes (it's hard seeing the pirouettes of Instagram where dancers my age can turn 12 times! But ballet is an art, not a competitive sport. We do it for quality, not quantity. We do it for love.)

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Pictures, I’ve spent the past two days sifting through the new rules on Data Protection, so I’m totally with you. Quite recently I’ve had parents tell me that they “are only videoing their child” unfortunately in a class situation there is a high possibility that you will end up with someone else’s child in the shot and not everyone is comfortable with their child’s image appearing on social media or being kept by another person. In some instances it actually puts the child in danger. 

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1 hour ago, Picturesinthefirelight said:

Don’t know about you but I was a bit perturbed at a couple of parents filming through the viewing window. I feel that workshops should be somewhere that participants don’t hold back for fear of making a fool of themselves that could turn up somewhere on social media. 

Totally agree, I was really relieved she pulled the blinds down for most of the first session. I think the problem was the age range......I felt that the younger ones and Parents were not necessarily there for the right reasons. At no time were we asked about filming etc. DD said she did say she doesn’t really like the venue because of the windows and parents being able to view. It must have felt like being a goldfish at times today. 

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1 hour ago, Picturesinthefirelight said:

Don’t know about you but I was a bit perturbed at a couple of parents filming through the viewing window. I feel that workshops should be somewhere that participants don’t hold back for fear of making a fool of themselves that could turn up somewhere on social media. 

Oh no. Rosina is usually quite anti social media during classes, I know was happy for pics after session so I imagine she wasn't aware. And I agree parents are not always aware of others' situations and so could be putting other children at risk - not just about children who are in safeguarding protection and need to be off media but I am very careful about any pics of my child dressed in dance wear and not always looking very ladylike with legs in the air etc. It's about what people these attract and their motives for viewing. 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Another vote for Rosina as she’s helped DD with jazz and ballet pirouettes but I’ve never seen her do anything en pointe at workshops.

 

my dd has a turnboard and will use it for sequences and practise but as someone else said you can’t go on releve on it so it’s a bit limited though she seems to have fun with it 

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  • 3 years later...

Probably a question for the ballet teachers on this great forum. My daughter is baffled and refuses to ask her teacher, but after a year of doing double pirouettes or more en pointe, she’s been asked to do only one. She’s confused, frustrated etc. Anyone have an insight into why this might happen? Thank you (in the meantime we are still telling her to just ask...!)

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28 minutes ago, LexBallet said:

Probably a question for the ballet teachers on this great forum. My daughter is baffled and refuses to ask her teacher, but after a year of doing double pirouettes or more en pointe, she’s been asked to do only one. She’s confused, frustrated etc. Anyone have an insight into why this might happen? Thank you (in the meantime we are still telling her to just ask...!)

A lot of control is required to complete one rotation and no more, with perfect placement and finishing with precision. It may be that your daughter has previously been building confidence to ‘go for it’ and just get turning, and now needs to perfect the precision, control and technique to underpin her work.

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7 hours ago, LexBallet said:

Probably a question for the ballet teachers on this great forum. My daughter is baffled and refuses to ask her teacher, but after a year of doing double pirouettes or more en pointe, she’s been asked to do only one. She’s confused, frustrated etc. Anyone have an insight into why this might happen? Thank you (in the meantime we are still telling her to just ask...!)

 obvious thought  is  the teacher  would like her to  'clean up'   that pirouette   to near=perfect  landings  - i.e. chosen place , exact  direction  and the like ?

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Has your daughter had a growth spurt recently? It may be that she just has slightly less control in her torso and multiple turns look a bit “twizzy”. Lockdown growth spurts have been really hard, in ordinary times you see a teacher multiple times a week who keeps making minor adjustments to how you are stood and positioned, this hasn’t really been possible lately so there are bigger adjustments to be made. Kids with hyperextension especially have really struggled to reposition themselves without someone guiding their placing. My students have spent 4 months on zoom holding retire, they need to get used to studio floor vs carpet/laminate/tiles at home. As daunting as it may seem, ask your teacher, this is an opportunity to learn!  

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