Every dancer dreams of being able to spin like a top looking effortless and yet for many that perfect pirouette is not only elusive but also can become a nightmare for the dancer. Whether you are teaching a classical or jazz pirouette the technical needs are the same. I am in favor of teaching all dancers to do a classical pirouette because I am a firm believer that it helps them however, having said that I also have many young dancers who start out with jazz and need to be able to execute a decent pirouette. If a student is taking ballet it is just that much easier to help them to understand how to place their bodies in order to be successful when they try to turn. Whether they take ballet or not there are some simple steps that you can take to help your students understand what needs to happen with their bodies when attempting a pirouette.

There are four areas that need attention and strengthening in order to be able to turn successfully.

1) Legs and feet

2) Upper and lower torso

3) Arms

4) Head

1) Strengthening the legs and feet is imperative if a dancer is going to be able to turn successfully. If the dancer is not able to get up high on their releve they are not going to be able to balance. So often students do not even get up on ½ Pointe, I always recommend that my students try to get up onto ¾ Pointe with the toes spread out on the floor and the weight evenly distributed. A good exercise to help with this problem is to do rises facing the barre with the feet parallel both with 2 feet and 1 foot. Start by doing 10 rises at a time and then stretching the calf muscles out. Gradually increase by adding more sets at a time but always making sure that the dancers stretch between sets. I don't recommend doing more than 3 sets on 2 feet and when doing the rises on one foot 3 sets of 10 alternating feet followed by stretching the calves out after each 10 is sufficient at any one time. The goal is to eventually be doing 100 rises a day broken up into sets of 10. I recommend doing some in the morning, some in the afternoon and if possible the remaining sets before or after classes at the studio or school. Obviously a beginner will have to build up gradually but if the student does this simple exercise consistently they will find that they have a lot more strength in their foot and ankle. It is important to remember that the legs must be totally pulled up and tight from the calves to the knee and quadriceps up into the hip. So many dancers forget to pull up their supporting legs when they attempt to do pirouettes. Releves facing the barre are very helpful in strengthening the leg muscles so that the legs are truly supporting the body as long as the dancer is really careful to get a good demi-plie and spring onto the legs. I like to do both of these exercises holding onto something with both hands so as to give the dancer a feeling of security.

2) Strengthening the core muscles is the best way to gain control of the torso. Without this awareness and control a dancer will feel very uncomfortable and will find it almost impossible to execute an even passable pirouette. Of course this is where ballet really comes in handy because dancers are taught to hold themselves correctly from the minute they start at the barre. There are simple ways to help your students to understand the basic principle of standing straight by having them lie on their backs on the floor with their legs straight ahead. Ask them to take a deep breath in through their noses and as they breathe out through the mouth get them to push their ribs into the floor so that there is no gap there. Try having them do that a few times. I ask them to feel and tell me what muscles they are using to keep the body in that position. Once they have identified the sets of muscles it makes easier for them to feel them working when they are standing upright. Getting your dancers used to doing crunches, push-ups and anything else that will help them to strengthen their torsos is a must. Try to make it a habit to work on the core muscles at some point in every class that you teach. It will be an invaluable help for your students.

3) The incorrect use of port de bras can doom any pirouette. Typically dancers use way too much force when attempting to turn and it can be extremely difficult to get students to understand that it is placement and control that makes any pirouette work. A common fault is for students to try to throw themselves around with a strong use of the arms to help them get around. I like to first get them to understand where the arms need to be placed and why. That it is important to maintain a good 1^st position whether it is in ballet or jazz. So often dancers either hold the arms to high or too low or crooked or too far away from the body. Just to make them understand where the arms need to be in relation to their torso is a major accomplishment. Once they understand where the arms need to be then it is necessary to impress upon them the idea of using resistance so that they are using their backs to control the position. A simple test is to gently push the dancer's arms down when they are holding their 1^st position. If the arms collapse down it is a sure sign to you and them that the arms are not supporting them. Getting the student to understand that the strength comes from elbow to elbow across the back will help them tremendously as they embark on their pirouettes. I also recommend practicing pirouettes with the hands placed on the hips. Using no arms almost forces the dancer to use their legs and head more effectively.

4) Without the correct usage of the head in a pirouette it not only will make the dancer dizzy but will also help them to feel totally out of control. The use of the spot also governs the speed of the pirouette. I break it down for a single pirouette in 3 movements: 1) the body starts to turn and the head remains looking front. 2) The head whips as far round as it can. 3) The head continues its rotation to completely face front again. By breaking it down this way the student is able to better understand the mechanics of the head action. They also better understand that it is the 2^nd movement that is the most important. To do this exercise I will have them take little shuffling steps to complete the turn so that they are able to totally concentrate on the turn and spot itself. Spotting is a combination of a visual and rhythm. If a student has vision problems it is much easier for them to learn to spot using rhythm. I help them by clapping the rhythm. However, from my professional performing experience I think it is important for all dancers to use a combination of visual and rhythm simply because it is often very difficult to spot visually on stage with all the lighting utilized.

I hope these simple exercises will help both you and your students to feel more comfortable and controlled in their pirouettes. I will be writing another article soon with more advanced tips for better pirouettes.