Pirouette Tips

These are some tips for perfect turns by Gillian Murphy from The Ballet Companion. I found these tips extremely helpful and hopefully you will too!!!

• Don't move your front heel before you turn


• Push off with both legs but keep your weight forward


• Releve strongly and quickly. Pull up from the back of the leg right under your buttocks to get on your supporting leg


• Use your spot. Free the head and the upper body


• Good turns come from your work throughout the barre and center, especially from plies, releves and petit allegro


• You know both a good and a bad turn immediately, and in a bad turn, you know to cut your losses. A good turn feels easy


• Don't sacrifice form. There's no point to lots of turns without form. IN fact, everyone just wants them to stop


• There's a smaller turning surface when turning on pointe but not much difference in placement. You feel higher off the ground


• You gain mastery through repetition, but not of your mistakes. Make sure to practice correctly

Hope these help!!! PLease comment on if you think these tips were useful!!!!!!