We all have a love-hate relationship with Pirouettes. We strive to make them look clean and effortless, but we know that they are anything but effortless! (Dancers, you get me.)
This season, we are extremely honoured to partner up with Sander Bloomaert — an Award Winning Ballet Teacher and former First Artist at The Royal Ballet. Sander gives excellent bite-sized tips on ballet techniques, and his passion for teaching is truly humbling (he has been offering free online ballet classes for awhile now!). Check out Sander's Instagram account for these useful tips.
Read on for Sander's top 4 Pirouette tips you wish you knew earlier!
1. Spot to turn
Don’t spot because you are turning (there’s a difference), or let spotting become an afterthought. This is a correction I give all the time. Yes, spotting helps you to keep your direction and not get dizzy, but it’s also a big helping tool if you use your spot to decide the number of turns you want to do.
P.S. if you're preparing for a triple, make sure you spot 3 times at an even speed!
2. Weight on your front foot
Keep your weight on your front foot before and after your turn (from 4th position turning en dehors). This will help you to get and stay on your supporting leg before and after your pirouette!
3. Quality and consistency are key
Quality and consistency are worth so much more than quantity! Try to be clean each time you turn. Once that is achieved, you can gradually add another turn each time, and build on a solid foundation that way.
4. Have fun turning!
Don't be scared of the momentum/force that is needed to get around multiple times. With more momentum/force, you just need more engagement through your body- that's all! Getting around multiple times is fun, so enjoy it!