How To Practice the Right Technique for Pirouettes

A pirouette is one of the hardest dance moves to master. Even professional dancers have difficult time mastering this move. A pirouette is the turn a dancer does during the dance while standing on one foot. A well-executed pirouette that has several revolutions while maintaining perfect form is often the finale to any dance routine. It is usually the culminating move in a dance routine because of the mastery level necessary to do it perfectly.

Here’s how to practice the right technique for pirouettes.

1. Determine what type of dance you are performing. A jazz pirouette will require a slightly different body movement than a ballet pirouette. Each dance has its own perfect pirouette technique.
2. Master basic positions. In ballet, there are five. Before you can execute the leaps and other fancy moves such as the pirouette, you have to first know the basic positions. The rest of the movements are built on the basic positions.
3. Understand the physics behind the movement. Learn to work with your body. A perfect pirouette is not so much a result of force, but rather of the balance of energy, form and body structure.
4. Practice in front of a mirror so you can see your form. It is better to have an instructor who can observe your position and guide your body to the proper form.
5. Warm up your body properly before doing any turns or other complicated moves. This will help your body become more pliant and lower the risk of injury. Never stretch a cold muscle.
6. Spotting is an important key so you don’t get dizzy doing your turn. Keep focused on a single point. As you turn, keep your head and eyes focused on a single point. When you need to turn your head, do it quickly and find your focus point right away.
7. Arms should be placed forward. Your arms should not be placed too far apart in front of you. Shoulders should be down and straight.
8. Keep your supporting leg straight. This is the primary rule when doing a pirouette regardless of what type of dance you are doing. You must have proper elevation. You must be high on the ball of your foot on your supporting leg. The other leg should have the toe to the front of the knee.
9. Start your turns slowly. You must achieve the proper form before you can focus on your speed. As you get a feel of the position, you can slowly increase your speed and the number of turns.
10. Practice constantly. Great dancers spend a lot of time in the studio perfecting their form. Practice keeps the body pliant and strong to be able to execute the different moves necessary for the dance.

A dancer must practice constantly to achieve perfection in his art. The body is trained to move with artless grace and so emotion can be expressed though movement. Practicing the right technique for pirouettes takes countless hours of rehearsal to achieve the proper balance of correct form, speed, multiple revolutions and artistic grace.