How to Pirouette
How to Pirouette
Dancing is much more complicated than it appears and it requires a lot of dedication, skill, and technique. Actually, the goal of a skillful dancer is to make the moves look as easy as possible. One dance move in particular is called a pirouette which is a controlled turn on one leg. Though it isn’t easy, it is definitely one of the simpler dance moves. There are two types of pirouettes, a ballet pirouette and a jazz pirouette, though the difference is very subtle. When doing a ballet pirouette the leg is turned out, while when doing a jazz pirouette the leg stays turned in, which is also known as “parallel”. Right now, we’re going to focus on learning the jazz pirouette.
The first step in doing a jazz pirouette is learning how to prep. The prep is very important because that is what gives you the momentum to turn. It is done by taking one step forward using the leg that will determine the direction in which you’ll be turning. If you step forward with the left leg you’ll be turning right and vice-versa. Next, you bend both knees at a ninety-degree angle. Your body has to be placed a certain way in order to have the best pirouette results. Avoid sticking your butt out by lifting your hips. Also, the ribcage should be closed while keeping the chest lifted. Shoulders should be down, while keeping the neck elongated. Make an “L” shape with your arms by placing one arm directly out in front of you, and the other out to the side, slightly in front of the shoulder. The arm extending forward must be the one opposite the leg that is extending forward.
After learning how to prep, you then need to learn the transition between the prep and the relevé. Relevé means rising from any position to balance on one or two feet with your heels off the floor. From the prep, use your back leg to push up and off of the floor while your supporting front leg pushes on to relevé. Your back leg must go up to a passé (which is when a foot is placed on
Dancing is much more complicated than it appears and it requires a lot of dedication, skill, and technique. Actually, the goal of a skillful dancer is to make the moves look as easy as possible. One dance move in particular is called a pirouette which is a controlled turn on one leg. Though it isn’t easy, it is definitely one of the simpler dance moves. There are two types of pirouettes, a ballet pirouette and a jazz pirouette, though the difference is very subtle. When doing a ballet pirouette the leg is turned out, while when doing a jazz pirouette the leg stays turned in, which is also known as “parallel”. Right now, we’re going to focus on learning the jazz pirouette.
The first step in doing a jazz pirouette is learning how to prep. The prep is very important because that is what gives you the momentum to turn. It is done by taking one step forward using the leg that will determine the direction in which you’ll be turning. If you step forward with the left leg you’ll be turning right and vice-versa. Next, you bend both knees at a ninety-degree angle. Your body has to be placed a certain way in order to have the best pirouette results. Avoid sticking your butt out by lifting your hips. Also, the ribcage should be closed while keeping the chest lifted. Shoulders should be down, while keeping the neck elongated. Make an “L” shape with your arms by placing one arm directly out in front of you, and the other out to the side, slightly in front of the shoulder. The arm extending forward must be the one opposite the leg that is extending forward.
After learning how to prep, you then need to learn the transition between the prep and the relevé. Relevé means rising from any position to balance on one or two feet with your heels off the floor. From the prep, use your back leg to push up and off of the floor while your supporting front leg pushes on to relevé. Your back leg must go up to a passé (which is when a foot is placed on