For many teachers, just getting a student to stand up straight, is a major accomplishment. Often, a student will have enormous trouble with their pirouettes and will be unhappy that they never seem to improve. The problem for most is that they do not have any real understanding of what needs to be fixed in order to achieve success. Being aware of a correct standing position is really the first thing that needs to be worked on. Very often the dancer has a lack of strength in their upper and lower torso and that, of course, totally throws them off balance. Helping the dancer to understand how the body needs to be placed and which muscles need to be strengthened is extremely important.
I have always found that lying on the floor is a good place to start to enable the dancer to really feel supported. First, I have them relax their shoulders back onto the floor with their arms down by their sides. I have them stretch both legs in a turned out 1st position with flexed feet as if they are actually standing. Then we take the arms to 1st position so that they are able to feel the muscles working in their backs, then we lift one leg and then the other to a turned out pass position. By doing this they can easily feel the abdominal muscles and buttock muscles working to hold the position while keeping the ribs firmly attached to the floor. Generally I will also have them close their eyes so that they can really concentrate on how the position feels. Taking a couple of deep breaths in the position helps them understand that by filling the lungs with air it makes them more buoyant and therefore able to support themselves upright. Lying on the floor also makes the dancer aware of the correct positioning of the pelvis as they make sure that both sides are glued to the floor and therefore not tilted forwards or backwards. Here, once again, they should be able to feel how the lower abdominals come into play. Once they have done all of this on the floor they are ready to stand up and begin to focus on their pirouettes. Now I will get them to go through everything that they have done on the floor but in a standing position. Sometimes I will just include these simple exercises in a class or at other times if I see that the dancers are really struggling with their pirouettes I will just stop the music and have them lie down on the floor so that they can go through this series of reminders.
Next, we have the problem of tension. So many dancers clench their jaws or close and tighten their lips particularly when attempting multiple turns, only to find that they are having trouble even completing a single or double. Obviously, the less tension the dancers have in the facial area, the better they will turn. Tension in the jaw and mouth will result in tension in the neck and therefore an inability to spot. I always use the example of a long or short distance runner. If you look at the top runners performing in slow motion, you will always see that their jaws are loose and their mouths are open. Just this simple, relaxed approach helps them with speed and will help the dancers with the speed of their turns and their overall balance. Have your dancers try to do pirouettes with their jaws clenched and their lips closed tight and then have them repeat the pirouette with total relaxation in the jaw and the mouth. I always encourage my dancers to smile whenever they are doing any type of pirouette as it is difficult to keep any tension in the jaw, tongue or neck when you have a big smile on your face! They will immediately feel the difference and by relaxing they will also be able to feel their necks lengthening so that the crown of the head is reaching to the ceiling. Then they will be able to turn like tops.
The next step to being able to turn successfully is, of course, the way that the dancer uses their port de bras. So many times dancers can be seen throwing their arms with force hoping that it will assist them in getting around or "winding up" thinking that it will give them an extra push that will help them to complete their pirouettes. Both of those "techniques" can only be detrimental. Using force with your port de bras not only creates more tension, something we need to have less of, but it also completely throws our alignment out of whack, neither one helpful. Helping your dancers to understand the difference between simply supporting the movement with their arms and trying to create the movement by using force is so important. I have found two ideas that really help them understand where the rotation has to come from and how the arms can really make or break their pirouettes. Very often in class I will have the dancers do single, double and triple pirouettes with their hands on their waists or hips, maintaining a strong upper body position and an open chest line. At first they don't believe that they will be able to get around without using their arms but after a few tries they will discover that they can, indeed, manage to turn very efficiently by using their feet, legs and head. Adding the arms should only be thought of as a means of support and style.
Working on the use of the "spot" and making them understand that although it is very helpful to use something visual to be able to spot effectively using rhythm is also extremely important. I will have the dancers first clap the rhythm of the head and then try to replicate it with their head movement. Again, without that beautifully relaxed jaw and neck, the rhythm will not help them to turn better. But by having the dancers practice spotting by using rhythm and visuals they have a very good chance of making it work. I tell my dancers "Smile, Support and Breathe" if they can focus on those three things not only will their pirouettes improve but it will make them look and feel more confident.
