How to Do a Pirouette | Ballet Dance

[@edgedancesport]

In my experience teaching turning, the determining factor of how well you turn comes down to primarily positioning of your body, and secondly your strength to hold the position. What she should have emphasized explicitly is that to practice your turns you should be practicing your ability to move to passe on releve and back thousands of times more than your turn. Once you can control those positions effortlessly through proper form and adequate muscle control, turning becomes trivial.

[@veronicaramoz4775]

ive been dancing ballet for 11 years now .. i came up to this video just to see how would they do a perfect one …..tbh… she didn't really actually taught you how to to turn… she only taught you how to start the turn … and i found an error too :] so when she starts the turn .. her front foot moved in…. but if in the exams ,you do that .. you would get low points … so when you start the turn . don't move your front foot….. and when you turn … do not arch your back .. or not you will loose your balance.. and when you start the turn, your back foot kinda hops to the center .. so your body can keep a straight line… :3 trust me i failed many times .. you just gota find your way … and practice..

[@jhanetcruz7205]

G thanks

[@laurengarcia3325]

Z

[@ricecake2262]

Thanks for the help!! I used to only be able to do 3 pirouettes but noe i can do at least 5 or 6

[@xxshevilxx]

I've noticed her technique to not be too stellar. In her first demonstration she lands way too wide, with way too much weight on her front foot, and she never fishes one without spinning on her heel at the end. A perfect pirouette should be so controlled you can land in fifth position gracefully.

[@annaisepicxox3814]

sio v I agree

[@redsunacademy7464]

But how do you TURN??

[@mabel2908]

yes, I was looking for it in this vid, like srsly, I can't even do a double spin, idk what to do

[@jesspontmercy5561]

i agree that this doesn't really help i would suggest focusing on something else each time you turn. First focus on your feet, then your legs, arms, then finally work on your posture. You need to be standing perfectly straight, with your shoulders relaxed. (make sure you're doing this in front of a mirror so you can see every aspect of the turn) After you focus on each part of the turn, (arms legs feet posture etc.), think of at least 3 things you can do to fix it, and apply it. If you're still having trouble, you could try to find someone (a teacher, a dancer in your age group or older, anyone who can execute a good pirouette), and ask them if there is anything you can do to improve and they should be glad to help. After you get the actual steps of the turn and technique perfect, you can work on spotting. Spotting is when you focus on an object, and look at it as much as possible. You just whip your head around to see it as much as possible. With practice and help, you should be able to do better turns in no time! (I hope i helped, it's kind of hard to do online!)

[@butterflylips]

Jess Pontmercy .. Ft Gyus

[@linseyc.6602]

the momentum that powers the turn comes from the closing of your arms from open position.

[@puzzlesocks6491]

Tried writing a step by step but it was way too long and too confusing because you have to focus on several muscles at a time. But yeah, like Linsey said, the turning is mostly powered by the opening and closing of your arm that creates the momentum. (Difference here with me and the instructor here was that I was taught that my arms stay in third position even while my legs are bent) Third position is where the arm of the direction you'd like to turn to is held out in a curve in front of roughly your bellybutton level. For instance, if you are turning right, your right arm is the one that's bent. While the left arm is stretched out to the side but still maintaining a curve, this time a little straighter than the right. Before you retract your legs for the spin, YOUR ARMS MOVE FIRST. The right arm is thrown out to the right, followed quickly by your left arm being thrown inwards to "join" your right arm. So while you turn your arms are locked in first position. The throwing creates this force and I'm sorry if this was a worthless TL;DR it's just how I understood it and it works for me .w.

[@TeeOozy]

When people do it, it looks easy, but it's kinda hard

[@nataliejohnston5728]

Not really

[@ezradlionel711]

I was watching this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4ObdKqQh6eAZ8U and I was like "it's like a pirouette, it looks easy, until you try it" then I was like "wtf is a pirouette?!"

[@emilyb711]

It is hard

[@taehyungislifeu2196]

its not hard

[@Godfather19704]

That's 'cause you're a dude, and dude's don't pirouette... they build things, watch sports like football and hockey while cooking some meat on the grill. Then they go to bed and make love to their beautiful wife. Dudes shouldn't wear tights either, that's chick stuff.

[@xiomararodriguez7089]

Wen I try I look like a penny that just fell all over the place

[@naritruwireve1381]

Same

[@julianaturcanu3865]

Xiomara Rodriguez uk how u like turn around without picking ur legs off the ground when someone behind u or something, well the main thing in this one is BALANCE so ur going to turn in one spot (make sure not to move) and when turning ur on ur heel is gonna be off the ground and u have the plea becuz without plea it doesn’t give u force to push, but when u plea make sure to push up and that’s when u spin with ur heel off the ground with the other leg on ur knee like hers was and u have to hold ur arms in a wide but not small circle

[@271skippy]

Why is there always so much hate on dance tutorial videos? "She's doing it wrong!" "No way is she a professional!" "Well, I take dance classes, so therefore, I know everything and you're wrong!" Y'all. Calm it down. She does it better than I do and she has had a ton more professional jobs than I have, and I'm willing to bet you have.

[@tanis6653]

I know please don't hate ...she's doing it right..she's a professional .

[@areetazoha2530]

professional aren’t always right. of course when you’re in a dance class you know. don’t blame them for knowing how to do something right lmao. i’m also in dance and i can tell her foot isn’t correct.

[@sapphichorrors]

She mentioned nothing about spotting.

[@redsunacademy7464]

When I turn, I look more like C3-PO than human.

[@271skippy]

Haha! Don't worry, it's just a matter of becoming comfortable in your pirouettes. Practice makes progress (perfect is too much pressure and it's not a reasonable goal, so I say "practice makes progress" instead) so just keep practicing! :)

[@graepd]

"I'm a pro at ballet" Me: - when I saw her turns - Also me:she's a grade 1 pro

[@janekatalane5653]

Thank you for this video. Just in the few times I have watched it, it has already helped me so much. I studied ballet when I was younger and while I never stopped dancing in general, it has been a very long time since I did ballet in the technical ways. Plus, I have new floors in my house, and it was throwing my pirouettes off. This video has helped me improve a lot. Your dancing is lovely by the way, and I liked how you showed and explained everything here. Many thanks. Cheers!...

[@soup6806]

to anyone who's learning dance: KEEP TRYING!!!! no one gets it the first time :) Good luck!!

[@harrypottermichaeljacksonf2875]

Wait you're talking about the arms but you're not talking about the head. The head has to turn really quickly during the pirouette. Without the movement of the head, you can not do a perfect pirouette. So your legs are to be turned out (en dehors in french), your arms have to be opened at the begining and closed (in 1st position) during the pirouette and your head have to turn over your shoulder really quickly.

[@sundarajq2120]

Yea it's called spotting

[@larryruiz9466]

Your head does not just move really quickly it has to spot or else your timing will not be accurate (if your in a group of course) and spotting is so that you know where you starting and landing because if you don't spot you will most likely land a different direction

[@MiSSBEAUTZ]

This helped me a lot with my pirouettes, thanks!

[@farnuxiawaltz3457]

i just came here to learn basic of pirouette for animation purpose. You're so beautiful ❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍

[@dancersxx8231]

Wow why so much hate? People are sick nowadays!!! Instead of hating on her, why can't you just thank her for teaching you ballet??? 😡

[@elhijodemegaman8752]

+Dancers Xx she didn't teach shit, she's not explaning good, that's why so much hate

[@dancersxx8231]

+El Tawi i find the way she teaches pretty good! And for you haters just keep your opinion to yourself!!! Words can hurt you know! ':(

[@elhijodemegaman8752]

My ankles hurt more than words, I'm not hating, i'm just giving you the answer, why people hate

[@shannonmorrissey4999]

there's hate because she did it wrong

[@candycraziness8180]

Why would you say THANK YOU to a person who taught you something that does not even work?!

[@TwiggyGirl359]

Who would thumbs down this girls video.

[@fellowhuman7585]

I doubt that you can even pirouette

[@JustBarbarellaa]

She makes it look so easy...

[@ImaginationBlue]

The gestures are so beautiful. They communicate.

[@gracetarpley3203]

To be honest, I'm learning more from the comment section than I am the actual video... She doesn't really explain how to actually DO the turn. I used to do ballet and then lost interest, so going back into it I'm realizing how hard it is. I can't be saying anything (since I have no idea what I'm talking about lmao) but she didn't seem very "professional", she seemed to fall out of her turns and wasn't explaining things in an understandable way. Just my opinion though.

[@katietheweirdo9794]

Yeah I've been dancing ballet for a year now and I've never done my pirouettes like this lol, you also have to STAY on releve, not come down half way. The head is also important, you kinda have to turn your head fast so you get more momentum to turn. Thats just my view on it :)

[@daria5846]

When you are a "professional ballet dancer" and can't even keep your foot on releve during a turn -.-

[@fellowhuman7585]

Stop being a hater. I doubt that you can even pirouette

[@sapphichorrors]

Ballet Dancer they’re correct. I don’t trust this “professional dancer” if she can’t even turn right. And don’t come at me with that “oH yOu PrOlLy CaN’t Do It” because I can.

[@jared5821]

I do it different

[@daria5846]

Ballet Dancer StOp bEiNg a HaTeR lmao facts are facts buddy.

[@teyahshuman8343]

What does it mean to “keep your foot on relieve” I’m a beginner

[@lebed-x1]

you are definitely a PROFFESIONALl dancer?

[@MariCrossing_]

haha you'll never know lol.

[@johnloring3887]

Damn, she is pretty and she looks great in her pink tights!!!

[@pixie_leaf]

pro tip: pressing 2 on your keyboard skips her irritating intro...

[@teamusa7750]

iiellewyn pro tip:swiping your finger up skips your annoying and rude comment

[@trendingtv4945]

Ellie A 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@lorianag5097]

Ellie A she shows that she’s trustworthy

[@kathysaggese9638]

THANK UUUUUUU

[@alexandratoth8868]

Im sure she had good intentions with this wideo but like in all of her tutorials all I see is the raw motions done like she is a Barbie doll. No emotion, not on the face and not in the body. She's just so stiff. Also, she hopped in the middle of doing one pirouette. Which I wouldn't judge. I've been doing ballet for 13 years now and I do that. BUT, I'm not a professional and I don't say I'm a professional. I don't know. Don't get me wrong! I never wanted to be rude with making thus comment! It's just the whole wideo feels weird to me. But I'm still happy that she's doing these tutorials. It might actually be helpful for so many people.

[@emmamarks5598]

Your also a professional bragger

[@hiddenturquoise3773]

tell me about it

[@271skippy]

Umm... She's giving you her credentials for why you should trust what she says...

[@NerfaLedaLEEEROYYYYJEEEENKINS]

+Emma Marks you're*

[@makeupandtia9443]

She is not she is basically making herself known so no one can be insult her that shes not professional and that shes doing it wrong

[@user-gz6hg7fm3b]

lol

[@jeremymoon2]

Wow she looks amazing being a ballet dancer it looks really good

[@zoeprojects1042]

Yeah...haha...still can't do it...

[@josephgonzales1815]

Beautiful, elegant, graceful. I was hypnotized.

[@what-259]

WHY DID IT LOOKED SO GOOD IN THE MOVIE WTH😭😭

[@aerieliang8054]

I love how she says she is a professional dancer and she was turning on the blade of her foot....

[@aerieliang8054]

And no, you don't open your arms to close them

[@daniellaludmir888]

+Aerie Liang you do open them to close them but she hopped and didn't keep her releve

[@aerieliang8054]

but you don't make it as big like she did in the video. You open your arms in the prep but you don't swing them out.

[@aerieliang8054]

i understand, sorry if that last one made no sense

[@daniellaludmir888]

its ok i kinda understood what you meant haha

[@knaa6620]

Omg this was so good. I've watched so many tutorials but none of them mention that you have to open your arms before closing them!! I've tried for so long and now finally its workin!! Thank you :,D

[@Prodigy906]

well this didn't help me at all... didn't teach me how to turn or anything at all reallly..

[@norafarron202]

It works for me. Just practice some more. I'm sure you can do it.

[@MariCrossing_]

it's ok. it's not that she's a bad teacher, it just takes practice. I did ballet for 3 years and I can't do it right yet.

[@ruby5784]

Look at her knee at 1:59! It is way overextended. My ballet teacher has overextended knees to.

[@sundarajq2120]

Yea I see it too! I think mine does that also

[@nsorigaamis6349]

Igot it.👍Thank you, ms. Maegan.

[@rachelportman4204]

Haha she looks so pissed

[@abikowalewski78]

oh gee thanks I can do it now bc you teach so well that I get everything you need to do a pirouette bc you’re so helpful

[@juliebraganza2183]

Honestly this actually helped

[@hannahrosenberg3]

Question: what are some good ways to stay on releve while turning and stable?

[@tracyreeves-cutaia3660]

Since I am an older dancer, I do look for examples for my students. There does seem to be a lot of hate here. We as dancers can do better than this. She does land in too large a lunge, there is a " hop " coming out of the pirouette, and her arms need some work. But none of us are ever perfect except maybe Mikhail. I didn't have her guts when I was her age, and as a dancer, you must promote your work!

[@melicabonakdar2398]

Thank you now i can do the piroutte😃

[@franslam7398]

She didn't even say specific things like _"your right leg should be at X and your left arm should be positioned at Z"_ she just said nondescript things like _"one leg here, one arm out the other in"_ There was no _How To_ here, just basically _'watch me do a single and double pirouette. There. Done.'_ This was woefully executed unfortunately.

[@linseyc.6602]

Very helpful! it's nice you started with your credibility as an instructor.

[@zaynab6863]

She looks a bit like Amanda from the next step

[@sameeha9326]

Zaynab I came here from the next step to learn how to do this 😂

[@sophiacastillo9811]

Oh yea! The older version though haha

[@allyson6220]

@GiveLuaMoreLines 8

[@tusharmehta653]

@@sameeha9326 same

[@thebuffkins]

Retire and Passe are commonly used as the same thing, depending on how and where you are trained however it's fine to use either one :)

[@kiraredlich2689]

Do you turn to the side your leg is in front or do you like turn away from your leg??? Like to the side, where your leg is behind?

[@higher_designs]

Hi I'm doing a 10 second animation of a pirouette and I was wondering. Can you do half pirouttes. Like do a pirouette and end up facing the opposite direction? I'm drawing my character to do a one and a half one and I just wondering if that's realistic and common in the ballet community. Can you do it or does it always have to be full pirouettes?

[@Ggoldwyn]

+Ivan Delgado I don't think it's common, but it is possible. You can do halves and quarters even, it just requires a lot more control. Actually we tend to do them as exercise to improve your general balance in pirouettes. Write in youtube Kathryn Morgan and pirouettes, she has excelent explanation on how to do it...why would you though? You would end up facing away from the audience or something...? Is it something with the story in the dance?

[@SarahArnoldTheAccidentalArtist]

+Ivan Delgado Yes, I teach 1.5 turns in order for the students to improve their spot. Good question!

[@charchar4931]

i wish there was more of a demonstration on how to do the actual turn

[@moni-es6qb]

Definitely boosted me from like 0 to about 2?? sickkkkk

[@arafatawodeji5907]

Am really going to the hospital really am trying to but don't worry thanks for the update

[@sha1_laa]

I FINALLY GOT MINE 🤘🏽🤘🏽

[@chloechung6884]

Does keep practicing help us do more pirouttes?

[@SadeWatkins]

Nigga Hit a Hood Pirouette Impressive 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@noway4517]

Does it matter in which direction i turn? It is easier for me to turn in the "wrong" direction.

[@marbleyarrow9175]

Wow... man, I wish I had that disciple to get to such a level.

[@veraleveric1434]

You SHOWED a pirouette,but the question is:how is it possible to turn around sooften, when there is no resistance from which the drive can come from????

[@keyu8224]

I pray for you to get more likes and less haters :)

[@lilronnyg5724]

I don't think she actually has done ballet before cause she can't demonstrate it properly

[@bajodah1847]

Veronica Reed nope that's not true! You can be a professional ballerina but not necessarily a good teacher. Whereas some basic ballerinas make good teachers. Same goes to doctors and physicians. Not all doctors know how to teach the classes they took for an example. And some teachers and better than other teachers, you can find a teacher with a higher degree than another teacher but you only get the information better from the teacher with the lower degree for instant. These are just a few examples. Just because you're a professional as something doesn't make you the best at teaching. Sometimes we learn better from teachers that only have baby steps.

[@hannahrosenberg3]

BTW she is like REALLY good so...!

[@leilam6788]

Idk because diffrent types of ballet like Russian or idk the other kind do diffrent movements in pirouettes

[@vivianzampino7327]

Any advice on shin splints?

[@candymeow1]

Here after 11 years

[@pinkcotton94]

Is there actually one correct way to do a pirouette? In adult beginner class i was taught to pull my front leg to passe. But she passe her back leg? Or either way is fine?

[@CrystalJiang]

It should be in front for most unless otherwise specified

[@ryansims464]

The passe will be in front, however it depends if you'rs starting from fifth positions, in which case your front leg will come to passe. If you start from fourth like she is then your back leg will come to passe

[@pinkcotton94]

Ryan Sims oh, i see. thank you! appreciate your reply :)

[@kellyl6108]

When you passé to the front is generally in en dedans turns, generally, to the back is en dehors (out wards) she did an en dehor turn. I think that's how it works :)

[@ryansims464]

That is the opposite, so dehors are towards the working leg(the back leg that will end in passé). Usually dehors are performed with the passé being in front, unless choreography calls for something different. Dedans (towards the supporting leg, the one that's straight during the turn) are usually with passé in front as well, it is not uncommon for it to be in back though. It's just preference of the teacher or the combination if your in class

[@christiedriscoll8921]

I learned everything thank you so much!

[@dansingwithpiano4509]

I’ve been in dance for six years, which would’ve been eight years but something came up. And yet there are still days where I’ll only do two or three

[@Sanjanadee]

this really helped I can do triple and quadruple turns

[@michaelreyes2794]

This is how you practice ballet: *BalletPro . info*

[@daaliysia]

That's impressive im still trying to learn to do a double

[@paigecederlund4140]

+Dadianee Wright me too 😂

[@nataliejohnston5728]

I can do 52 spins in a row with out stoping

[@pennygonzales5112]

Well Natalie maybe you should push yourself to 55 so you can beat Sophia Lucia

[@Golfgtiguy]

Nice work

[@Julia-li6bs]

The thing is, when I'm doing the pirouette, the problem is my feet, it's because when I turn for "long" (probably on the second turn 😂) my feet just don't make the turn fall so I end up losing my balance and I can't do it for long, only one full turn. I have a carpet, which is even harder, AND I can't get those boards because I'm not aloud

[@jackcyriltate7952]

I watched this because i want to learn more in pirouettes

[@evierbeach9359]

1:45 - Single 1:56 - Double

[@RyanRedfox]

Here because of The Judge in Blood Meridian’s ending where he’s dancing, grabs a violin, and does a pirouette.

[@RemiliaVampire]

I just did 28 turns thanks for the tip

[@sameeha9326]

Next step fans where you at?

[@DirectionerBarbie]

What position are u landing in?

[@karleysnyder5589]

this helped me so much!!!!

[@aadyasrivastava3777]

I am a ballerina and I know she is doing it right

[@haileyiscool]

hey guys the video starts at 0:00 thank me later 😁

[@maddiecarter2278]

Thanks a lot this really helped me!!!

[@alishacooper8255]

how did this help u maddie

[@maddiecarter2278]

I could do a pirouette if I practiced

[@jesstotallyrocks]

Learning from these videos can create bad habits that are hard to break.

[@skullyxlove]

that taught me nothing except, hey! watch me do it cuz i can't really break it down for you.

[@jessicacaballero8479]

excelente video creo que ayudaria mucho que existieran subtitulos en español :3 en lo personal me ayudan a mejorar mucho mi tecnica y despejar dudas :3

[@SonofCastille]

awesome!

[@HannahBanana91709]

I learned this on dance yesterday lol

[@ashleyliedlich8727]

You also need to concentrate on those arms and fingers. Hold your arms like you have a beach ball in them and fingers should not look like a spider

[@HarfordKickssc]

okay so youre like really good.

[@joelancon7231]

Fun fact these are good for round house kicks

[@theclasssicks2407]

Beautiful!

[@mayapealer]

good job!!!

[@sandrah2604]

So when you plie your weight shifts to the front right ?

[@sundarajq2120]

No the weight does not shift until you do the turn then the weight shifts to the standing leg

[@jellybean9382]

If you need help with turns and pirouettes go to Kathryn Morgan’s channel. She’s an amazing dancer and she can actually do the moves she is teaching.

[@keramatdatuk1277]

Can you do a pirouette with a plate in your hands who has a delicious meal in it? I wanna see this moves in a commercial

[@biff5856]

So...How do you do a pirouette turn? There's more than just assuming passe position.

[@chloepanaguiton931]

if your not yet on pointe do you turn on pointed toes like the one in front or not I know not the heel but I am confused

[@271skippy]

You always turn on the ball of your foot unless you are en pointe, which is the only time you would turn actually on your toes. Does that answer your question?

[@chloepanaguiton931]

+Skippy271 yes thank you

[@mcsprout7447]

Ma’am will I get a sprained ankle or break it

[@janekatalane5653]

To all ballet dancers out there... I'm hoping someone can help me with a specific part of pirouettes. This video has helped me improve very much, however, I'm having problems with the position of my back foot after I turn. For example, in this video, at 1:47 the dancer's foot is flat on the floor & *then* pointed (at 1:49) Whereas when I do it, my foot remains pointed. I keep trying to correct this, but not sure how to as it has been a very long time since I was in ballet school & I just started again not that long ago. So, any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!...

[@1Snowpixie]

Just place in fourth and create a strong base for turns.

[@jtika1978]

The back foot should be flat and you should start in 4th position for preparation. It's best if both legs are demi plièd, but okay if the back leg is straight. The pliè is part of what gives you momentum. It gets you up on relevè. You can also prep from 5th in demi pliè, but that's more difficult.

[@ThePereiras-sj6md]

Thanks

[@ThePereiras-sj6md]

And sure

[@vanessaclark1282]

I know how to do the position but not the turn!! All these videos are the same. They just show you the turn instead of really explaining the physics or anything at all. I can’t just magically jump from the preparation into the turn.

[@Godfather19704]

Wow... You're pretty good. How the hell did I get here?

[@celestelizzi4658]

Dance moms made me do this.....anyone relate?

[@jared5821]

Im in dance its kinda easy tbh🔥😶

[@poehlerbear91]

I always put the leg I pull up in the turn in front. Maybe that's why I can't get anything more than a single.

[@nikita22ification]

It doesn't matter either way, but it does seem more natural and easier to do it the way she does it.

[@Crisdatove]

Es muy difícil encontrar vídeos acerca del ballet que esté en español.... pero de igual gracias... por subir vídeos que explican como hacer algunos pasos... :3 Gracias

[@berthamorales6056]

The TURN!!

[@jessicastewart1170]

thanks for the help and cool video :)