| The postural plumb line is where you start, in looking at | | | | spot and not travel around. If you have trouble with this, |
| what is going to make a pirouette succeed. Firstly, can | | | | use the barre. Check your balance at the bottom of |
| you stand with good posture? | | | | your demi plie, as well as in the releve position. Seeing |
| If so, can you rise up and down, firstly in a cou de pied | | | | where your weight wants to go tells you where the |
| position, on one leg, without losing your postural plumb | | | | weakness, or excess tension is. To build strength is |
| line? If so, can you do a series of releves holding a | | | | important, and to train the muscle memory properly is |
| good position, without neck or shoulder strain? | | | | too. |
| If you do lose it, correct your posture, then see if you | | | | The reason why I recommend back-peddling to basic |
| lose it going into your demi plie. Is your weight sitting | | | | exercises in order to correct or build on an exercise, is |
| back? Do you lose any placement at the hips? Do you | | | | because practicing things incorrectly is a waste of |
| lose any turnout? | | | | time. Asking your teacher for help or getting another |
| If any of the three things above occur, you need to | | | | student to buddy with you on practicing and correcting |
| get those fixed and forget about pirouettes until you | | | | each other, is really worth the while. |
| build strength to maintain the basics of posture, turnout | | | | It is more fun just doing turns, but technical inaccuracies |
| and a correct demi plie. You will still do your pirouettes | | | | will catch up with you and hold you back. Instantly, |
| in your ballet class, but for your daily practice routines, | | | | when you put on pointe shoes. |
| you need a step-by-step approach to get stronger. | | | | On your rest day, be sure to relax, stretch out the tired |
| If everything is good so far, raise your leg into a retire | | | | and tense muscles, using a rubber ball for the tight and |
| position and check that no placement gets lost at the | | | | tender spots. Ice the sore spots for 15 minutes, two or |
| hips. If this occurs, you need more stretching in the hip | | | | three times a day. |
| and pelvic area. Or, perhaps you need to rearrange | | | | If you have worked so hard in ballet class or rehearsal |
| the tension at the hips and you will find that you can | | | | that your legs are throbbing, lie down and stick them |
| get your hips level after all. | | | | straight up the wall for a few minutes. It is easy to fall |
| While the feeling of the spin is important and not to be | | | | asleep that way... |
| lost for the sake of good technique, it is still vital that | | | | Whenever you find yourself thinking "how can I |
| you be able to do sixteen, twenty-four, and then | | | | improve..." just go back to the basic, slow motion |
| thirty-two strong releves in retire on both sides, without | | | | movement to discover what classical ballet principle of |
| strain. You need a relaxed neck and shoulders to spot | | | | technique is missing. Regardless of your dance style, |
| properly in multiple turns. | | | | simple ballet exercises done well, build strength. And |
| Especially in pointe shoes, you need to do these | | | | then it is even more fun. |
| repetitive releves, to see that you can stay on one | | | | |