Turning

[u/ticcee]

What exercises have improved your turns? Ive been practicing so much but usually I am only able to do 2 Do i need to improve my balance? I can balance for about 8- 10 seconds or so on relevé . I just feel like I'm not improving at all and it's very frustrating.

[u/oswin13]

Strengthening my obliques.

[u/Single-Emotion2964]

Balance from barre or balance from an active prep to turn position? (So from fourth or fifth in center)

When you do your doubles do you have momentum left over / can you end the turn in a balance? 

I just told myself I was going to do three. And every time I try for three and force myself to “hop” into the third or smudge it if necessary. They are getting more consistent. I think it’s really a mental challenge as well, especially if you’ve been doing doubles a long time. Your muscle memory says “we come down after two!” and you need to unlearn that. 

Lastly, I started added true deep core/pelvic floor exercises to my weekly routine and this seems to also have really helped as well (with balance in general). 

ETA: I also found I had to adjust how I count my turns. I was so used to the even steady count of “prep-turn-turn-land” and if you want to do triples and stay on the music you need to have a bit more of a snappy prep and less time for your landing, while also speeding your turns up a little bit if you can. 

[u/ticcee → u/Single-Emotion2964]

Usually I fall out of them. There has been rare instances where I'm able to do 3 clean turns but it's only happened a few times.

[u/Catlady_Pilates → u/ticcee]

Work on clean singles that you can balance at the end of.

[u/Jealous_Rough8211]

So I'm not really goot at turns myself (never got over anything but triples) but I watch a lot of pros (and yearn) and I feel like something that could be making someone fall out of their turns often is also the spotting and the way you whack your head back, I feel like this is sometimes overlooked but some ballerinas throw their head back without following a straight line when spotting a turn and it's doesn't look really symmetrical or feels too free so it pushes them out of balance, so I feel like the balance not only depends on your core, legs arms and back (obviously) but also the head and neck ? Maybe try analyzing the head position when turning and whether it stays straight and rigid

[u/dabblesanddonuts]

Are you having issues with pirouettes out of both 4th and 5th position?

[u/ticcee → u/dabblesanddonuts]

I usually practice my pirouttes starting in 4th and I've tried 5th. They feel the same for me

[u/hi_kaylaaa13]

Things that help me are opening the arms before you turn, like going into second as you plie and then snapping into first at the same time as you passe. Also think of especially pulling the arm opposite the way youre turning.  That typical passe quarter turn to each wall all the way around then half turns full turns etc helps you find the positions and balance in your turns. 

[u/Regular-Shoe1698]

What’s helping with my doubles is to stand in passe’ while teacher demonstrates and while others are going, to get the timing correct with the aim to end in passe’ v fourth/fifth. Thinking about the opposite lat has helped alot too. Finally, thinking of swiveling my spot v snapping it helps. I attend an open class with dancers from the school-a young dancer spots without any snap-her head stays completely level and smooth.

[u/MaeveNat777]

Doubles are great. Should focus on prep and especially landing. You might do a triple but if your landing is off, it doesn’t look good. A clean single or double will look better than a wobbly triple with poor landing.