Turning It Around
Dance Studio Life Magazine, Volume 20, Issue 3, March/April 2015, p.44.
“I can’t turn anymore!” is a lament you may occasionally hear, and a problem many dancers face at some point in their training. This statement means more than “I am having a bad class,” or “I am not on my leg today.” The student knows that her turns have been consistently off for a series of classes, has probably tried some preliminary troubleshooting, and is now feeling very anxious.
Dancers who believe they have lost their ability to turn need to be told quickly and clearly that turning is only one part of their “game”—only one specific skill in a large repertoire of movements for a dancer. A turning slump should not become a dancing slump.
Students who are having trouble turning often magnify the extent of their problems. The off sensation they are experiencing is real but in many cases is simply due to a subtle difference in how they’re approaching the mechanics of their turns. Specific strategies may help get your student back on top of those turns sooner. I suggest having a struggling student start by focusing on one specific area. Ask “Is your core engaged?” or “What is the toe placement in passé?” or “Are you aware of the pathway of the arms?”
Rather than trying to “fix” a slump with a series of corrections in one class, we need to methodically help the student understand what is making her turns succeed or fail, knowledge that will help her regain confidence.
Dancers who have “lost” their turns feel that something is not right or has changed. It often has. A growth spurt, a change in weight, or an unconscious compensation for an injury can cause turns to go south. Whatever the cause, I use the same approach to help struggling dancers through a slump. I encourage them to keep at it; build confidence in other areas of their dancing; remind them that they are not alone; and select one fundamental element of a turn at a time and allow the student to work with it for a series of classes.
The Fundamentals of a Turn
Relevé. Practice the position, alignment, and balance of a turn in relevé, without turning. Focus on the engagement of the abdominals, length of the supporting leg, or shoulders easing down.
Spot. Where is the dancer looking? How is the movement of the head in the spot affecting the alignment in the upper back?
Arms. Is one arm doing all the work? Is there stability in the turning position?
Clean singles. It is ineffective to push for a triple if the single has a fundamental error in the body placement, spot, or use of the arms. Start work here—but do not stay here! As they say, “doubles are the new singles.”
Clean doubles. Double pirouettes are very different than singles. Singles have the feeling of coasting around high on top of a relevé—floating with an ease in the spot. Doubles have a quicker “click” to the spot. They also require more “reach and snap” in the arms.
Spin. Can the dancer spin/rotate/revolve in other shapes, classes, or shoes? Being able to turn in any situation (on any floor, in any costume, with any kind of lights/sets/groupings) is a sign that the dancer can turn successfully and is ready to push for more.
Multiple turns. Knowledgeable teachers understand the technical base must be there before multiple turns can develop correctly. Dancers will feel pressure if other dancers in the class are knocking out lots of turns. Remember to coach your students where they are, not where they wish they were.