Tips for Doing Multiple Pirouettes in Pointe Shoes

The pirouette is a beautiful and challenging move in ballet. It requires perfect balance, speed and agility. The ballet dancer must practice for a long time to achieve the speed and strength it takes to perform multiple pirouettes. In the early 1800s, the pointe shoe was created; it allows dancers to turn on their toes rather than the balls of their feet.

  1. Balance

    • The most important aspect of doing multiple pirouettes in pointe shoes is to achieve the right balance. The pointe shoe forces the ballet dancer to stand completely on her toes. Achieving the correct balance is essential to keep the ballet dancer turning once the turn has started. When you spin a top, it must be straight on its axis of rotation to achieve a long and balanced turn. The same goes for the ballet dancer: the base of the dancer, including the legs and hips, must be strong to support the turn. Then the proper balance can be achieved.

    Spotting

    • Once you begin you turn, you must remain balanced. But you can get dizzy from the spinning. You have two options to reduce this effect. First, you can keep your head straight up and look at a spot in the ceiling. Second, you can spot certain people or a certain area in the audience. As you turn in the pirouette, away from the audience, you can snap your head around before your body makes a full rotation and look back at the particular spot you have chosen. This will keep you from getting dizzy.

    Fourth vs. Fifth Position

    • When you turn in a pirouette, it requires a certain amount of momentum. It's best to start out practicing with the fifth position, which begins with one foot directly in front of the other with your feet touching. It offers less momentum than the more difficult fourth position, which requires you to put one foot about 12 inches in front of the foot on the ground. But starting your pirouette from the fifth position will allow you to practice your balance and movement. Once you have mastered these, you can move on to the more eloquent and challenging fourth position.

    Spinning

    • In order to do multiple pirouettes, you must be able to keep moving. This means you cannot lose your balance or speed. To keep moving in the pirouette, you must be able to keep your body as straight as possible on the axis of rotation. To achieve this, lift your body and bring your arms in so that all of your body's weight rests on the axis of rotation. This will increase your speed and keep you moving as you attempt multiple pirouettes.