Ballet - The Perfect Point in a Perfect Foot

Ballet is always about perfect technique. Especially in a dancer toes, if a dancer slacks off in their feet then the rest of their body will slack as well. A dancer's feet is what makes them do their wonderful moves, the arms and stuff are just there to help tell the story.  Feet are extremely important in ballet, like Au explains, "Fokine carried his technical and costume reforms further in Eunice (1907). Basing his choreography on his study of Greek vase-painting and Egyptian sculpture, he avoided virtuosic steps such as pirouettes and entrechats. Since the Imperial Theatres would not allow the dancers to perform barefoot as he wished, they were costumed in tights painted with toes. Anna Pavlova, then a rising star of the Imperial Ballet, performed the 'Dance of the Seven Veils'" (73). These choreographers found a way to still allow their dancers to express their amazing point, with point shoes (what they're called today). The point shoe will show all that point with no mistakes. That's what ballet is about, great technique especially great points in feet. I remember my ballet instructor always told me that 'I need to point so hard that it hurts'. Soon I asked him why, and he said 'If you learn to deal with it, then it'll just come natural'. Pointing takes strength in your feet because you're using all your force to make it perfect. That's why ballet was mad, to help with that strength.

This half of the section will help a dancer get that perfect point in a pirouette turn. Pirouette means to spin, so this is a turn tutorial. Au said something about what a dancer should do, and it is that a dancer should be trained with necessary versatility and strength so they can improve their technique (72). So like in the video above I did a pirouette turn in a passé position which is the term used to explain that one leg is on the side of the other leg to help the dancer turn. Another thing to notice is I'm using a turnboard, turnboards help find your center to spot correctly so then it'll be a piece of cake to do without one. Here are my personal steps to follow doing a Pirouette turn.

              Step 1: Practice going up and down on releve and eleve (going up on your toes then go up and jumping from your toes).

              Step 2: Make sure you have your spot that you need to try to look at the whole time as you spin, so then you won't get dizzy.

              Step 3: Get ready to turn either on a turnboard or without it doesn't matter.

                         - Tips for turnboard; don't go on releve on the turnboard unless you're absolutely certain you can do it, if not don't just do what I did on my turnboard.     

                         - If you aren't using a turnboard then when you turn you can go on releve.

              Step 4:  Have your arms in a L position in front of you (right arm out and left to the side if you spin on the left foot).

              Step 5: As you have your arms in the L position, you need to position your feet with the left foot in front and right foot in back.

              Step 6: Turn: as you turn whip your left arm to your right arm in a circle in front of you (imagine yourself holding a ball) with fingers slightly touching. Don't bring your arms to close to your body, make your arms straight. Also bring right foot to left leg

               - Tips: Find you spot and don't take your eyes off of it, like I explained in Step 2.

               - Also you right foot should be pointed on the inside of your left foot as you turn

               - Don't try what I did unless you're comfortable with the turnboard.

And now you just did a pirouette, always be safe and have fun, and start off with one turn then go on to two or three.

Do you think these steps were helpful? Why or Why not? Tips?

          Au, Susan. Ballet and Modern Dance: Third edition. New York, New York: Thames & Hudson world of art, 1988. Copyright