Foundation of Turning

There are many types of turns. Chaines turns, pique turns, pirouettes, a la seconde turns, foutte turns, then you can take those and do them in different positions or en de dan (turning inward towards the supporting leg) instead of en de hour (rotating away from the supporting leg)... So where do you begin?

 


Every type of turn has the same basic foundations that you need to master. No matter what level of turner you are, beginner to advanced, you still drill and perfect the same concepts. The first thing you must master is how to spot.


Spotting allows you to know where you're going at the end of the turn, and allows you to do multiple rotations without getting dizzy. This is something you have to practice absolutely every day so it becomes a movement you're head will naturally do. A good way to work on this is, every morning stick a bright piece of paper on your bathroom mirror, look at it, turn your body to the right as you continue looking at the paper. Your chin should get all the way to your left shoulder. Then when you can't turn your body any more while still looking to the left, snap your head to the right once again looking at the paper, then let your body complete the turn. Continue this over and over again, gaining more speed. Make sure to do it both directions.


 

To properly do any turn, literally every muscle in your body needs to be engaged. The two vital parts will be your core and your legs. In order to gain muscle strength, you have to work on it every single day. Planks are your best friend. A plank will effectively strengthen almost every muscle in your body. The key is to do them properly. First press your forearms into the floor, separating your shoulder blades, and press the shoulders down engaging the back and arms. Lengthen your neck, keep your eyes in front of your hands so the neck stays in line with the spine. Squeeze your rib cage closed, lengthen the tailbone so the spine is straight, allow the hip bones to come up towards the navel, slightly tucking the hips, and now engaging the entire core. Keep the legs stick straight, and press the balls of the feet into the ground. Now that you're in the perfect plank, hold it. Start holding it for 30 seconds, then take a 15 second breather, and repeat that up to 5 times. The stronger you get, the longer you want to hold. The goal is to get all the way up to 2 minutes.

 


 

Once you master spotting, and have the muscle strength to hold your body in the perfect position, you are ready to conquer any turn. In a standing position, you want to have the same body position as you did in the plank. Shoulders down, seperate the shoulder blades, squeeze the rib cage, lengthen the tail bone, legs stick straight, press the balls of the feet into the floor, then in the position of choice, rotate, using that spot, and there you have it, a beautiful turn!

 


 

Of course there is much more to it, and that's why it's important to go to each and every dance class to gain more knowledge and instruction, but you add these excersises into your daily dance homework, and you will be a turning like a pro in no time!


 


 

Author, April Hamner, has been dancing for 26 years, teaching for 12, and coaching for 5. She was awarded Dancer of the Weekend several years in a row for New York City Dance Alliance. As a captain of her Poms team, she helped her team take 1st in state. Her choreography has won 1st place overall in the Hip Hop category at 2014 Primetime nationals in California. She currently has students all over in the US including 2014 1st place winners University of Minnesota and 2nd place University of Tennessee. She is very excited to spend time with the students of China to help grow cheer dance!


 
 

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