I will paint you the scene-Beautiful dancer starts his/her solo, elegant choreography, powerful jumps, and then...prep, turn, disconnected passé, incomplete double pirouette, falls awkwardly out of turns. Just like that points taken away from what could have been a near perfect score.
While there are many reasons dancers "fall out of turns", a disconnected passé is a lead contender. That goes for coupé turns as well. When executing pirouettes the foot (I will get more specific in a sec) must connect to the support leg in order for the energy of the turn to stay towards the center of the supporting leg.
Let's talk just pirouettes in passé...In a turned out pirouette (or ballet pirouette), the big toe needs to rest to the inside of the knee OR the pinky toe needs to sit on the side of the knee. In a parallel pirouette (or jazz pirouette), the big toe sits to the side of the knee. In both positions there needs to be energy in the toe that is connected to the supporting leg to help initiate better turns and a stronger pirouette position. I.E. in turned out pirouettes, the toe presses as the knee rotates out. In parallel pirouettes, the toe presses and the knee squeezes in.
Paper plates are perfect for perfecting perfect passé placement.
(like what I did there :))
Use them either standing or on the floor (see attached video). Place the plate at your ankle and place your toe on the plate. Turned in or parallel (make sure the supporting leg is also turned in or parallel respectively), travel up from coupé to passé making sure to keep your foot pointed.
Check out my video and try it at home or in your studio! Have questions? Reach out lizborom@gmail.com. Oh, and I am now booking for summer intensives, classes, and workshops and I would LOVE to work with you and your studio :)...
Take Care of YOU, dancers,
Liz