Having strong shoulders in which you can maintain extended arm positions during a turn is important. Shoulder and arm strength can be improved by lying on your stomach with your arms extended in front of you, toes pointed and hips pressed against the floor. With each inhale, extend one arm upward and hold it in that position for 10 seconds. Your head will lift up slightly with each arm as it extends. Repeat this exercise three times on each side.
Turnout is the stance or positioning dancers use in performances and turns such as turns in second. According to Sports Medicine & Science Institute, turnout involves having the weight from the body fall to the thigh and directly through the knee and ankle. This is achieved via external rotation of the hips. Without turnout, dancers attempting turns in second may face issues with balance and experience injuries.
One exercise to improve turnout involves sitting on the floor with the ankle of one leg on top of the lower leg and slowly leaning forward with a flat back, making your leg move to an overcrossed position. This represents the placement of your hips in a turned position standing up. You can repeat the same exercise while lowering yourself onto your back.
Maintaining a lifted leg at a 90-degree angle during a turn in second requires flexibility, which can be gained via several exercises. In one exercise you can sit on the floor with your legs extended to each side and then slowly lower your upper body forward to get your chest on the floor. You can also do a standing exercise where you use a prop such as a chair and rest your leg on it in a 90-degree angle. With your leg extended to your side on the chair, rise to your toes and then lower while simultaneously rounding your arms in front of you to mimic the position of the turn.
When doing multiple turns in ballet, it's easy to get dizzy quickly, which is why it's essential for ballet dancers to spot or keep their focus on one object. This minimizes the opportunity to get dizzy. Though it is difficult to perfect, it can be practiced via several spotting exercises. Start by finding an object in the room you'd like to focus your sight on. Stand on your toes with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place each hand on one of your shoulders. With your eyes focused on the object you selected, begin turning your body down a straight line while turning your head fast enough, making sure you never lose sight of your selected object.