It’s typically easier for a dancer to turn to her right while performing a pirouette, so if you struggle when turning left instead, keep practicing the latter. This will aid your concentration and may even strengthen your other side turns, too. When you pirouette, you stretch one arm in front of you — this is the direction to head in.
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to pirouette moves, so it’s easy to get overwhelmed. You can hopefully avoid this by first thinking through the movement and then visualizing it in your mind’s eye. Conjure up the image of the pirouette you ideally want to perform, with the arms, feet and motion just right. By doing this, you’ll know what you want to try to imitate.
It’s not only visualization you need to think of before you attempt a pirouette; thorough preparation is key to the movement as a whole, because if you’re not completely ready, the whole pirouette can go astray. Preparation occurs best in front of a mirror. This way you can check that your feet are flat to begin with and you are completely turned out. Also ensure that both your hips are even, and your pelvis is lifted.
Even when you perform a pirouette well, there’s still room for improvement. When you finish off the movement, it’s important to retain your balance and avoid a messy landing. This can be achieved by going for an extra lift before lowering your passé. As you end the pirouette, you should look out, as if staring into the horizon.
Your legs are an integral part of the whole pirouette movement, and if these limbs aren’t strong or straight, you risk ruining the pirouette. Be careful not to bend your legs, because this will cause you to go astray; instead, retain straight legs as much as you possibly can after the plié. This straightened leg position should be kept in place for the duration of the pirouette, from the turn’s beginning to the last spin. You can practice retaining straight knees by pointing your feet from a sitting position before class.