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| Illustration courtesy Wikipedia |
We turn with so many parts of our bodies, such as:
--our feet, which push us up to releve and initiate momentum
--our calves, which hold us up in releve to sustain the turn
--our arms, which help give us lift and sustain momentum
--our hands, which help initiate the turn
--our backs, which can initiate the turn as well
--our necks, which keep our alignment from head to toe
--our eyes, which spot and keep us from getting dizzy
--our heads, which help keep our balance
--our torsos, which keep us balanced and lifted during the turn
That's a LOT of body parts! So which one is missing?
Kneecaps? Pull 'em up on the releve!
Chin? Don't let it dip or pull back on the spot!
Elbows? Keep them rounded!
Shoulders? Keep them down!
Derrieres? Engage those glutes but don't grip them!
Which leaves us with...the underarms! With so many other body parts to talk about, we forget about the underarms, the serratus anterior muscles, but they are so important for our turns. They need to be engaged like the back muscles, lifted like the torso, and feel connected to the arms before and during the turn.
How do we find these muscles? Next time you're at the barre, try to do one of the simpler exercises with both hands off the barre and the arms in second. In order to hold yourself in a turned-out position and prevent yourself from falling over while also working the gesture leg, you need to ground yourself in two places: the glutes of the standing leg and the underarm of the barre arm.
How do we know if they are engaged on the turn? You will feel a lift like you are a balloon filled with helium and you will turn as if you are floating. Conversely, if you are aiming for multiple pirouettes, you will feel the rotation like a washing machine, spinning in opposite directions as you reach the arms away from you and snap them back in.
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| Photo courtesy Daily Nothings, cc license |
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