My problem is that I lose my balence while turning even though I practice balence exercises very often and work my core muscles. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Brooke, have you thought about creating 2-way energy by sending energy down through your releve leg while lifting up through your body while turning? This helps stabilize your position. Also try to notice which way you are falling off balance. This will give you a clue as to what may be going wrong. The preparation for the pirouette or turn is sooooo important. Your weight should already be lined up over what will be your supporting leg and when you take off from the preparation make sure that the force you use to turn does not pull you away from your center axis.
Spot over the left shoulder (if you're turning right) and imagine your focus as a laser beam shooting through the point you are spotting. It takes practice but eventually your brain will adapt.
Try standing on two feet with your hands on your hips. Practice slowly turning to your right while keeping your head over your left shoulder. Keep your eyes focused on one spot. when you can no longer keep your head over your left shoulder let your head come around quickly with eyes still focused on the same spot. Practice this until your head gets used to the action and your eyes develop a strong focus. When you advance to doing a turn (pirouette) apply the same principles.
I have my single down & I am working towards a double. My biggest problem is spotting!!! I can’t seem to whip my head around fast enough or at all. I’ve practiced what you had your girls do in the video (because that’s what my coach has me do), but I record myself and still notice that my head doesn’t whip fast enough.
Two things; 1) make sure you are not tensing or gripping your neck muscles when you allow your head come around and 2) make sure your focus is what pulls you around . Your eyes and head spot over your left shoulder(if turning right) will be the last thing to leave and also the first thing to arrive on the return.
I've been trying to learn how to spot but it seem to make my dizzier and I can't seem to focus. I try to and I'm wondering if you have any tips on focusing better?
You have a delightful way of teaching. I'm a 56-year-old or 56 young dancer who is trying to learn how to spot turn. I've never been able to do a pirouette and I would love to even do one solid pirouette.
Great tips! I LOVE spins but, I think due to having a lazy eye, it's extra difficult to me. I can't be sure but it feels like that cause nobody else in my dance class seems to struggle with spins as much as I. 😞 And spins in my form is the main character (Kathak) and why I was so attracted to it.
My problem is that I'm trying to spot but it's hard to stop when I turn, I'm sure there are other problems with my turns / spots but that's the only thing I can see that's wrong
Try to take it slow. Break the turn down to the basics. Alignment, coil at the beginning, two-way energy in the releve, and a relaxed spot. Try not to put too much force at first.
I started ballet late as a kid and was having trouble with spotting, this video has helped so much, any tips on how to relax my neck when I'm whipping it around?
Just stand with your legs feet straight ahead parallel together look directly front slowly turn your body and look at your self as long as you can meaning turning to the right look over your left shoulder. Just practice this 5 times at your own pace . This will help you understand your balance comes from really focusing on the one spot !
My difficulty with spotting is that, when I reach the point in my turn where I lose sight of my spot, and whip my head around, my head does not move far enough around, and I lose sight of the spot for at least a second or two before I pick it up again. And by that time, I'm wobbling, and on the worst days, already getting dizzy. Do I (can I) improve the amount of rotation in my neck? Or is this a limit of my anatomy that I just have to live with? Thanks for any insight!
Like everything else spotting takes practice. You could start by standing with your hands on your shoulders and just turn standing straight up, no pirouette. Make sure you relax your neck muscles and don't tense. Focus on a spot and practice coming back to that spot. After a while that will become muscle memory and you can graduate to applying that to a pirouette. As far as your mobility, I would suggest gentle neck rolls and stretches. :)
Hi, I have a student who tilts her head when she turns which I am sure is stoping her progressing. Do you have any tips for adjusting this? Thanks for your help.
Is it normal that spotting gets me dizzy, almost nauseous? I find not spotting easier when I do turns. Is it always like that at the beginning, will it et less nauseous if I practice? Please help me, I can’t stand it anymore!
It is normal to get dizzy from turns and normally spotting helps with that dizziness. However it does take practice and eventually your brain will adjust to spotting. It is also easier to control how, when, and where you finish your turns if you spot.
I am a mime dancer, but I also do liturgical dancing at my church. I try to incorporate spins as I call it into my mime dancing. My question is Do I spot the same way as in ballet and How should I spin. (Forgive me of my terminology of movement)?
I used to be a competitive dancer and growing up , and could continue to do pirouettes and piques until I was in my 20’s . No im 43z but since my 30’s and was out of practice, every time I spot my turns I get dizzy by the 3 rd turn. I have great balance but I can’t spot anymore! I feel im wiping my head too fast! Could that be the problem???? Or is it old age??? Im a good dancer “still” but I just cant spot my turns without getting dizzy ☹️☹️ I’m so sad. Can u give me any critiques or tell me what I’m doing wrong? Or tips ?Thank u!!
Hi! Brenda Gooden actually trained under Ruth Petrinovic too and I know her from the Atlantic Foundation for the Performing Arts. Small world! That's a really interesting question regarding your sight and hearing. I believe that the brain adjusts for sight. For instance Alicia Alonso was practically blind and still dancing. As for hearing, that may affect your balance more. Try breaking your turn down to quarter turns, then half turns, then one complete turn. Analyze what direction you're falling and adjust accordingly. Keep thinking about your alignment - head over supporting shoulder, over supporting hip, over supporting foot. I hope this helps!
@@RPMDance so glad you knew Brenda, too! LOVED her Classes and bright personality! Thanks on the tips on how to improve my turns and balance regarding my hearing and sight! I got a part in Nutcracker as Calvary and have to do SIX, right side travelling pirouettes en pointe!! Am struggling doing them again after all these years! Arrgggg! Wish me Luck! Lol.
Hello Ms. Ale, I returned to this video to review, and received a notification of a second answer from you re: my spotting question. It hasn't shown up on this page, and it's a real cliff hanger to me! :) Can you provide the finish? Thank You! Here it is:RPM Dance replied: "Hi Karen , Thank you for reaching out about spotting ! The good news is it is not your neck ha !! The true secret to spotting is looking over the 2nd shoulder coming from the corner !! So what I
Hi Karen, To continue.... I would suggest you go toward the corner step, step, turn (towards the right). Think of focusing your eyes like laser beams where you are spotting. Remember to keep your head and focus over your LEFT shoulder when you turn to the right until your body turns. Then your focus will pull your head back to the same spot.
My teacher has us moving our arms from first to second, back to first through our turns. In the dance, I am one of six girls turning across the stage. How do I avoid hitting someone with my hands?
If it's a choreographed dance there should be formations throughout the choreography that should be followed. Each dancer should know what their spacing is and if every dancer is following this and is in their specific place (even if you are traveling across the stage) there should be no problems. For instance; you should travel or move in relation to the other dancers not more and not less. So learn the spacing in relation to others as well as learn the choreography.
Mariana, it could just be a bad habit. To break old habits requires you to conscientiously create a new (good) habit. Think of all the times you close your eyes during pirouettes. That is how many times you are reinforcing a bad habit. To erase bad habits you need to intentionally do what is correct over and over until that becomes second nature. Hope that helps.
Nazia Quadir go back to the basics, start from the beginning and turn toward the right while keeping your head over your left shoulder for as long as possible. If you do that your head cannot move faster than your feet.
There are so many resources on the internet to help you out, just like my RUclips channel! I hope that you're able to watch my videos and learn tips and tricks for ballet. I also encourage you to check out my website, where I have more in-depth teaching tools that are far less expensive than an in-person class. Check them out! www.cherylale.com/the-spark/
@@snowflower1638 I'd also recommend talking to some of your local studios about financial hardship scholarships or work study programs! A lot of studios will let you exchange working for lessons. Hope you have started dancing! 💛
Ive been practice for a week since i watch your video, and i still vomit after 2 spins. 2 time spotting and then i cannot anymore. My 2 eyes have diferrent eyesight, one is weaker than the other. Is it the problem that i cannot spot properly??? I feel frustrated everytime i go to my class where every girl already master spinning pique, and im still dizzy after 2 rounds :((
I don’t get dizzy when I turn, so my head stays stationary naturally. Therefore my spotting is very bad and I barely spot, which makes me hard to do quadruple turns. I always remind myself to spot when turning but my head just stays still the moment I turn. What can I do?
Also just as a suggestion, maybe you can help your girls a little on turnout. They could work a little bit of strength. They are lovely really I just want them to improve too along with me ❤️
All about the physics and principles navigating gravity !! Aligning your posture/ Zippers , placement/ bring heels forward to first , not toes back ,and invigorating the body usage with counter resistance
There is nothing revolutionary to see here! This are the common misinformation about spotting most students got in the last 100 years. Spotting is not a reaction, but is an action from the head. It had to be earlier, from soft neck muscles, with a straight face (not swinging the head around) …. Just look up some dancers with a perfect spot…. Sorry - not good enough!
![Hunxho - Ball Forever [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nki9ZTF9Uls/mqdefault.jpg)
My problem is that I lose my balence while turning even though I practice balence exercises very often and work my core muscles. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Brooke, have you thought about creating 2-way energy by sending energy down through your releve leg while lifting up through your body while turning? This helps stabilize your position. Also try to notice which way you are falling off balance. This will give you a clue as to what may be going wrong. The preparation for the pirouette or turn is sooooo important. Your weight should already be lined up over what will be your supporting leg and when you take off from the preparation make sure that the force you use to turn does not pull you away from your center axis.
Brooke Bixby well depends what type of dance shoes you are using ( I use lyrical turners but you can also use jazz shoes
I think I move my head too fast or something because it makes me more dizzy when I try to spot. Is it normal?
Anuskii :) same here!!! i get dizzy when i spot, and its so confusing.
Are u guys getting better with spotting now and can share me some tips? :( its my turn to get so dizzy just after 2 whips. Why??!
Someone said to not turn your head faster than your body
The problem is that I do two,maybe three turns and I already feel dizzy...How to fix that?
Spot over the left shoulder (if you're turning right) and imagine your focus as a laser beam shooting through the point you are spotting. It takes practice but eventually your brain will adapt.
RPM Dance thank you❤
I am an older student and I can't get spotting down.
Try standing on two feet with your hands on your hips. Practice slowly turning to your right while keeping your head over your left shoulder. Keep your eyes focused on one spot. when you can no longer keep your head over your left shoulder let your head come around quickly with eyes still focused on the same spot. Practice this until your head gets used to the action and your eyes develop a strong focus. When you advance to doing a turn (pirouette) apply the same principles.
same...
I have my single down & I am working towards a double. My biggest problem is spotting!!! I can’t seem to whip my head around fast enough or at all. I’ve practiced what you had your girls do in the video (because that’s what my coach has me do), but I record myself and still notice that my head doesn’t whip fast enough.
Two things; 1) make sure you are not tensing or gripping your neck muscles when you allow your head come around and 2) make sure your focus is what pulls you around . Your eyes and head spot over your left shoulder(if turning right) will be the last thing to leave and also the first thing to arrive on the return.
RPM Dance I’ll work on that. Thank you.
I've been trying to learn how to spot but it seem to make my dizzier and I can't seem to focus. I try to and I'm wondering if you have any tips on focusing better?
Morgan Menzak yeah I agree I need help too!!
Oh wow. This helps so much. I focused on my cat sleeping and my mom came in and went, "That spotting is blowing my mind! " Thank you for your help! c;
xKloud
That's GREAT!!! 😃👍👍💕
Whenever I start dancing my cat just wakes up stares at me! 😁
congrats!! this makes me so happy sorry i’m so late haha this was a year ago but i’m just watching the video now
You have a delightful way of teaching. I'm a 56-year-old or 56 young dancer who is trying to learn how to spot turn. I've never been able to do a pirouette and I would love to even do one solid pirouette.
You can do it!
I can help you with this !! Would you like a 15 minute lesson ?
I either focus on the spotting or I focus on the turn. I can’t do both!
😫😫😫
me too!!!!
same it irritates me so bad to the point of tears UGH
Great tips! I LOVE spins but, I think due to having a lazy eye, it's extra difficult to me. I can't be sure but it feels like that cause nobody else in my dance class seems to struggle with spins as much as I. 😞 And spins in my form is the main character (Kathak) and why I was so attracted to it.
Keep working on it. We all have our strengths and weakness. :)
My problem is that I'm trying to spot but it's hard to stop when I turn, I'm sure there are other problems with my turns / spots but that's the only thing I can see that's wrong
Try to take it slow. Break the turn down to the basics. Alignment, coil at the beginning, two-way energy in the releve, and a relaxed spot. Try not to put too much force at first.
This video really made me smile and gave me some great ideas..thanks
I started ballet late as a kid and was having trouble with spotting, this video has helped so much, any tips on how to relax my neck when I'm whipping it around?
Yes !! Release all tension by taking a big breath and exhale before you start your turn !! Let me know if this helps
I tried but it didn’t work for me because my head doesn’t turn fast enough and I loose my balance
Just stand with your legs feet straight ahead parallel together look directly front slowly turn your body and look at your self as long as you can meaning turning to the right look over your left shoulder. Just practice this 5 times at your own pace . This will help you understand your balance comes from really focusing on the one spot !
My difficulty with spotting is that, when I reach the point in my turn where I lose sight of my spot, and whip my head around, my head does not move far enough around, and I lose sight of the spot for at least a second or two before I pick it up again. And by that time, I'm wobbling, and on the worst days, already getting dizzy. Do I (can I) improve the amount of rotation in my neck? Or is this a limit of my anatomy that I just have to live with? Thanks for any insight!
Like everything else spotting takes practice. You could start by standing with your hands on your shoulders and just turn standing straight up, no pirouette. Make sure you relax your neck muscles and don't tense. Focus on a spot and practice coming back to that spot. After a while that will become muscle memory and you can graduate to applying that to a pirouette.
As far as your mobility, I would suggest gentle neck rolls and stretches. :)
Thank you for your advice and fast response. Going to do more practicing now . . . :)
As a "home study" ballerina, this is a very useful video, Cheryl! Thank you!!
Hi, I have a student who tilts her head when she turns which I am sure is stoping her progressing. Do you have any tips for adjusting this? Thanks for your help.
Is it normal that spotting gets me dizzy, almost nauseous? I find not spotting easier when I do turns. Is it always like that at the beginning, will it et less nauseous if I practice? Please help me, I can’t stand it anymore!
It is normal to get dizzy from turns and normally spotting helps with that dizziness. However it does take practice and eventually your brain will adjust to spotting. It is also easier to control how, when, and where you finish your turns if you spot.
I am a mime dancer, but I also do liturgical dancing at my church. I try to incorporate spins as I call it into my mime dancing. My question is Do I spot the same way as in ballet and How should I spin. (Forgive me of my terminology of movement)?
I used to be a competitive dancer and growing up , and could continue to do pirouettes and piques until I was in my 20’s . No im 43z but since my 30’s and was out of practice, every time I spot my turns I get dizzy by the 3 rd turn. I have great balance but I can’t spot anymore! I feel im wiping my head too fast! Could that be the problem???? Or is it old age??? Im a good dancer “still” but I just cant spot my turns without getting dizzy ☹️☹️ I’m so sad. Can u give me any critiques or tell me what I’m doing wrong? Or tips ?Thank u!!
Hi. I am completely blind and deaf on my left side. How can I improve my left turns?! Help!
Hi! Brenda Gooden actually trained under Ruth Petrinovic too and I know her from the Atlantic Foundation for the Performing Arts. Small world!
That's a really interesting question regarding your sight and hearing. I believe that the brain adjusts for sight. For instance Alicia Alonso was practically blind and still dancing. As for hearing, that may affect your balance more. Try breaking your turn down to quarter turns, then half turns, then one complete turn. Analyze what direction you're falling and adjust accordingly. Keep thinking about your alignment - head over supporting shoulder, over supporting hip, over supporting foot. I hope this helps!
@@RPMDance so glad you knew Brenda, too! LOVED her Classes and bright personality! Thanks on the tips on how to improve my turns and balance regarding my hearing and sight! I got a part in Nutcracker as Calvary and have to do SIX, right side travelling pirouettes en pointe!! Am struggling doing them again after all these years! Arrgggg! Wish me Luck! Lol.
Your videos help me sooooo much . Thank you x
You are so welcome, Billie! Happy to help :)
Thanks 😊
Could I apply this to latin dancing too?
Does spotting reduce dizziness or eliminate it altogether?
I’m not a dancer but I really like to dance and I always get so dizzy even if I try to spot
thank you so much you helped me spot
My spot moves from forward to the side when I’m going for my triple. Like my double is fine but I fall out of my triple.
Hello Ms. Ale, I returned to this video to review, and received a notification of a second answer from you re: my spotting question. It hasn't shown up on this page, and it's a real cliff hanger to me! :) Can you provide the finish? Thank You! Here it is:RPM Dance replied: "Hi Karen , Thank you for reaching out about spotting ! The good news is it is not your neck ha !! The true secret to spotting is looking over the 2nd shoulder coming from the corner !! So what I
Hi Karen, To continue.... I would suggest you go toward the corner step, step, turn (towards the right). Think of focusing your eyes like laser beams where you are spotting. Remember to keep your head and focus over your LEFT shoulder when you turn to the right until your body turns. Then your focus will pull your head back to the same spot.
My teacher has us moving our arms from first to second, back to first through our turns. In the dance, I am one of six girls turning across the stage. How do I avoid hitting someone with my hands?
If it's a choreographed dance there should be formations throughout the choreography that should be followed. Each dancer should know what their spacing is and if every dancer is following this and is in their specific place (even if you are traveling across the stage) there should be no problems. For instance; you should travel or move in relation to the other dancers not more and not less. So learn the spacing in relation to others as well as learn the choreography.
I have a lot of trouble keeping it going and not loosing my balance. How can I fix these things?
Any idea on why I close my eyes during pirouettes without noticing? 😂
Mariana, it could just be a bad habit. To break old habits requires you to conscientiously create a new (good) habit. Think of all the times you close your eyes during pirouettes. That is how many times you are reinforcing a bad habit. To erase bad habits you need to intentionally do what is correct over and over until that becomes second nature. Hope that helps.
My issue is that my head moves faster than my legs and feet. How do I fix it?
Nazia Quadir go back to the basics, start from the beginning and turn toward the right while keeping your head over your left shoulder for as long as possible. If you do that your head cannot move faster than your feet.
RPM Dance That really helped, thanks! Any tips for spotting on your second turn? (my momentum carries on way too fast)
I’m not a dancer, but I want to be. The problem is I can’t afford it. I’m almost a teenager with almost no experience. Do you have any tips for me?
There are so many resources on the internet to help you out, just like my RUclips channel! I hope that you're able to watch my videos and learn tips and tricks for ballet. I also encourage you to check out my website, where I have more in-depth teaching tools that are far less expensive than an in-person class. Check them out! www.cherylale.com/the-spark/
RPM Dance Thank you so much!
@@snowflower1638 I'd also recommend talking to some of your local studios about financial hardship scholarships or work study programs! A lot of studios will let you exchange working for lessons. Hope you have started dancing! 💛
When I try to stop I just get dizzier than not spotting at all? I don't rlly understand how to not look at under places while spotting.. anytips?
I can’t seem to get my double turn down could you help me?
I can barely do one because I get dizzy fast and lose balance any tips
the problem with me is that when I Do spot I end in bad balance
I just did a single turn and I’m trying multiple ones
Ive been practice for a week since i watch your video, and i still vomit after 2 spins. 2 time spotting and then i cannot anymore. My 2 eyes have diferrent eyesight, one is weaker than the other. Is it the problem that i cannot spot properly??? I feel frustrated everytime i go to my class where every girl already master spinning pique, and im still dizzy after 2 rounds :((
I don’t get dizzy when I turn, so my head stays stationary naturally. Therefore my spotting is very bad and I barely spot, which makes me hard to do quadruple turns. I always remind myself to spot when turning but my head just stays still the moment I turn. What can I do?
Also just as a suggestion, maybe you can help your girls a little on turnout. They could work a little bit of strength. They are lovely really I just want them to improve too along with me ❤️
I have a good balance but my teacher always tell me that i'm bad at spot and that's why i fall from the second pirouette i don't know how to fix this
I have been dancing all my life and when I spot I get even more dizzy
How do yall ballerinas do this black magic? I do one pirouette and end up lying on my bed closing my eyes trying my best not to throw up
All about the physics and principles navigating gravity !! Aligning your posture/ Zippers , placement/ bring heels forward to first , not toes back ,and invigorating the body usage with counter resistance
So I’ve been practicing my spotting for quite a while now and I get dizzy every time and it kills me is that normal?
Easiest way to learn how to spot is focus on a spot and slowly turn as far as you can then come around
Its hard to spot at one thing, everytime I try to spin more than 5 turns im starting to feel nauseous 😂
This is how I learned how to do my Michael Jackson spin Ngl.
It’s really hard when you’re drunk!
There is nothing revolutionary to see here! This are the common misinformation about spotting most students got in the last 100 years. Spotting is not a reaction, but is an action from the head. It had to be earlier, from soft neck muscles, with a straight face (not swinging the head around) ….
Just look up some dancers with a perfect spot…. Sorry - not good enough!