Every ballerina dreams of dancing the part of the Black Swan, famous for her 32 consecutive fouettes. First, you must learn the basic turns, starting with the pirouette. As in all ballet, lift and posture is the most important part of the step, but it is the balance factor that tends to throw off many dancers. There's a lot of complicated physics happening in a pirouette, but teaching your body what to do with these forces can help ensure your success.
En L'air
At the barre, practice releve in tendu, degage and attitude. For example, tendu devant from each position with the right leg 10 times, lifting to pointe or demi-pointe each time. Repeat with the left leg, then degage devant with the right leg from each position 10 times the same way. Repeat degage devant with the other leg, then perform attitude devant with both legs. Then go through the whole sequence again, except work a la seconde. Next, repeat the series derriere. Your legs will burn by the end of the exercise, but you'll be teaching your body to maintain a solid center of gravity over one leg, no matter what the other leg is doing.
Balance Shift
One of the most important things you can do to develop a good pirouette is to master the shifting of your weight from your preparatory position to your pirouette position. Work in the center of the floor, because relying on the barre at this point can develop bad habits. Start in fourth position, shift your weight forward, tucking your working leg into retire. Repeat until you master the transfer on both legs, then raise to demi-pointe as you transition into the pirouette position. As you master that, work on pointe transfers. It's very easy to start a pirouette with poor balance initiated by shifting forward too timidly or too forcefully, and you don't want momentum to work against you in such an upright position. This exercise teaches you to subconsciously moderate the balance transfer so you start out on neutral ground, momentum-wise.
Initiate the Turn
This exercise is all about learning the feel of the pirouette without worrying about counting the rotations. In the center, releve from fourth into retire fairly quickly, without over-shooting your balance. Keep your arms in first, and push back with the knee of your working leg until your rotation stops. Even if you've only completed a quarter turn, you've succeeded if you haven't fallen over or dropped your arms. Repeat this exercise en dehors on each leg until you can complete a half turn consistently on both sides, then repeat en dedans. Do not close the working leg when pushing forward. Stay lifted, with your arms stationary and your legs strong.
Master the Momentum
All that's standing between you and the Black Swan now is momentum. Repeat the initiation exercise, moving from fourth to retire as quickly as possible, pushing the working knee backwards the moment you lift your foot. Do not throw too much zeal into the balance transfer or you'll fall forward. As your rotation winds down, lower your working foot into fifth position, and repeat the balance transfer to gather momentum for another rotation, as in a fouette. The goal is to keep you upright and maintain continuity without allowing your form to fall apart. Keep practicing on each leg, both en devant and en dehors, until you can complete a full rotation on a single transfer. Then start in fifth position and take the momentum from your shoulders and core to perfect your pirouette.
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