Technique Tip Tuesday:

How to practice spotting to improve your pirouettes, chaînés, and turns of all kinds!
By Lynn Bobzin

One of the first things many of my dance students beg to practice in dance classes is turns. Pirouettes, chaînés, piqué turns, fouetté…the list goes on and on. Dancers love the feeling of spinning. A whirling body in motion requires strength, control, balance and alignment in all the right places. However, one of the most important aspects of turning is also one of the most easily forgotten, and that is spotting.

So what exactly is spotting?

Young Woman Practicing Dance Moves Spotting Spotting is a term dancers use when turning to describe the focus of the eyes. Spotting is finding a fixed focal point in in front of the dancer for his/her eyes to lock onto in order to keep the dancer’s place. Effective spotting can help minimize dizziness after multiple turns.

A favorite book of mine on ballet vocabulary is the “Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet” by Gail Grant. According to Grant, spotting is “a term given to the movement of the head and focusing of the eyes in pirouettes, déboulés, fouetté, rond de jambe, en tournant and so on. In these turns the dancer chooses a spot in front and as the turn is made away from the spot, the head is the last to leave and the first to arrive as the body completes the turn. This rapid movement or snap of the head gives the impression that the face is always turned forward and prevents the dancer from becoming dizzy” (p 113).

Ways to Practice:

Place a small sticker or picture on the wall at your eye level or slightly above eye level. Face your spot marker stand a few feet away, and using small steps, slowly begin turning your body with your eyes focused on the spot. As your body continues to turn, keep looking at the spot over your shoulder. Before your body completes the turn, whip your head around to find the spot with your eyes again. Let your body complete the turn, once again facing forwards.

TIP: Remember to keep your body turning at the same speed. Resist the urge to speed up your body during the turn when your head whips around. Your head must always make it back to the front first!

Check out the video tutorial that demonstrates this exercise here.

Once you feel comfortable with spotting, you can begin to use your plié, relevé and snap to your passé for beginning turns. Start with quarter turns, changing your focus with each new facing. For example, when practicing a quarter turn, place a spot on the wall you begin facing as well as the wall you finish facing, making sure you turn your head from one spot to the other without allowing your gaze to linger in between the two. Work your way up to half turns, and before you know it you are on your way to singles, doubles, triples, and more!

Young girl practicing dance moves Of course practicing at home can never replace the benefits of regular technique classes. If you are interested in learning more about turns or improving your turning skills, a Ballet, Jazz, or Lyrical class would be great to try! Class descriptions can be found on our website and it’s never too late to register for the dance class that is right for you.

Keep practicing your spotting technique, and you will see great improvement in those turns!

Sources:

Grant, Gail. Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet. Dover, 1982.

DanceTutorialsLIVE. “JAZZ DANCE TUTORIAL: Spotting A Turn | Beginner Pirouette Pt 1 Technique w/ Dana Alexa.” YouTube, YouTube, 24 Mar. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltpwOaa5P6Q.

The story of Viking Gymnastics dates back to the 1980s when our Director, Charlie Friedman, began her gymnastics career at the age of eight and quickly fell in love with the sport. What her parents thought would be a weekly activity, quickly became a passion resulting in a deeper commitment to the sport. Her training included traditional gymnastics, ballet, and acrobatic dance.

Owner/Director Charlie Friedman

After competing in both club and high school gymnastics, throughout college Charlie performed with an acrobatic dance company. During her elementary education certification program, Charlie was hired by Niles North High School as a choreographer and assistant coach for the girls’ gymnastics team. Shortly thereafter, she became head coach and started an off-season feeder program for the high school and younger students in the area. That program grew into what is now Viking Gymnastics & Dance.

The early years at Niles North

With budding competitive teams registered through AAU/GIJO and then USA Gymnastics, and a growing recreational program, Viking needed to find a home outside of the high school’s second floor gym. In 2012, Viking opened a bright and dynamic 15,500 square foot gymnastics facility in Niles, Illinois. After successfully operating there for 5 years, it became apparent that a larger facility was needed. In 2017, Viking increased their space to 37,000 square feet and was able to grow areas like their Baby and Toddler program, which allowed for more appropriately sized equipment, trampolines, and exciting obstacles.

Children enjoying themselves at Time For Tots and in a class in the expanded tot area

With the expansion of their space, Viking was also able to incorporate the dance studios that Charlie had always envisioned into their programming. Viking Dance offers Traditional Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop, and a variety of classes for all ages.

Dance has found a new home for all ages at Viking

Charlie and the entire Viking Staff believe that every child can benefit from gymnastics and dance, and they are committed to providing a positive and enriching experience to everyone who walks through their doors.

Monthly Archives: November 2017

Gymnastics and Dance Technique Tips: Spotting

Technique Tip Tuesday:

Viking Gymnastics & Dance – Our History