For my Talisman variation, I'm working on getting 3 or 4 rotations in my pirouettes. I know I am capable of it because I was doing it before - not consistently enough, but also not just once or twice; I got it often.

Now I seem to be in a mental block with them. It is pirouette pique en dehor that is giving me problems. I am only with en dedans (I have 3 or 4 rotations consistently, and am working on progressing to having 4 or 5 rotations consistently).

Anyway, how do I get over this? It's extremely important for me to get these turns. I think - this is how I feel, at least - that I need to just relax more and let myself go, just let the turn happen.

I imagine it in my head and I know how to do it, and then when it comes time for rehearsal it doesn't work out. I think I anticipate the possibility of the turn not flowing, I get nervous about it, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So, it's really good that I recognize that, I think that's a very important step to getting over this issue. But what do I do with this knowledge now? How do I get my turn?

I think I have a fear that I will get to stage and at that moment, I will just not be able to turn. Why? I don't know! It doesn't make any sense. But this is why it is so important for me to be consistent now, in rehearsals, so that when I get to the stage I know that I can do it just like normal and I am confident.

I am sure that's the other thing - maybe I just need to be more confident in my turns!

I am bringing this to YAGP, btw. I have to get to finals. I need these turns.

It's really hard to give advice without seeing you, and I'm assuming that if you're performing this variation at YAGP, you're already quite advanced and any corrections to give would be subtle. That being said, what helped me when I was trying to increase my number of revolutions en pointe (many, many years ago-- I haven't done pointe in ages) was to insist on keeping my working leg absolutely straight and pointed. I realized I was freaking out a bit and allowing myself to come off pointe. But if I focused only on keeping the standing leg absolutely straight and foot pointed, the revolutions happened.

Your alignment doesn't have to be 100% perfect to get multiple revolutions. Obviously the closer to perfect the better, and you also don't want to do a sloppy triple instead of a clean single/ double. But at your stage of training, if your hip is ever-so-slightly lifted, or your ribs are not *quite* over your standing leg, you'll probably still be able to do a nice multiple turn. However, if you're realizing the minor things that are wrong and freaking out, and not insisting on staying on pointe for the entire turn, then you won't finish it. I'm not in any way advocating getting around in turns with faulty alignment, but I think it's very rare for someone to achieve 100% perfect alignment 100% of the time, and if you can learn to get around with 99% alignment 100% of the time, it'll be easier. And part of that challenge for me was insisting on staying en pointe. I hope that makes sense and is helpful.

When you're overcoming a block, I usually recommend to dedicate a good half hour (after warmup etc) and then do pirouettes WRONG...practicing them right is great but then you get a muscle memory of what it SHOULD feel like and then you have to overcome your muscle memory in order to push beyond your comfort level. So, spend a few minutes intentionally doing things wrong: do some sloppy spins (go for as many rotations as you can, without being concerned about technique), do some clean pirouettes trying to fall forward, fall to the right, fall to the left, fall backward. Do unusual preps, do unusual arms. The point is to confuse your muscle memory so that you're starting from as close to a blank slate as you can get. While you're doing that, try and change your mindset while doing pirouettes. Think about kittens for a few minutes, think about what you had for lunch when you were in elementary school, think about as many movies that start with "T" as possible...there's muscle memory and there there are thought patters that are JUST as influential on your turns.

Once you're good and confused, do balances in passe, do double pirouettes, then try triples and quads. The point is that you try and feel a new quality or depth to the movement that you were ignoring before because it wasn't how you are used to "feeling" pirouettes. When I've done similar things for myself and some peers/students, it usually helps at least a little. My favorite was when my friend kept working on pirouettes and she just got worse and worse as she practiced...so I told her to think about kittens and it helped her.

It sounds as if you're rushing. As said above, it's impossible to tell without seeing you, but it does sound that way.

Listen to the music. Slow it down in your head and realize you have all the time in the world. Relax in the center of your turn and then just float to the next one.

My new favorite trick of practicing turns is one I came up with fairly recently and it helped me enormously. I practice any turn with my arms in second. You have to rely completely on your back, core, spotting and legs to get you around. Once you nail going twice around, bring your arms into first for the extra revolutions.

Believe me, if you can turn this way, you'll be so happy to go back to using your arms! The turns will seem really easy. And you'll have worked on what's necessary in forming a firmer foundation.

Let us know how it goes.

You know, when I posted this, I thought I would get the usual, generic answers. I thought, "what the heck," maybe someone will have some suggestions I haven't heard yet. I wasn't sure if I would be wasting my time posting...

But MAN, you guys are GOOD! This is some fantastic advice, none of which I expected to hear nor thought of myself, let alone heard before.

This is gold I'm going to put ALL of your suggestions to use, and I WILL keep you updated with how it goes! I had rehearsal today, but that was before I read all this. My turns didn't come along today, but now I feel armed with this advice and we'll see how it goes!

Some of it was surprising to read, but it makes sense in a backwards sort of way.

Thank you so much! And if it works - well, I won't be able to thank you enough! This all just really lifted my spirits and made me feel confident that I WILL get my turns

If you find one (or more) tricks that work, please share! I don't dance en pointe any more, but still take ballet classes regularly. (I miss pointe very much, but don't have enough time to dance to do it well).

Now I have a question for you-- which ballet is the variation from? I just looked up the variation on youtube, and it's not what I was thinking of. When I originally replied, the variation I had in mind was Cupid from Don Quixote (which I've never danced myself, so am not too familiar with). I don't think I've seen Talisman before, so I'm really curious about where it's from. I hope the rehearsals go well, and that you nail the turn soon. Merde for the competition! When is it?

Will do, Mendel!

The ballet "The Talisman" - choreography by Petipa and music by Drigo - finds its origins in the Imperial Mariinsky Theater, where it premiered on February 6, 1889. The ballet in full is no longer performed, but the pas de deux, known simply as "The Talisman Pas de Deux", remains well and alive; it is not often performed, but you might come across the it in a gala-concert type of setting or, as in my case, at a competition.

It's a really lovely piece, very playful!

Here is the full PDD, in two parts, performed by students of the Vaganova academy:
Part 1: www.youtube.com . . .
Part 2: www.youtube.com . . .

I am only doing Niriti's variation (aka, the female Talisman variation) for YAGP, but I very much hope to have the opportunity to perform the entire PDD this summer when I go dance in Salzburg, Austria.

And thank you very much! Semi-finals are March 9-11. Finals are in New York on April 22-26! I will keep you updated. I must get to finals! Everyone is counting on me, and I made a promise. But the biggest promise of all was to myself I want this so badly!

I wish you all the best in the competitions!! Wow, Austria. Have a wonderful time.

Thank you! Yes, it's very exciting My first step in making the transition to a life in Europe as well as to a professional career in ballet.

I wanted to go to Prague, too, but I could not afford it. Actually, I'm thinking of looking for sponsors, but I'm not sure if it's "ok" :-/

At YAGP semi-finals I will also be performing Medora's first variation from Le Corsaire.