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How are ballerinas able to spin?
I'm Ms. Crosby at the International Community School. My 1st graders have a few questions and I'd like to share your advice with them. Thanks in advance!
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Raquel’s Answer
Hello Ms. Cosby’s class! I have been a ballerina for 15 years! You learn to spin right from the start when you begin learning ballet. It takes a lot of practice, flexibility, and strength to be able to do the amazing, beautiful turns that ballerinas do. But with lots of practice and guidance from teachers it is easy to learn and get good at them! To do a basic pirouette you use your foot to push off the ground, providing you with momentum for the turn. You put your foot up near your knee creating a nice triangle to help with momentum, you use your arms to help you balance as well as turn your help to keep you balanced and prevent you from getting dizzy.
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Nancy’s Answer
First, you plié (bend) at the knees. Then you’re going to push down into the floor with your left foot as your right foot comes up to touch the left knee. At the same time, swing your left arm from all the way left to all the way to the right quickly. You must keep your face front until the last moment, then turn quickly to the right and being your face back to the front as quickly as possible. That’s called “spotting”. (Look at a spot, turn then go back to looking at the same spot). So many things to think about! It’s ok to make mistakes. Eventually, you will get better!
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Kidest’s Answer
They use their head to lean into the spin. This method is called spotting. Just like using a swing, where you stretch your legs forward to go forward and bend them back to go back. This way you gain momentum to go higher! I believe you will have a great spin, just takes practice!