How can I imrove my foites? (Spelling?)?

Question

How can I improve my foites in dance? Sorry about the spelling.

Answer 1

just practice at the Barr ask your teacher to teach you and work on your pirouette turns hope this helps I'll do it to goodness knows I need help with my fowoettes too . my spelling is bad too

Answer 2

I believe you are referring to "fouetté (fweh-tay')" which means "to whip; a movement on one leg that requires the dancer to change the hip and torso direction while maintaining the leg direction and position."  The only answer I can give you is to practice, practice, practice!  I know that probably wasn't the answer you wanted to see but, unfortunately, it is the only answer  there is, especially if you understand how the movement is supposed to be executed.  

As a younger dancer attempting to perform fouettes, I found myself crying in front of my dance teacher as I continued working on the movement and falling off balance every single time. I guess I was hoping she would feel some sympathy for me and would tell me to stop.  Of course, she didn't tell me to stop; I was doing what she wanted me to do--practice--so why would she tell me to stop.  My tears didn't make one bit of a difference to her :O). Today, although I still practice the movement on my left side, executing the movement on the right side is much easier, of course.  So keep practicing.  With time the movement will become easier for you.

Answer 3

do a lot of releves. and do 32 turns from fifth (you may have to start with turning every other one, or every fourth and work your way up to doing 32 consecutive turns). make sure, if you're doing the kind where you open to the front first and then to the side, you open to the croise (sp?) corner, then get all the way to second before pulling in. make sure your timing is right, you don't want to releve before you're in passe and you dont want to be in passe before you releve. make sure you're spotting correctly. make sure your arms are supported from your back. and make sure your back is helping you turn.

Answer 4

I'd say first make sure that you can stay up for at least 2 seconds at the end of a single pirouette. Then, go to the bar, and with one hand on the bar do a pirouette, stay up, and then go through the fouette motions without turning. Make sure that you're placing yourself correctly and that you're not too far forward or too far back, and make sure your standing leg isn't turned in.

Eventually, you can work up to doing the actual turn at the bar, and then you can take it out to the center. Then you'll have the basics, and after that you'll just have to practice like there's no tomorrow.

Answer 5

Hi Dancing Darling,

Fouetté is a very general term meaning "whipped", and used to describe turns, basic movements, and the quality of a step.  Most likely you are referring to fouetté rond de jambre en tournant, typically called "fouetté turns".

When fouetté turns are being attempted or observed for the first time, they can seem intimidating.  However, they are wholly a mind over matter ordeal and can be easily performed if executed correctly.

Firstly, never begin to learn any step, particularly not a difficult step such as fouetté rond de jambre en tournant, in pointe shoes.  If you are en pointe, always primarly attempt a step en flat.  It is dangerous to try to balance and correct oneself en pointe if the sensation of achieving the step correctly en flat is unknown to the dancer.

I do not recommend starting at the barre.  If the dancer starts learning a step or movement at the barre that is intended for the centre, he or she becomes habitually and excessively reliant on the barre.  Start en centre.  Some teachers prefer fouetté en tournant to start as a pirouette (from fourth into a pirouette to gain momentum, then the leg swings out and comes in again when facing en fasse), and some prefer to start with the leg devant, swinging al a seconde and bringing to possé.  The latter is much more difficult, however it is generally not the choice of the student which preparation they are to perform.  In short, ask your teacher which preparation they prefer.

As you go up into the possé position when you turn around, always straighten out and relax all muscles excepting the abdominals.  Tensing the muscles causes them to become denser and contract, meaning more weight is focused on a smaller point of the body.  This causes the body to tip, and therefore try to compensate, throwing the posture and alignment off.  Always keep all muscles relaxed.  An exception to this is the abdominals.  Your abs are spread evenly across the body and also in turn passively assist the posture.

Pull up as if a string were running from the center of the top of your head to the ceiling.  You will be able to turn and balance much better and you will carry grace, giving the illusion of a more flawless technique, which is always a plus in auditions and shows.

Always get completely up on the relevé, it helps you turn better.  This may come across as a paradox, seeing as a higher relevé seems to cause less surface area on which to turn and a slower reaction time should you fall.  However, a low relevé throws off the center alignment of your body and your body attempts to compensate.  You will fall right over.  Also, it puts more strain on the calf muscles, and you will become overbuilt and tired very quickly.

Taking a quick intake of air right before you go up into possé and right before finishing into fourth will assist you in eliminating wobbles and hops, as well as help you pull up and turn faster and more securely.  Don't make it sharp or violent, because it is the tendency of the body to pull back very sharply with a violent gasp of breath.  Instead, make it quick but gentle.  The body will react minimally this way.

Hope that helped.  Remember, always feel free to contact me with further questions.♥

Answer 6

I learned them when i was 10 and now i'm almost 12 and I still cant do them that well!!! I would practice them at the bar

Answer 7

lol hey,

well i would suggest u practice them at the bar.  Just keep going over the movements, slowly, and make sure you hitting the right movements at the bar without turning.  once u got that down pact, try doing the same in the center without turning but rather hitting the right positions.  If you are able to hold ur balance in the middle, and able to hit the right positions one step at a time, you should be able to do the full turn.

This helped me out alot, hope you get what im trying to say.  Good luck =)