How to Learn to Do Fouettes at Home

Fouette turns are the most difficult turns in dance. It takes most people years of dedicated training to learn to do them correctly and then do them well. You can teach yourself to do these at home if you are determined to learn and don't mind a little pain along the way. It will take some time but you can turn like a pro if you want it bad enough.

Stand beside a kitchen countertop or other surface you can hold on to and will have enough room to swing your leg around. Start in first position, heels together, toes pointed outward. Place your left hand on the mock barre. Passe your right leg making sure it is turned out. Extend it forward straight and plie your standing leg (leg left). In one swift movement releve on your left foot and swing your right leg to the side in a la second then immediately bring into passe, turned out. Repeat the plie, extend straight out and releve swing the leg to second, passe. Repeat sixteen times. The switch sides and repeat sixteen more times.

Start again like you did in step one. Passe your right leg, plie your left as you extend your right leg outward. Swing your right leg to second as you releve. Bring your leg into passe and continue to turn around completing a full turn. Catch yourself with your left hand to balance on releve with right foot in passe. Plie, extend and repeat; releve and swing open to second, come into passe and turn. Repeat sixteen times then switch sides and repeat sixteen more times.

Move away any furniture in your dancing area. When you are first learning you tend to move around a lot on turns and can easily kick something when turning which doesn't feel so nice. So make sure everything is cleared away and you have enough room to extend your leg fully in a complete circle. Start in fifth position, right foot in front. Prep sideways, tendu right, then back to fourth position, right foot back. Plie both legs.

Do a double pirouette. Spot the front wall. As you come around to the left corner of the room plie and extend your right leg out pointing toward the corner. Releve and open your leg to second as you open your arms out to second position. Continue to spot the front. Pull your right leg into passe as your body faces the right wall of the room. Spot around to the front again and plie at the left corner, extend your right leg and repeat.

Practice the fouette exercise at your countertop or other mock ballet barre as well as in the center daily. Also, do eleves and releves daily to strengthen your ankles. With a lot of practice and determination you'll get them down and be turning like a pro!