How to Fix Your Pirouette Preparation: Biomechanics & Weight Displacement

Pirouettes are one of the most challenging skills in ballet. As a Certified Personal Trainer and adult ballet dancer, I know how frustrating the perspective of both an instructor and dancer. Not all pirouettes fail because adult ballet dancers have declining balance. Many times the true culprit is having an unsuccessful preparation.

That wobble before you lift, uncertainty about which leg to pick up, or feeling like your turn is unpredictable is not a turning problem. It’s a preparation problem.

If you’ve been searching for tips on improving pirouettes or guidance for beginner turns, what’s usually missing is a clear explanation of how your weight should be positioned before the turn.

Why Pirouette Preparation Matters

Before you spring into your pirouette, your body has to decide which leg will support the turn. Your axis, the point around which you rotate, depends on how your weight is distributed.

I often see adult ballet dancers trying to balance evenly between both feet or waiting until the last second to shift their weight. The result is wobble, instability, and turns that feel unpredictable.

Instead, you need a clear, intentional weight shift that preloads your standing leg and prepares your body for vertical lift and rotation. Research shows that experienced dancers maintain a tighter center-of-mass to center-of-pressure relationship during turns. This gives them more stable axes and control (1).

The 60/40 Pirouette Preparation Strategy

Here’s the key technique I teach my ballet students. Instead of a 50/50 weight split between the front and back leg in fourth position, try placing about 60 percent of your weight forward on your future standing leg and 40 percent on the back foot.

Even this small adjustment can make a big difference.

Pirouettes Are Forward-Axis Skills

A pirouette is not just about balance. It’s a dynamic rotation. When your weight is evenly split, your axis is not established yet. Leaning slightly forward into your standing leg tells your body which leg to commit to and reduces wobble. Dancers who taught to have even weight between the front and back foot in fourth position often have less precise control and more instability (1).

Preload the Standing Leg For the Pirouette

With about 60 percent of your weight forward:

• Your ankle and foot engage before you rise.

• Your glutes and hips stabilize your pelvis.

• Your big toe presses into the floor, anchoring the turn.

This forward bias means your axis is already set before you lift, which reduces horizontal movement and wobble (2).

Pirouette Rotation Generates from Torque

Turns come from torque, not just strength. Torque is how strongly a force causes rotation. A forward weight shift gives you a natural anchor to generate torque through your hips, torso, and arms. If your weight is neutral, it is much harder to rotate efficiently, like trying to turn while balancing evenly on both feet (3).

The Back Foot Supports, It Does Not Push the Pirouette

When dancers stay 50/50, the back foot often pushes them into the turn, which throws off vertical lift. With 60/40, the back foot supports and guides without adding unwanted horizontal force (4).

What Research Shows About Pirouettes

Motion analysis confirms that before single-leg stance and during preparation, the center of mass naturally shifts slightly forward over the standing leg. Dancers with less experience or poor balance tend to shift later, causing wobble. This supports using a slight forward bias to establish a stable axis before rising (1).

Practice this Pirouette Preparation Technique:

Here is how I coach adult ballet dancers to establish this movement pattern:

1. Place about 60 percent of your weight on the front foot and 40 percent on the back foot. The back foot should support but not push.

2. Feel your big toe connect to the floor to anchor your standing leg.

3. Engage your glutes and core so your pelvis feels stable.

4. Begin a slight upper-back spiral to help torque without adding lateral or backward motion. (This does not mean wind up the arms).

5. Rise straight up before you start turning, keeping your axis clear and consistent.

6. Practice this by simply springing to relevé until comfortable adding in the rotational force.

Final Thoughts on Pirouette Preparations

In my experience, the biggest mistake adult ballet dancers make in regards to pirouettes is unclear axis preparation. Many dancers don’t know which leg to pick up because their weight hasn’t committed to a standing leg. Teaching a 60/40 weight bias immediately clarifies the axis, stabilizes the turn, and builds a foundation for clean pirouettes, whether you are just starting or working on multiples.

Ready to improve your pirouettes and balance?

Join the Veronica K Platform Full Turns & Balance Course for step-by-step training routines that refine posture, alignment, turnout, and core stability—while addressing common technical errors and injury risks through expert lectures and demonstrations.

Book a free 1-on-1 ballet movement analysis with Veronica K, Certified Personal Trainer, adult ballet performer, A.A.S. in Physical Therapy, and B.A. in Dance, to receive personalized feedback on your pirouettes and begin targeted training for real, sustainable improvement.

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References

1. Lin CW, Su FC, Lin CF. Kinematic Analysis of Postural Stability During Ballet Turns (Pirouettes) in Experienced and Novice Dancers. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2019;7:290. doi:10.3389/fbioe.2019.00290. PMID:31709249.

2. Blust M. A Comparative Analysis of the Center of Mass and Center of Pressure Relationship in a Pirouette Performed by an Elite Amateur and Professional Dancer. ScholarWorks@GVSU Honors Projects. 2016.

3. Lott C, et al. Margin of Stability During a Single Turn Pirouette in Female Amateur Dancers. Appl Sci. 2025.

4. Taylor J, et al. Modification of Impulse Generation During Pirouette Turns With Increased Rotational Demands. Med Probl Perform Art. 2016;31(4):245–252. PMID:27046934.