Guest
Let's learn some chaîné turns! Chaîné turns are a fundamental move in several dance classes, especially jazz and ballet. This video will give you a foundational understanding of what a chaîné turn is and how to practice it at home. Part 1: Chaîné Turns Rule number one: SPOT. This helps prevent us from falling on the floor from dizziness. I’m not saying you won’t feel a little dizzy still, but trust me, it’s a lot worse when you don’t spot. Friendly reminder, make sure you spot something in the direction you’re going. Wherever you spot, your body will follow. Before we go any further, I want you to keep in mind that at its core, all a chaîné turn TWO STEPS. Sure, they’re fancy two steps, but nonetheless it's two steps. To make those two steps a little fancier, we’re going to keep our legs straight and our feet fairly close together. You’ll notice that my feet are about hip distance apart and on relevé, meaning my heels are up the entire time. Start by stepping onto the foot closest to the direction you will travel with your arms straight out in second position (ex. If you’re doing a chaîné turn to the right, you’ll start by stepping out onto that right foot). Then, you will immediately step onto the other foot while pivoting your body to the back wall and bringing your arms into first position as if you’re hugging a beach ball. As you continue doing your chaîné turns, your feet should step side-by-side as if you’re turning across a tightrope. A couple thought patterns that can help you get used to chaîné turns: 1) “Right, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left…..” (or, if you're going to the left, “Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right……”) 2) “Open, Close, Open, Close, Open, Close……” 3) “One, two, one, two, one, two......“ NOTE: A lot of times, I see new students taking huge steps when they’re first learning chaîné turns. This will make your life so much harder, especially when you start doing faster chaîné turns. Instead, make sure you keep your feet about hip distance apart, right underneath you. Part 2: Chaîné Step Touch Chaîné step touch is just what it sounds like--a chaîné turn followed by a step touch. Start by doing a regular chaîné turn and then on that third step, instead of starting another chaîné turn, simply do a step touch. (Ex. If you’re starting with a chaîné on the right, it would be Right, Left, Right, Touch Left. Then you would go the other way with Left, Right, Left, Touch Right.) This is a useful way to practice at home when you’re potentially in a more confined space as opposed to having an entire studio where you can travel across the floor. In case you need a refresher on HOW TO SPOT: Subscribe for WEEKLY DANCE CONTENT:
