Turning Like A Top

“Dancing faces you towards Heaven, whichever direction you turn.”

-Terri Guillemets

Turns can be a struggle if you are attempting to do them on an unfamiliar surface. Typically a studio contains all the same flooring, therefore you become accustomed to that surface for turns, and when attempting to turn on anything other than it, your turning capabilities seem to differentiate. In order for a dancer to have their turns under control, they must learn to adjust to any surface and still contain consistent turns.

Turning can differ by surface, for example, you may be used to turning on wood, so when you try to turn on Marley it is more difficult, and uses more of a push, because Marley is a stickier surface than wood. Gym floors all differ tremendously, and can also be struggle some. If the gym recently had wresting mats down, the floor is more neutral, not super sticky, but also not too slick. If the gym floor was recently used by volleyball or basketball it tends to be stickier, and in need of a greater push to get rotations around. Finally if the gym floor was just swept and cleaned it will be very slippery and turns may not have much control. A dancer has to know their floor to enable them to turn like a top.

There are always tricks to get better turns, no matter the surface, a dancer can train their body to turn anywhere. It takes practice and several attempts, but it's learning what positioning your body needs to be in for the best results. A trick that I have learned is applied to the dance shoe, and that is either water or deodorant. If the floor is too sticky for your liking, it's easier to make your turns more slippery by applying deodorant under your turning shoe and then rubbing the shoes together, transferring some deodorant to the opposite shoe while leaving the majority on the turning foot. The other application can be used on the use of floors that are overly slippery. The option for a slick floor is to use water to tighten up the turn, or I know gross, but licking your hand and putting it on the shoe. It's a little bit gross, but if need be in a hurry it is very efficient. The last option that can be applied to a dance shoe to make it stickier is spraying perfume on the bottom. It pulls the shoe’s bottom together tighter, and makes the turn seem fresher as if the shoe is brand new.

Some stages are just too slippery and not ready to be performed on by dancers who are going to be doing a mass amount of turns. In order to take away the chances of a slip some directors may take cola bottles and pour them across the floor. It’s reliable on making the floor less slippery, but don’t take my word on the mess, stink, cost it may result in.

Keep turning like a top and practice on various dance floor surfaces to build up your muscles and releve in order to perform on any floor. It takes a lot of work, but you can use some of these sneaky tips and tricks to help you along the way.

~Julia Brewer