Can Physics improve your pirouettes?

Authors: Margaret Wilson and Jennifer Deckert on behalf of the IADMS Dance Educators' Committee

Successful completion of a pirouette (turn on one leg) can sometimes feel like an impossible task, but understanding more about the mechanics behind the turn may help you find more stability, produce more rotations and have better balance.  There are several principles from physics that are useful in understanding the preparation and turning action in a pirouette.