The new dance rage at the moment seems to be the ballet turning board. This board also goes by other names like dance turn board, pirouette turning board or just plain TurnBoard.
It seems like this is the must have for any dancer who wants to improve their turns.
Training to do pirouettes in ballet requires focused spotting, a strong core, and correct arm placement. Will the turning board teach a dancer all of this?
The ballet turning board was designed to have very little friction, which allows dancers to concentrate on the individual components of turning, with the option of rising to relevé. The skills learned from using the dance turn board lead to better and increased turns, even when turning without the TurnBoard, or so they say.
So let us take a closer look at the ballet turning board
Kenzie Ziegler TurnBoard (Official TurnBoard)
Kenzie Ziegler who shot to fame on the TV Series Dance Moms endorses the official TurnBoard, and this one can be bought on Amazon for about $35.00. Although this is the official TurnBoard, there are other cheaper options at Amazon that you can also look at.
- New Limited Edition Kenzie Ziegler TurnBoard.
- Designed by Kenzie Ziegler and Developed by Ballet Is Fun.
- Improves Spotting and Balance.
- World’s Most Popular Ballet Training Product.
- Made in U.S.A.
Learn with the Best. Turn with the Best.
The Kenzie Ziegler TurnBoard® uses the same proven design as the original TurnBoard®, with several beautiful additions that reflect Kenzie’s personality. Key enhancements include an engraved Kenzie Ziegler signature on the board, a customised foot pad with Kenzie’s unique logo, and a beautiful pink and glitter finish. The Kenzie Ziegler TurnBoard® helps dancers turn better by minimising floor friction and allowing dancers to truly focus on the sensation of turning.
Ballet Turning Board Pros:
- The ballet turning board or TurnBoard helps a dancer to find their centre.
- The spotting action of the head is vastly improved upon, as the board spins fast and the dancer really needs to get that head moving.
- The TurnBoard increases a dancers confidence to actually work towards multiple turns.
- The dancer learns to feel his or her weight placement while turning and work on correcting it.
- The ballet turning board is designed to minimise friction between your foot and the floor and let you turn faster.
- Using a ballet turning board is a great way to experience the sensation of doing additional turns, and gain confidence as your turns improve.
Ballet Turning Board Cons:
- Is very slippery and you could fall quite hard, so can be quite scary until you get used to it.
- Shouldn’t be used by beginners who can’t even do one turn without the board, or you could injure yourself.
- Can scratch your fancy wooden floors.
- If you are not careful, you turn quite easily on your heel, and this is hardly ever done in dancing. Really concentrate on turning with the weight on the front part of the foot so the upper body can also train accordingly.
- In classical ballet, the turn needs to be done on the toes or demi-pointe, and the TurnBoard promotes turning flat, which may cause problems when the dancer needs to turn without the board. The dancers may start to turn on a low demi-pointe, instead of pulling up onto a high demi-pointe. It is definitely easier to turn on a flat foot than on demi pointe or full pointe.
- Because of turning flat on the board, the weight will need to be adjusted when turning on pointe, and this could cause technique problems.
Just remember, although the TurnBoard can help immensely, there is no substitution for quality teaching from an accredited Ballet Teacher.
In conclusion, if you are having trouble turning, holding your upper body in position or spotting your turns then the Turnboard is for you. Make sure to use it as a tool for your dance journey, not as a substitute for proper training.
For more tips on turns visit: https://dancersforum.com/how-to-pirouette-in-ballet
Learning to dance well takes a lot of work. You have to be committed and passionate about putting in the work. Anything that’s going to improve your dance and give you an edge is well worth implementing.
I’ve never heard of the Turning Board. But then, I’m not into Ballet.
I’m a dancer. I practice Detroit Urban Ballroom. We do a lot of turns and spins, but I sure not nearly as much as Ballet. However, I can see where Ballroomers would benefit from the Turning Board, as well. I think the board will aid in feeling comfortable in your spins allow you to practice good form.
Yes I am sure it would be of great benefit to both Ballroom and Latin American dancers, as it will aid with balance.
I can see where a board like this can improve on persons, turning ability. I know you mentioned it was designed for ballet but I guess it could be used for other dance styles as well if a person requires doing a spin in the movement.
A question I have is there an age limit for kids before they could introduce this type of equipment into their training for dance?
I personally wouldn’t recommend it to children under the age of 10, unless of course they are good turners already and are having many hours of dance lessons each week.
While I’m not really into dance myself, my sister is. She started off training as a child in ballet. And looking at this turning board, I figure that it would have helped her a lot if she had this handy.
Right now though, her focus has transitioned to hiphop. I’m not sure if it will be of as much value to her at this point. What are your thoughts?
Well Paulo, even hip hop dancers need to know how to turn. Any dancer of any dance type will benefit by practising on a ballet turning board.
I’m reading this with much interest because my daughter used to do ballet as a dance/sport. She has stopped and it interest me that there’s a ballet turning board to help ballerinas do good turns. I’m a guitar player and I always love a good tool to help. Yes its not a substitute for coaching to develop good habits but it makes our passion so much more fun. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I agree, it is a fun tool, but in no way a substitute for good training
Wow, I have never seen anything like this before! Back in a day, when I was going to dance classes, jazz and ballet, turning was the hardest part for me. For a very long time, I couldn’t get the principle of how to do it and how to hold your body. And this board seems like a perfect solution, very creative and innovative, awesome for beginners and intermediate! Very interesting concept.
Don’t you just wish we had some of these things available when we were growing up Soby?