Learn the soutenu turn: the rotation in sous-sus on two feet. With step sequence, head technique (spotting), typical mistakes and a practical safety check.
The honest answer to “What is a soutenu turn?”: it is a half or full turn in which you stand on both feet in crossed fifth position on demi-pointe (sous-sus). “Soutenu en tournant” literally means “sustained turning”. You stay in place, the legs cross, and you rotate on the balls of your feet.
Why do you learn it early? Because it is the first turn where you are not on one leg. Two feet give you a bigger base. You learn what matters later in the pirouette: an upright axis, head leaving last and arriving first.
What research says about turns: in 11 skilled dancers, the number of revolutions in a pirouette depended neither on start speed nor on the other measured variables, but on how much the base of support travelled per revolution (r = 0.873) [2]. Trying to stand perfectly “nailed down” makes you more likely to lose balance. The study was about pirouettes, not soutenu – but the principle applies: a little drifting is normal.
How hard is it really? The step sequence sits after an hour or two. Turning steadily on demi-pointe without wobbling or dizziness takes weeks (rule of thumb, no study evidence).
Stand in fifth position, rise to demi-pointe, heels close together, knees straight. Hold for eight counts. Milestone: you stand still without the heel tipping outward.
From the demi-plié (knees gently bent) you take the front leg in a dégagé to the side. The weight follows, you rise to demi-pointe. Your torso stays upright.
The back leg crosses into fifth, both heels come close together. Now you stand in sous-sus. The direction of turn (front or back, right or left) is set by your teacher – practise both directions.
Turn half a revolution on both balls of the feet. The head stays at the focal point as long as possible and then snaps round (“spotting”). Experts name head isolation, timing and gaze direction as the core [1]. The head is last to leave and first to arrive.
After the turn you go softly into demi-plié in fifth position, torso upright, eyes forward. Catch the turn with the legs, not with the torso. Only when the half turn is steady do you try a full one.
As a guide: in highly skilled dancers the standing foot travelled less far when they had a visible reference point [3] – a focal point helps you too.
On demi-pointe with a turn the foot slips easily. Wear shoes or socks with a smooth but not slippery sole and never turn on carpet or a wet floor. If you feel dizzy, stop: look at a fixed point, breathe deeply and take breaks. Stop immediately if you feel ankle or foot pain. Pointe shoes are only an option for soutenu after your teacher’s approval. This description explains and motivates; it does not replace supervised training.
Turn in front of the mirror first without the head: keep your gaze at the focal point until the body has turned a quarter, then the head snaps after. Do that ten times in each direction, then add music. That way the timing of head and body sits in your muscles before it gets fast. (Practical experience, no study evidence.)
Soutenu means “sustained” or “supported”. It describes the position in which the legs are tightly crossed in fifth position on demi-pointe (sous-sus). In soutenu en tournant you rotate on your own axis in this position. It is a turn on two feet.
Use spotting: your gaze stays on a fixed point as long as possible and the head turns late. Experts name head isolation, timing and gaze direction as the core [1]. Keep breathing and turn only half a revolution at first.
No. In a pirouette you stand on one leg; in soutenu you stand on two feet. That makes the soutenu turn easier to stabilise and a good preliminary step to the pirouette. In practice it is often taught before the first pirouettes.
Actively pull the thighs together, keep the heels close and the ribs over the pelvis. A fixed focal point helps; in highly skilled dancers the standing foot travelled less far when they had a reference point [3]. Practise holding without turning first.
No. The soutenu turn is learned on demi-pointe, in ballet shoes or socks. You only do it on pointe after your teacher’s approval. That approval depends on strength, balance and technique, not on age alone.
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