Fouetté Turns

Fouetté turns are a spectacular turning step in which the dancer completes one full turn and then whips the working leg out and back in to power each additional rotation. The word fouetté means “whipped,” which describes the fast whipping action of the leg that keeps the turns going. Fouetté turns are famous as a display of stamina and control, most notably in the thirty-two fouettés danced by the Black Swan in Swan Lake.

How Fouetté Turns Work

A fouetté turn usually begins with a pirouette in passé (retiré), with the working foot drawn up to the supporting knee. As the dancer comes around, the supporting leg lowers into a plié while the working leg extends and sweeps out toward second position in a rond de jambe motion. That whipping leg then snaps back in to passé as the dancer relevés onto the supporting leg, and the momentum drives the next turn. Repeating this cycle lets a dancer perform many fouettés in a row without stopping.

Why They Are So Difficult

Fouetté turns demand strong balance, a reliable spot, and great endurance, because the dancer must stay on one spot while repeating the plié, extension, and relevé over and over. The whipping leg has to time perfectly with the rise onto the supporting leg, and the arms and head must coordinate to keep the dancer turning cleanly. Because they combine turning, extension, and stamina, fouetté turns are an advanced step that dancers work toward after mastering solid pirouettes.