Piques & Pencil Turns: Intermediate Jazz Lesson Plan #1

This first week of my intermediate jazz syllabus is intended to help dancers to level up from beginner turns to more complex rotations. Once your dancers have strong pirouette technique on their single turns, you can introduce different leg positions, like pencil or coupe.

When doing any pirouette across the floor, I always have my dancers land their turn in second on relevé. This helps build strength and stability to add on additional rotations. It also helps prevent bad habits like falling out of turns early.

Note: If your dancers aren’t ready for these turns, I recommend starting with my Beginner Jazz Lesson Plan on Pirouettes to ensure strong foundations before moving forward.

Teaching Piques & Pencil Turns

• Skills they should already have: Single pirouette, Chaine, and Soutenu
• Core Training
  • Do not overlook core training when you are working on turns with your class! Assume that this class is their only opportunity to develop those muscles – core exercises need to be a part of the regular class schedule if you want good turners. Take 5 minutes each week to do a simple ab workout or some activities across the floor (details below).
  • Typically, I’ll create a simple ab workout to a set song (ex: 4 eight counts of regular sit ups, 4 eight counts of side crunches, etc.).
    • The goal is by the middle of the year I can just put on the song and they know the exact sequence of exercises.
    • Sit ups, side crunches, V ups, planks, leg lifts, side plank, lemon squeezes
  • You can also make it more “fun” by going across the floor or even making it a relay or some other challenge.
    • Inchworms to plank / push up across the floor
    • Crab walks
  • I also do passé / balance challenges to see who can hold it the longest! I give the winner a sticker and the kids love it.
• Teaching Pencil Turns
  • Pencil turns are really popular right now in jazz and contemporary choreography! In my opinion, that is because the position is easier to hold / clean than a traditional coupe, which requires your foot to be connected to your supporting leg.
  • With that being said, I like to teach pencil turns before coupes.
  • The process of teaching pencil turns is very similar to teaching pirouettes:
    • Break down the “pencil” position of your working leg
      • Straight leg & pointed toes, leg is lifted about 2 inches above the ground.
    • Explain preparation process: Tendu to second, plie in fourth, push up to pencil hold.
    • Practice balancing pencil position. Try left side for alignment.
    • Move on to half turns on the right side, then a single pencil turn.
    • Pro Tip: Have them land their single pencils in second on relevé! This builds their control, balance, and strength so they can work towards adding another rotation.
• Teaching Pique Turns
  • A pique turn is traditionally a ballet move, but it is used often in jazz choreography and is now considered a fundamental skill in both genres of dance.
  • Review terminology with class. Pique means to “prick” with your foot, stepping onto a straight leg.
  • Breakdown a pique prep on the right side:
    • Start in fifth position with right foot in front. Keep hands on hips
    • Tendu right foot to the front, plie the supporting leg
    • Rond de jambe your right leg to second
    • Step (or “prick”) onto your right leg, en relevé, bringing your left foot into passé in the back (connected big toe to the back of your knee).
    • Hold passé en relevé, then close in fifth with the right foot in front.
    • Add in arms: “T” and “O”
    • Repeat several times
  • Once they can do the rond de jambe to passé correctly, you can add the turn.
    • It’s more of a 3/4 turn than a full single!
    • Once you are in passé, you’ll turn towards the inside
    • When you hit the corner of the mirror, you bring down the leg in passé (left leg), land in fifth, then tendu your right foot to the mirror to start another turn.
      • No one wants to land in fifth anymore! (Kim K reference) I see so many dancers rushing through this step and just shooting their leg out to the front to start another turn. Watch and ensure your dancers are quickly closing in fifth in between each pique turn.

Lesson Plan: Piques & Pencil Turns

Activity	Description	Notes
Cardio	4×8 jumping jacks; 4×8 high knees; 4×8 jog in place	Keep energy high with an upbeat track.
Core Training	Sit ups/crunches, V-Ups, lemon squeezes, side crunches, planks, etc.	Create your own ab routine to a set song that students will repeat every week
Standard Jazz Stretch	Straddle, plank, flex/point feet, cobra, shoulders/wrists, neck
Leg Holds on Floor	Laying on your back, have dancers lift one leg at a time and hold. Flex/point, bend knees, etc
Splits	Right, left, and middle	Watch hip alignment! Keep shoulders square to front
Heel Stretch / Tilts	Start in Tendu second, bring leg up to hand (holding inside of foot), bring leg up to a heel stretch.	Challenge: Try to let go of your leg and hold it! Then slowly lower
	Practice tilting over to the side
Pirouettes	Pas de bourree step prep to fourth, facing the front. Hold a balance and land in second on relevé. Repeat with single, doubles, then back to balance. Repeat left side
Pencil Turns	Pas de bourree to fourth. Hold balance in pencil, repeat with single and double. Repeat left side	Look for high relevés!
Pique Chaine	Pique, chaine, step prep in fourth to a single or double pirouette (or pencil turn). Repeat left side	Spot changes from side to front
Chasse Step Leap	Chasse step leap across the floor. Repeat left side	Watch heels on those chasses! Keep feet pointed
Short Combo	Create a short combo using skills from class (pirouette, pencil, pique, chaine, chasse leap, heel stretch/tilt)

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