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The Physics of the Fouetté in Ballet

Introduction to the Fouetté

• The third act of "Swan Lake" features the Black Swan performing a series of challenging fouettés, characterized by continuous spinning on one foot for over 30 seconds.

• The term "fouetté," meaning "whipped" in French, describes the dancer's remarkable ability to spin without stopping.

Mechanics Behind the Fouetté

• To initiate a fouetté, the dancer pushes off with their foot to generate torque; maintaining momentum is crucial as friction reduces speed with each turn.

• An experienced ballerina keeps her center of gravity stable and maintains a vertical axis during spins, using extended arms for balance.

Energy Transfer and Momentum

• During brief pauses in spinning, the dancer straightens her supporting leg forward before bending it again, storing rotational momentum that aids in subsequent turns.

• A skilled dancer can achieve multiple rotations per leg extension by maximizing stored energy through proper leg positioning.

Angular Momentum Principles

• The fouetté adheres to angular momentum principles: angular momentum equals angular velocity multiplied by inertia. It remains constant barring losses from friction.