A pirouette is a spinning turn performed on one foot, most commonly seen in ballet. The dancer stands on the ball of one foot (often on pointe in special ballet shoes), pulls the other leg up with the knee bent, and spins around one or more times before stopping in a balanced position.

A good pirouette requires strength, balance, and control: the dancer must keep their body aligned, spot a fixed point with their eyes to avoid getting dizzy, and maintain momentum without wobbling or losing their center.

Pirouettes can spin in either direction and range from a single rotation to multiple spins. Professional ballet dancers can execute several pirouettes in a row, making it look effortless, though it takes years of practice. Figure skaters also perform pirouettes on ice, using similar principles of balance and rotation.

Outside of dance, people sometimes use pirouette playfully to describe any graceful spinning movement, like when someone pirouettes across a room in excitement or turns around to show off a new outfit.