Walking into a ballet class where the students are poised with straight backs, one arm poised gracefully to the side, and one foot resting lightly in line with the barre may seem like something out of a dance movie, but it's a common sight in all ballet classes. Barre work is the important foundation on which ballet technique is built. By learning not just the basic movements, but understanding how to perform them slowly and with correct posture and balance will help you become a better dancer. Barre exercises are especially developed to train and strengthen the muscles in both your back and legs so that the more complex ballet movements appear effortless. The grace, balance and poise of a ballerina doesn't come from her clothing, or length of time she has danced, but rather the amount of focus she has put into her barre work.
The Basic Exercises
The first barre work exercise that most ballet dancers will learn is a plie. Performed in either first or second position, this is either a demi-plie where your feet hold position with your heels flat into the floor, while the knees bend outwards, or a grand-plie where you should raise your heels off the floor. The most important thing to remember here is to keep your back straight as your knees bend. Don't be tempted to bend forward.
Tendu Front -Put your feet in 3rd position and slide the foot of the non-supporting leg forward. Your toes should never leave the floor. Once you have extended the leg as far forward as you can, slowly slide it back to the starting position. A variation of this is known as the Tendu side where you begin in 3rd position and slowly slide the non-supporting leg out to the side until the toes are fully pointed and just touching the floor. When returning the foot to 3rd position, the foot should be placed behind the foot of the supporting leg.
Degage: Almost identical to tendus, degage exercises can also be done to the front or to the side. Once you extend the pointed foot at the end of the tendu, lift the foot slightly (remember to keep your toes pointed) from the floor. Return it to the floor and then slide it back into third position.
Grande Battements - this exercise takes the tendu to a further level than the degage. Instead of lifting the leg only a couple of inches, in grade battements, you slowly raise the leg to hip level before slowing lowering it while still pointing and extending the foot, then return to the starting position. Grande Battements can not only be done in a forward or sideways direction but also behind - but when doing them behind you must take extra care to keep your back straight.
Barre work may not seem the most exciting part of your ballet dance class, but it will help you build a body that can move with greater flexibility and balance. Focus on your posture and your breathing as you carry out the slow precise barre exercises - you'll find you become a better dancer for it!
The Basic Exercises
The first barre work exercise that most ballet dancers will learn is a plie. Performed in either first or second position, this is either a demi-plie where your feet hold position with your heels flat into the floor, while the knees bend outwards, or a grand-plie where you should raise your heels off the floor. The most important thing to remember here is to keep your back straight as your knees bend. Don't be tempted to bend forward.
Tendu Front -Put your feet in 3rd position and slide the foot of the non-supporting leg forward. Your toes should never leave the floor. Once you have extended the leg as far forward as you can, slowly slide it back to the starting position. A variation of this is known as the Tendu side where you begin in 3rd position and slowly slide the non-supporting leg out to the side until the toes are fully pointed and just touching the floor. When returning the foot to 3rd position, the foot should be placed behind the foot of the supporting leg.
Degage: Almost identical to tendus, degage exercises can also be done to the front or to the side. Once you extend the pointed foot at the end of the tendu, lift the foot slightly (remember to keep your toes pointed) from the floor. Return it to the floor and then slide it back into third position.
Grande Battements - this exercise takes the tendu to a further level than the degage. Instead of lifting the leg only a couple of inches, in grade battements, you slowly raise the leg to hip level before slowing lowering it while still pointing and extending the foot, then return to the starting position. Grande Battements can not only be done in a forward or sideways direction but also behind - but when doing them behind you must take extra care to keep your back straight.
Barre work may not seem the most exciting part of your ballet dance class, but it will help you build a body that can move with greater flexibility and balance. Focus on your posture and your breathing as you carry out the slow precise barre exercises - you'll find you become a better dancer for it!
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