Exercising at the Ballet Barre

Dancers dressed in tutus or warm-up leggings and leotards stretching at a ballet barre may seem like something of a modern day interpretation of a Degas painting, but the importance of barre work in ballet can’t be emphasized enough. All ballet dancers, whether they want to go on to be prima ballerinas, or are the youngest novice still learning how to tie the ribbons on her ballet slippers, will learn that the barre will be the greatest tool to help a ballet dancer develop the strength, poise and balance that she (or he) will need to create the graceful movements synonymous with ballet dancing.

Ballet Barre Exercises

Plie: The plie is either a grand plie, or a demi-plie, and is usually done in first or second position. In the demi-plie, keep your back as straight as possible, and then bend your knees outwards without lifting your heels from the floor. As you bend you will move gracefully downwards, before rising and returning to your starting position. A grand-plie is similar to a demi-plie, only the heels are allowed to lift from the floor.

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 – this is a continuation of a tendu exercise and movement can be in a forward or side direction. Do the same beginning as with tendu, but once your foot is fully stretched and pointed don’t immediately start to return it. Instead, with the foot still pointed, lift the leg a couple of inches from the floor, slowly replace the toes to the floor, and then return the foot to the starting position.

The next step is to take the extended foot in a tendu, and instead of lifting it a few inches into a degage, you raise the leg (still extended and toes pointed) in line with your hips. This is known as a grand battement and it can be done to the front, the side and also behind. Keep a check that your back is always completely straight, especially with back grand battements where there’s a greater tendency to bend the body forwards as the non-supporting leg goes back and up.

Barre work at first may seem boring and not what you want to do, but put your focus into perfecting the exercises. You’ll find your body not only becomes more graceful and poised, but it will also build strength that will make the more advanced exercises you will learn easier.