What You'll Learn
- How to maintain proper leg alignment from hip to toe during a single-leg relevé
- Techniques for pressing through demi-pointe to improve ankle stability and prevent sickling
- The integration of fondu and relevé to practice controlled descents and balance
- Strategies for centering the head and hips to maintain a vertical axis on one leg
- Drills for practicing relevé through à la seconde and first position
About This Video
Strengthen your foundation and elevate your technique with this targeted 5-minute ballet drill from Broche Ballet. In this session, we dive deep into the mechanics of the single-leg relevé, an essential skill for developing the stability required for pirouettes, adagio, and petit allegro. The class begins with a focus on parallel alignment, using plié and stretch sequences to warm up the metatarsals and calves.
This foundational work ensures that your body is properly stacked before adding the complexity of turnout. As we progress, you will learn to navigate the transition through demi-pointe, emphasizing the importance of pressing the heels forward in the same direction as the big toes. This alignment is crucial for preventing sickling and ensuring a strong, vertical line.
A significant portion of this tutorial is dedicated to the relationship between the fondu and the relevé. By alternating between these two movements, you will learn how to maintain a calm, centered upper body while the legs execute powerful, controlled rises. We explore relevé through à la seconde and first position, challenging your balance as you pick up the working leg into various positions.
Throughout the exercises, you are encouraged to frame the body with the arms and keep the hip in line with the head, fostering a sense of closing the legs from top to bottom. This mental imagery helps calm the nervous system and allows for more precise control during demanding balance work. Whether you are an intermediate dancer looking to refine your technique or an advanced student preparing for pointe work, this quick-fire drill offers the repetitions and technical cues necessary to transform your stability.
Incorporate these single-leg relevés into your daily practice to see a marked improvement in your overall strength and confidence at the barre and in the center.
