What You'll Learn
- The 4-step process for controlled and explosive grand battements
- How to use floor friction and isometric pressure to increase leg height
- Techniques for building muscular stamina through 8-count combinations
- How to achieve stability in the standing leg during back extensions
About This Video
Welcome to a focused technical session at Broche Ballet, where we slow down the tempo to speed up your progress. Our Super Slow Barre class is specifically designed for dancers who want to master the intricacies of placement and power. By utilizing a deliberate 8 counts each structure for our combinations, we remove the element of momentum, forcing the muscles to engage deeply and consistently.
This approach is one of the most effective ways to build the stamina required for long adagio sequences and powerful allegro movements. The core of today lesson revolves around the grand battement. Many intermediate dancers struggle with leg height or hip stability because they attempt to lift the leg away from the floor.
In this class, we shift that perspective entirely. You will learn that a successful grand battement is actually made of friction and downward pressure. We explore the concept of isometric exercise—creating pressure against the floor without immediate movement—to load the muscles like a spring.
When that pressure is finally released, the leg explodes upward with minimal effort and maximum control. We break this down into a specific four-step methodology: the isometric hold, the downward push, the release, and the controlled return. This ensures that every tendu and grand battement is executed with intentionality.
You will practice standing in fifth position, pushing into the floor as if you were trying to press down on a scale, and feeling how that engagement stabilizes your entire core. As we move through the barre, we apply these principles to movements in all directions. Performing a grand battement to the back requires a unique balance of pushing down with the back leg while maintaining a rock-solid standing leg.
By the end of this practice, you will have a new understanding of how to use the floor as your primary tool for dance. Join the Broche Ballet community as we refine these essential techniques to create a stronger, more disciplined ballet practice.
