1-Hour All-Level Ballet Barre Practice with Julie

Elevate your home practice with this comprehensive 1-hour all-level ballet barre class at Broche Ballet. Led by Julie, this session is meticulously designed to bridge the gap between basic movements and refined artistry. Whether you are a beginner looking to establish a strong foundation or an intermediate dancer aiming to polish your technique, this class provides the detailed cues and professional guidance necessary for growth.

The class structure follows a traditional ballet barre progression, starting with pliés and port de bras. Here, the focus is on maintaining wide collarbones and an open back to avoid caving in the chest—a common challenge for many dancers. By finding this breadth in the upper body, you create the space needed for more expressive and stable movement.

As we move through the session, we tackle more complex combinations including développé and grand rond de jambe. One of the key technical takeaways is the engagement of the deep rotators—the muscles underneath the glutes. Julie explains how to use these muscles to maintain consistent turnout and rotation throughout weight shifts and transitions.

This focus on the under-glutes is essential for achieving a clean, professional line in every position. Stability is another pillar of this class. We introduce soleus rises within the plié combinations to specifically isolate the lower leg muscles.

This targeted work improves ankle strength and provides the stability required for higher relevés and more secure balances in passé or arabesque. Furthermore, the class emphasizes spinal health and artistic fluidity. You will learn to isolate the thoracic spine during cambré and arabesque, ensuring flexibility is distributed safely rather than crunching into the lumbar spine.

To finish, we refine the port de bras by practicing leading with the tricep and shoulder, allowing the hand to move gracefully. Join Julie at Broche Ballet for a session that will leave you feeling stronger and more aligned.