What You'll Learn
- How to find and maintain stability during complex balancing poses like coupé and sous-sus.
- The importance of the 'spiraling' leg rotation in exercises such as fondu and plié for better turnout.
- Refining upper body grace through proper port de bras pathways, including arm extensions and flips.
- Executing en croix patterns with precision while incorporating relevé for increased difficulty.
- Maintaining a centered alignment during passé movements to ensure a strong standing side.
About This Video
Step up to the barre with Julie for a comprehensive 1-hour all-level Ballet barre class that balances technical rigor with encouraging instruction. This session is part of the Broche Ballet commitment to providing high-quality, accessible training for adult dancers, focusing on the fundamental principles that make ballet both beautiful and sustainable. The class structure follows the traditional progression, starting with a focus on loosening the extremities. By shaking out your feet and ankles early on, you prepare the body for the intricate footwork to follow. Julie guides you through the foundational movements of plié and fondu, with a specific focus on the spiraling rotation of the legs. This anatomical approach helps dancers find their true turnout from the hip, rather than forcing the position at the feet.
Balance serves as the core theme for this practice. You will spend time refining your stability in coupé and sous-sus, learning to trust your core and alignment. Julie provides cues on how to take the full pathway of a movement, ensuring that transitions are as deliberate as the static poses. We explore exercises en croix—to the front, side, back, and side again—to build uniform strength. For those looking for an extra challenge, Julie introduces the option to perform movements on relevé, adding spice and testing your vertical control.
Upper body coordination is also prioritized. Through dedicated port de bras sequences, you will learn to extend, flip, and lower the arms with fluid grace, matching the timing of the piano accompaniment. Julie also addresses common pitfalls, such as the tendency to lean away from the working leg during a passé. You will learn to keep your weight centered over the standing side for a more secure and aesthetically pleasing line. Whether you are a beginner looking to solidify your basics or an experienced dancer wanting to revisit the essential mechanics of balance, this class offers valuable insights. By staying focused and avoiding the fear that often accompanies complex combinations, you will find a new sense of ease and confidence at the barre.
