What You'll Learn
- Key drills for maintaining turnout while balancing in the center without a barre.
- How to utilize your core and port de bras to stabilize your vertical alignment.
- Strengthening exercises involving fondu, relevé, and coup-de-pied.
- Techniques for practicing footwork and balance in small home training spaces.
About This Video
The transition from the barre to the center is one of the most challenging aspects of ballet training. In this 14-minute class with Broche Ballet, we dive deep into the mechanics of finding your equilibrium without the safety of a physical support. Developing a strong sense of balance in the center is essential for every dancer, as it forms the foundation for more complex adagios, turns, and jumps.
This session focuses specifically on the integration of the core and the port de bras. By understanding how the carriage of the arms anchors the torso, you can maintain a steadier vertical alignment. The instructor guides you through a series of foundational drills including tendu, relevé, and plié in center.
These exercises are designed to challenge your weight placement and force you to engage the deep stabilizers of the hip to maintain consistent turnout. A significant portion of the class is dedicated to fondu and coup-de-pied work. These movements require exceptional control and leg strength.
You will learn how to keep the left shoulder anchored down even as the working leg moves, preventing the common "wobble" that occurs during weight shifts. Additionally, the drills incorporate sous-sus and petit battement, emphasizing quick, controlled footwork that builds the reflexive strength needed for balance. Whether you are working in a large studio or a confined home space, these drills are adaptable.
The lesson concludes with techniques for executing small, precise movements in limited spaces, proving that you do not need a massive stage to improve your technique. By consistently practicing these center balance drills, you will develop the confidence and muscle memory required to hold your turnout and find stillness in even the most demanding positions, such as arabesque.
