What You'll Learn
- Maintain vertical alignment and core stability while performing pliés and cambrés in the center.
- Improve coordination and arm-leg synchronization through dégagé and tendu patterns.
- Enhance weight placement and turnout control during transitions like temps liés and fondus.
- Develop sustained adagio strength and balance for movements like développé and enveloppé.
- Build stamina by executing rond de jambe sequences with varying tempos without support.
About This Video
Stepping away from the support of the physical barre is a pivotal moment in any dancer’s training. This 23-minute beginner-level center barre class from Broche Ballet is specifically designed to bridge the gap between stationary support and the freedom of center work. By executing traditional exercises without a barre, you will develop a deeper sense of vertical alignment, core engagement, and independent strength.
The session begins with a foundational sequence of pliés in various positions. Without the ability to lean on a barre, you will learn to find your true center of gravity while incorporating expressive port de bras and cambré. As we progress into tendus and dégagés, the focus shifts to maintaining a steady pelvis and active turnout as the leg disengages from the floor. These exercises challenge your musicality and coordination, forcing the body to find stability from within rather than relying on external assistance.
Weight transfer is a core theme of this class. Through slow and quick rond de jambe à terre, as well as meticulous fondus and temps liés, you will practice shifting your weight smoothly between legs while maintaining proper alignment. This is essential for building the courage and control needed for more advanced center combinations. The instructor provides constant cues on heel placement and preventing the standing leg from turning inward, ensuring that your technique remains clean and safe.
We conclude with a challenging adagio sequence that tests your sustained strength and poise. You will work through passés, enveloppés, and développés to the front, side, and back. Holding an arabesque in the center requires significant back strength and focus, and this class provides the tools to achieve it. Whether you are looking to solidify your basics or prepare for more complex center work, this beginner center barre class offers the structure and encouragement needed to elevate your ballet practice.
