What You'll Learn
- The fundamental mechanics of landing safely with knees over toes
- How to engage the glutes and hamstrings for power in turned-out positions
- Techniques for coordinating the arms and triceps to maintain balance while jumping
- Basic footwork drills for glissades, jetés, and assemblés
About This Video
Welcome to your journey into the world of allegro! At Broche Ballet, we believe that jumping is one of the most exhilarating aspects of dance, but it requires a solid foundation of technique to ensure longevity and safety. This introductory class focuses on the fundamentals of petite allegro, providing you with the essential drills needed to take flight with confidence. In just ten minutes, you will build the strength and muscle memory required for more complex movements like the grand jeté.
Safety is our primary concern when it comes to jumping. We begin by dissecting the mechanics of a proper landing. You will learn the critical importance of keeping your knees tracking directly over your toes and maintaining an upright torso during every sauté. By mastering the transition from air to floor through a deep, controlled plié, you protect your joints and build the necessary resilience for a lifetime of dance. We also cover how to keep the body balanced and centered, ensuring you remain stable throughout the exercise.
Power in ballet comes from more than just your feet. This session dives deep into muscle engagement, exploring how to generate force from underneath the leg. When dancing in turnout, your gluteus maximus and hamstrings are your primary powerhouses. We contrast this with how the quadriceps function when the legs are parallel or turned in. Understanding these anatomical nuances allows you to jump higher and land softer. Additionally, we focus on the upper body, practicing how to engage the triceps and maintain a strong connection through the armpits to provide stability mid-air.
Finally, we apply these principles to specific steps. You will be guided through the mechanics of a glissade—a fundamental gliding step—and introduced to the concepts of the assemblé and jeté. By the end of this class, you will have a clear roadmap for developing a powerful, safe, and graceful jump. Whether you are practicing in a home studio or a professional space, these drills are the perfect way to build your allegro technique from the ground up with Broche Ballet.
