What You'll Learn
- Techniques for stable pirouette rotations and relevé balance.
- Fluid transitions using tombé, pas de bourrée, and soutenu turns.
- Coordinating port de bras and allongé with complex lower body movements.
- Maintaining proper alignment and turnout during traveling center combinations.
- Improving weight transfer and movement quality in steps like the chassé.
About This Video
Welcome to an engaging 20-minute center practice designed to help you transition from the stability of the barre to the freedom of the floor. In this session with Broche Ballet, we focus on the core elements of center work that define a dancer’s grace and control: balance, rotation, and fluid coordination. The class structure is meticulously designed to build upon foundational movements, ensuring that dancers of various levels can find both challenge and refinement in their technique.
We begin by breaking down the mechanics of the pirouette and the preparatory steps required for a successful turn. You will practice the tombé pas de bourrée sequence, a staple of ballet choreography that requires precise weight transfer and timing. The instructor guides you through the feeling of a soutenu, explaining how the upper body creates a continuous, flowing turn that the legs simply 'ride like a wave.' This focus on the connection between the core and the extremities is vital for developing the stability needed for more advanced center exercises.
Beyond turns, this class places a heavy emphasis on port de bras and the use of allongé to lengthen the lines of the body. You will work through combinations involving the chassé and relevé, learning how to maintain proper turnout and alignment even as you move through space. The instructor provides constant feedback on movement quality, helping you to find the 'breath' in your dancing. By the end of the lesson, you will have a deeper understanding of how to integrate your arms and legs into one cohesive, expressive performance. We conclude the session with traditional bows and curtsies, honoring the discipline and artistry of the ballet tradition. Whether you are practicing in a studio or a home space, this class offers the professional guidance needed to elevate your center work.
