Master Ballet Technique: Pelvis, Turnout, and Full-Body Alignment

Welcome to a comprehensive technical session with Broche Ballet, where we dive deep into the foundations of classical movement. This 50-minute class focuses on the essential relationship between pelvic alignment, turnout, and full-body posture. Rather than focusing on the feet alone, this session encourages dancers to grow their technique from the center out. We begin with the pelvis in a slight extension, a crucial adjustment that optimizes the rotation of the femur bones and allows for a more functional, active turnout engaged through the calves and hamstrings.

Throughout the barre, you will encounter the 'game of whack-a-mole' alignment. This concept helps you balance multiple technical cues simultaneously: shortening the front ribs to prevent flaring, widening the shoulders to create a broad back, and maintaining a lifted head, all while keeping the hips stable. The class structure includes demi-plié, grand plié, and tendu exercises specifically designed to challenge your stability. By practicing tendus from third position, you will learn to keep the pelvis centered over the standing foot, eliminating the common mistake of shifting weight during leg extensions.

One of the unique highlights of this class is the approach to the grand plié. The instructor guides you to think of the movement as a 'double passé,' focusing on the knees spiraling backward rather than simply dropping down. This visualization ensures maximum turnout and control. Additionally, you will work on the mechanics of the leg in the back, learning the specific muscular effort required to keep the knee straight and the heel planted as long as possible. Whether you are working on your port de bras timing or your standing leg stability during a rond de jambe, this class provides the anatomical insights needed to integrate technical cues into a cohesive, professional ballet practice.