What You'll Learn
- The mechanic of flexing the back foot to create height and drive in traveling bourrées
- How to coordinate the 'flick' action to initiate smooth lateral movement en pointe
- Proper execution of pas de bourrée combinations starting from tendu croisé
- Maintaining calm upper body placement and arm control during fast footwork
- Transitions between piqué, tombé, and chassé to improve center-floor flow
About This Video
Progressing from the barre to the center is one of the most exciting milestones in your pointe journey. In this 37-minute class from Broche Ballet, we dive deep into the essential mechanics required to move from beginner to intermediate pointe work with confidence and grace. Our focus today is on the intricate footwork of the bourrée and the fluid execution of the pas de bourrée, ensuring you have the strength and stability to travel across the floor en pointe.
We begin by breaking down the mechanics of the traveling bourrée. One of the most common challenges for dancers is achieving the necessary height and speed; we address this by focusing on flexing the back foot to bend at the ankle, which creates the drive needed to launch into the step. You will learn how to 'flick' the back foot to initiate movement and use the first step to catch up with your center of gravity. Throughout these exercises, we emphasize keeping the hands and port de bras calm, allowing the focus to remain on the precision of the toes.
Transitioning into center combinations, we explore the pas de bourrée and its relationship to other foundational movements. You will practice sequences involving tendu croisé, tombé, and piqué to build a comprehensive vocabulary of movement. We also discuss spatial awareness, such as arranging your space for the left side after a chassé back. By focusing on the sequence of tendu croisé front, over-cross, and coming down through a controlled plié, you will develop the muscle memory needed for more advanced choreography.
At Broche Ballet, we believe that once the technique is mastered, these movements become incredibly fun and fast. This class is designed to give you the technical tools—like proper body alignment and relevé control—to stop thinking about your feet and start dancing. Whether you are polishing your basics or preparing for intermediate center work, this session provides the targeted practice necessary for every adult pointe student.
