What You'll Learn
- How to maintain perfectly square hips during devant stretches by adjusting the hip socket alignment.
- Techniques for rotating the torso and chest to support correct shoulder placement in front extensions.
- Proper heel and ankle placement on the barre to ensure safety and maintain turnout in à la seconde.
- Manual assistance drills using the hands and elbows to encourage deeper external rotation.
About This Video
Elevate your technical precision with this focused 9-minute practice session from Broche Ballet, designed to refine your barre stretches for devant (front) and à la seconde (side) extensions. Many dancers struggle with maintaining proper alignment as they gain flexibility, often sacrificing hip squareness or turnout for height. This session addresses those common pitfalls by emphasizing the technical nuances of hip placement and manual adjustments. For extensions devant, you will learn to maintain square hips by pulling the working foot closer to the body and twisting the front hip back into the socket. This structural alignment is reinforced through torso twists that bring the barre-side shoulder forward, mimicking the correct feeling of a devant extension where the chest rotates naturally toward the working leg.
Moving into side stretches, or à la seconde, the focus shifts to protecting the joints and maximizing external rotation. The instructor demonstrates the importance of resting the outside of the heel or ankle on the barre rather than the Achilles tendon, a common error that can lead to injury and poor turnout. You will also learn specific manual assistance techniques, such as using your hands to lift the calf muscle or pressing the big toe down to encourage the body to find its optimal turnout. By utilizing the elbow to gently nudge the kneecap back, you can clarify the direction of rotation, ensuring that your plié and extensions remain technically sound. This practice is not just about stretching; it is about building the proprioception and muscle memory necessary for beautiful, effortless extensions in center work. Join us at Broche Ballet to transform your flexibility into functional strength and clean classical lines.
