What You'll Learn
- How to execute a sharp and controlled grand battement with proper target alignment.
- The correct pathway for port de bras to improve upper body grace and shoulder stability.
- Techniques for passing through passé and developpé with verticality and control.
- Upper back engagement strategies to maintain a tall posture during high leg extensions.
- Fluid transitions between tendu, plié, and relevé for better weight distribution.
About This Video
Welcome to a comprehensive and engaging beginner ballet barre session at Broche Ballet. This nearly 50-minute class is designed to help you build a solid foundation through precise movement and mindful alignment. Whether you are returning to the studio or looking to solidify your basics, this practice offers the perfect blend of technical challenge and artistic expression.
Throughout this session, we dive deep into essential ballet movements, starting with foundational plié and relevé exercises. You will learn the importance of landing softly from a plié to preserve energy and maintain fluidity. We then progress into more dynamic work, specifically focusing on the execution and control of the grand battement.
Think of the grand battement as target practice; your goal is to reach your peak position in a snap, feeling the extension from a beautifully pointed foot while maintaining a turned-out leg. A key highlight of this class is the detailed instruction on port de bras. Our instructor guides you through the subtle nuances of arm placement, such as moving the pinky from the bottom to the side, then to the front and down, all while keeping the shoulders stabilized.
This level of detail ensures that your upper body remains as expressive and controlled as your footwork. We also explore the transition through the developpé position, emphasizing that you should not change the direction of the movement as you find extra height. To maintain perfect posture at the height of your extensions, we practice contracting the upper back so the torso does not pitch forward with the leg.
Join us at the barre to cultivate the height, strength, and grace that defines a true ballet dancer.
