Pilates Meets Yoga

Ballet Barre
Purpose/Order of Each Ballet Barre Exercise?

Can you please tell me the order of the barre exercises in a traditional ballet class?
Can you also give me the reasons of each of these exercises at barre:
-grand battement
-plies
-degage
-fondu
-frappe
-developpe

1. Plies - to bend. used to warm-up your leg muscles and hip flexors for turn-out.
2. Tendu - to stretch. to warm-up the foot and the point. to strengthen the bottom of the foot as it works against the floor.
3. Degage - to disengage. to further warm-up the foot and also the ankle and calf, as the foot, and then the calf work to push the foot off the ground and into the air. No thigh involvement at this time.
4. Rond de jambe - leg circle. To engage the previous muscles as well as the muscles required for turn-out. To improve turn-out, by allowing the rotation muscles in the thigh to work against the resistance of the floor.
5. Fondu and developpe - to melt - to grow. Often combined with small adage at barre. Combinations of one-legged plies with coupe and extension no higher than the knee at first, and then extending higher with each circuit. Teaches one to keep the hips level and apply equal affort to the standing and working leg. Warms up the thighs, and teaches the body to work in unison to the music. Stretches the backs of the legs in preparation for grand battements.
6. (Usually) Grand battements - Large beats. Accelerates cardio-vascular preparedness for center work. Builds strength and quickness. Teaches the foot how to properly push off the ground in preparation for leaps, etc. Maximum push from the floor. Thigh involved as little as possible, so as to not over build the muscles, and the extra weight they bring with them.
7. Petit battery - frappe and battu - Coordinate small movements, and build strength. Build cardio-vascular strength. Exhaust leg muscles in preparation for long leg stretch at barre.
Order is the preference of the teacher, but that is the classical order and purpose. I only touch at the purposes of each exercise, because a book would be required for full explanation.

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BCB Open Studio - Ballet Barre


 

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