There is something magical about the ballet. As ballet dancers move around the stage a fantasy world unfolds. That world is filled with grace, romance, and beauty. If you have ever wanted to be part of that world it may not be as far away from you as you might have first thought.
To really make your fore into the world of ballet you will want to begin with some of the basic moves that ballet dancers have mastered. One of the best ways to really start to do this is with the use of a a ballet barre. There are many different types of ballet barres that you can get, but if you do not have the finances or the room for a ballet bar in your home a high backed chair can actually be just as effective.
The barre is used by ballet dancers as a tool for stability. A dancer is able to stabilize their body when working on basic positions and movements of ballet by using the barre.
The eleve is a simple move and also the first one you should work on. This move is just when a ballet dancer raises their body up on the balls of the feet, and it will also do a lot to greatly strengthen important body parts like the feet, ankles and calves. You will need to work on doing an eleve with all five basic ballet positions and once you are capable of that you can start working on a releve in those positions too. The releve is different, because it is when a dancer raises themselves onto the ball of a foot while in a deep plie position.
Speaking of plie’s this is definitely a move that you will need to master. A plie is basically a move where you bend the knees in the various ballet positions. Depending on how deep the knee bend is you may be doing a basic plie or a grande plie. Both are equally important, and should be mastered respectively.
A tendu is another basic ballet move that can be mastered while working at the barre. While perfecting your tendu you are basically standing firm on one leg while stretching out your other leg. When you do this you want to be sure that you end each tendu with your foot in a strong point before it makes its way back to its original position. This move will help to increase your overall flexibility as well as to strengthen your turnout.
After working enough to be comfortable doing a tendu you can then start working on the rond de jambre. This move is not very different from the tendu, but you have to move your free leg on the floor in a semi-circle. Once again this move can be carried out during any of the five ballet positions and it is also among the best exercises you can do if you want to improve turnout. The circular motion is always done from front to back, but once you can easily do that you can start working on the jambe en dedans which is when you move from the back to the front.
Ballet is a complicated form of dance, but it is rooted in the basics. As you work your way through these basic ballet steps you will be building a foundation for yourself that you can expand on as a dancer in the future.
If you are considering taking dance classes in Arlington VA, one of the places you might consider is found at this website, with more info about dance class.
