Balanchine Barre

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There are many varieties of schools (methods, syllabi) of classical ballet. Each has a particular strength which might be lacking in others. In the Balanchine school, for example, to lengthen muscles and to move with accuracy and speed is, in fact, the major goal, and to achieve this goal, Balanchine created a school that is still today known for its extremely fast petit allegro movements which cover more space then any other. The Balanchine School is also known for its use of “over-crossing”, in which the dancer performs all excercises to the front and back using the center of the body both front (belly button)and back (spine) as the guidelines. Following, is the standard order for most basic barre exercises. The order should not be rearranged since there is a systematic warmup of the musculature of the body, in preparation for center work and later on, choreography.  Not warming up systematically is cause for major injuries, since the body has to be coaxed into the balletic "turnout "  as it is not an organic position.

1. Plies

2. Battement tendus

3. Battements degegages

4. Rond de jambe par terre

5. Battements fondu

6. Rond de jambe en l ‘air

7. Battement en cloche

7. Battement frappes

8. Battements developpes (and related adagio movements)

9. Petit battements

10. Grande Battements

Optional: Stretches (Vaganova and Balanchine stretches are incorporated into the basic barre)

Optional: Fast degages or releves facing the barre.