TECHNIQUE: Barre

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you teach some of the common barre techniques.

Turn out:

“Turning out” translates to rotating the legs out from the upper inner thighs bringing the toes into a “V.” This is an entire leg rotation, not just for the feet. The knees point he same direction as the toes. Be cautious not to  “roll in” placing weight on the inside edges of the feet.

Plié:  

Bend your knees and lower towards the floor, while keeping your heels on the ground.  A “grand plié” is a deeper bend where the heels are raised slowly as you descend towards the floor until the thighs make contact with the calves.

Relevé:  

Rise up onto the balls of your feet, engaging the calves, lifting the heels off the ground to stand on “tippy-toes.” The legs should remain straight in relevé unless otherwise instructed.

Standing:

Keep your spine lifted and long. Lengthen through the crown of the head creating space between the hips and the ribs, while lengthening through the legs.

Jumping:

Anytime an exercise includes jumps, think “catlike feet”. There should be no “stomping” sounds on the landing. Keep the heels slightly up, engage the calves, keep the ankle and foot muscles strong when the feet  touch down on the floor.
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