This photograph illustrates the incorrect execution of a Battements Tendus. A Battement Tendus is both the commencing position and the concluding position of a grand battement and is often used as an exercise to force the insteps outward. The foot which is working (that which is not stationary on th...
This photograph gives an example of a position plie en Cinquième. This position is basically fifth position with the bending of the knees, down into a plie. Like before where the dancer has made mistakes with the positioning of the body in fifth position these follow into plie en Cinquième. This h...
This picture shows the feet in fifth position. Fifth position is the most common of the five basic foot positions and involves the toes of the front foot being equal with and touching the heel of the back foot and vice versa. When in fifth position the dancer’s arms may be positioned above the hea...
I’ve been doing ballet for 6 years now (I’m about to turn 16) and all my dancing life I’ve had the same problem. When I plie, even if it’s just a demi in first, and especially if it’s a grande in fourth, my knees hurt when I come up. This can’t be good. I’ve...
I’ve been doing ballet for about 13 years. I’ve just started doing a dance which is much more modern and I have to stand with my feet in parallel. As I’ve been doing ballet for so long im really finding it hard + i really don’t want to lose my turn out! Is there ways [...]...
The position in this photograph is a deviation of first position and is again a basic movement. For this movement to be executed properly, the free arm (that which is not resting on the barre for support) should be held gracefully in front of the body. The elbow must be lifted, and not allowed to [....
When I’m doing a develope to the front or side, I can get fairly high. However, my teacher tells us to “lift from under the thigh, not from the quad”, and I know I’m lifting from my quad because that’s what’s sore after class. I’ve tried for a year now to fi...
First position is shown in this picture. First position is instrumental as it is this position with which many ballet movements both commence and conclude, in addition to being the first position taught to a young ballerina. This position involves both the knees and the heels being kept close togeth...
The diagram at the left shows the Fifth position or Cinquième of the arms en haut. Fifth position is important when learning ballet as it provides a basis for many other arm movements. This involves lifting the arms above the head and having them form a soft oval shape in the air referred to as [.....
In the following days I will be posting a series of ballet lessons for you to learn from. These will cover different elements of ballet and should be quite helpful to you. Feel free to post comments and let me know what you think of them. I would like to say a big thankyou to [...]...