Ballet from zero to pro

Learn ballet posture and body alignment, from hand placement and neutral hips to engaged lower glutes and turnout, ensuring a tall spine, relaxed ribs, and balanced feet.

Explore ballet port de bras from preparatory to first, fifth, and second positions, focusing on finger shaping, relaxed shoulders, and maintaining one continuous arm line.

Activate deep external rotators to turn out from the hips; 70 percent comes from hips, 30 percent from the legs, keep ankles vertical and arches lifted.

Learn the five feet positions as the foundation of classical ballet, focusing on turnout engagement, line alignment from first to fifth positions, and proper weight distribution.

Learn to count music for ballet training using on-beat and off-beat counts, eight and four-count patterns, and the 'and' and 'a' subdivisions, with battement tendu accents.

Identify time signatures, bars and four-beat measures in ballet, with 4/4, 2/4, 3/4, and 6/8 examples. See how allegro and adagio tempos shape battement, plié, and jeté movements.

Learn the plié technique at the barre, including demi-plié and grand plié, to bend the knees with turnout, connect to the floor, and prepare jumps for a high, elegant allegro.

Master the plié sequence through demi-plié and grand plié in multiple positions, coordinating port de bras, tendu, turnout, and knee alignment with breath and posture.

Engage the floor with your feet, maintain a vertical line, and keep the tailbone down during each plié; open the knee in fourth position, rotate forward, and press the heels.

Develop turnout and leg lines with battement tendu, focusing on pointed toes and straight knees. Transfer weight softly from first position, then execute side and back tendu to build strength.

Execute battement tendu to front, side, and back with precise foot articulation and counts, while coordinating arms in second position or on the shoulder, then return to preparation.

Repeat the battement tendu on the left side, pull up your hips, keep weight on the supporting leg, open the shoulders, and open the leg behind your spine to music.

Master battement tendu jeté, also called dégagé, by throwing the leg to 30 degrees with a sharp, floor-pushing action that builds leg strength, sharpness, and prepares for small jumps.

Practice battement tendu jeté as a sequence, adding relevé and demi-point at the end. Focus on preparation counts, balance, and the hands-legs connection to complete the exercise.

Perform battement tendu jeté with music, keep the hips still and shoulders down, extend the leg from the hip with long lines, and repeat on the left side.

practice rond de jambe par terre, a floor circle of the working leg, warming the hips, with battement tendu front and back, en dehors and en dedans, through first position.

Learn to perform the rond de jambe per terre from first to second position, coordinating arm preparation, counts, and alignment, and repeat with the music.

Perform rond de jambe per terre with music to build turnout, a straight supporting leg, and a working leg moving from the hip, while you articulate the feet and breathe.

Master battement fondu by melting the foot to build elasticity and leg strength for jumps, align coupé front and back in course-de-pied, extend to 45 degrees with calf rotation.

Practice a slow battement fondu with sous-sus balance in demi-point fifth position on relevé. Focus on leg connection, mirror checks, and precise arm and hip placement through the sequence.

Practice battement fondu with music, align plié with knee opening to the side, keep hips level and torso squared, pressing floor away as you extend leg turned out.