Pre-Pointe Barre!

This barre is great to incorporate into your pre-pointe class, or to do at home for extra strengthening. I recommend this set of combos for students between the ages of 11-14, or who have had about 3 years of ballet training.

Students - read through the combos first and make sure you are not attempting steps your teacher has not taught you yet!

Playlist

1. Extended Walks - Rob Thaller Extended Tracks - #2

2. Adagio (Spartacus) - Josu Gallastegui Adagios - #15

3. Extended Minuet (walks 2) - Rob Thaller Extended Tracks - #3

4. Barre. Tendu. Quartet. (from Rigoletto) Joyce hammonn and Steven V. Mitchell A Trip to Italy - #3

5. Barre. Degage. Caro Nome. Joyce hammonn and Steven V. Mitchell A Trip to Italy - #5

6. Close Every Door - Lisa Harris Tendu - #11

7. Battement Degagé (tarantella)- Josu Gallastegui Piano Music for Ballet & Character Dance, Disk 1 - #4

8. Adagio - Josu Gallastegui At Your Request - #14

9. Grand Battement - Josu Gallastegui - At Your Request - 11

Foot Warmup

begin in parallel facing the barre.

Ball, Point,Ball, Heel on the R/L/R/L. 4 half tempo elevés

Ball, Point (and plié), Ball, Heel on R/L/R/L, 8 full tempo elevés. Cross to 5th on last one.

Ball, Point, Ball, Heel (and plié) on R/L/R/L, coupé over on last one. Repeat beginning with the left foot. Last one coupé to 1st position.

4 snakes, 4 reverse snakes.

Plié

in 1st: 3 demi plié, relevé, demi plié, stretch. Cambré in and out. 3 elevés, plié to 2nd.

in 2nd: 2 grand plié, one with a port de bras de hors, one with a port de bras de dans. Cambré into the barre with a tendu, temps lié and cambré away with a tendu. Close in 5th.

in 5th: 3 demi plié, soussus, cambré over and back (fairly fast) Plié and tendu front.

in 4th: temps lié forward, temps lié back, plié in 4th and relevé, temps lié forward, temps lié back. Plié in tendu, cambré forward, stretch the standing leg straight to go back; soutenue and repeat 5th and 4th on the other side immediately.

Tendu with Toe brushes

1-3: tendu front and brush the toes against the floor

4: close in 5th

5: tendu

6: close

7: tendu

8: close plié

repeat f/s/b, then

1: tendu back

2: plié in 4th

3: tendu

4: close

5: tendu side

6: plié in 2nd

7: tendu

8: close back.

reverse from the back, then soutenue and repeat.

Fast Tendu with soussus

Set 1: 2 tendu front, 1 tendu back, 1 tendu front. 2 tendu side closing 1st. 2 tendu side closing front and back. 2 tendu back, 1 tendu front, 1 tendu back. Pas de cheval back, rond de jambe side, close front, tendu close back. Reverse from the back. End in plié

Set 2: plié tendu f/b/s close b, holding balance. reverse and repeat.

Degagé with Relevé

I've published this combo in the past, but it's one of my favorites for pre-pointe!

Repeat en croix, twice; 3 degagé, 4th degagé press to relevé at the same time; balance in extension, soussus, plié, and stretch. Repeat.

Rond de Jambe with Fondu

Set 1: 2 rond de jambe with plié, 4 rond de jambe a terre. 2 grand battement en rond, 1 grand rond de jambe. Reverse de dans.

Set 2: fondu front, fondu side, fondu back, penchée and sustain arabesque; fondu back, fondu side, fondu front and small backbend. Close in 5th with a plié.

Circular cambré from 5th de hors and de dans. Soussus and passé outside leg, extend to attitude back and balance.

Frappé and Rond de Jambe en l'air

1-4: 4 frappé front

5-6: 2 single or double frappé side

7-8: 2 small (45 degree) rond de jambe en l'air

repeat to the back. then;

1-8: petite battement a terre

1-8: petite battement coups de pied in releve

1-4: Surrée devant, extend to degagé

5-8: Surrée derierre, bring to coups de pied and balance.

Adagio

Note - my counts in the video are a bit off! the counts written here are correct.

I love that this adagio doesn't take a lot of space, but is absolutely lovely!

Begin facing croisé devant left foot front.

Preparation: Tendu or chassé to tendu back, de tourné to back corner, temps lié , and close.

1-2: circular port de bras with the arms going downstage to upstage and back to 1st or un bas.

3: downstage arm lifts to 5th

4: upstage arm lifts to 5th.

5: de tourné to croisé devant

6: plié and cambré forward, open the arms as you come up

7: step to soussus and balance

8: hold

1-2: developpé devant (staying on relevé if possible)

3-4: carry ecarté devant

5-6: carry to arabesque, change the arm to 1st arabesque

7-8: small penchée

1-4: promenade de hors to croisé on the other side

5: bend to attitude and cambré over

7: plié and extend the attitude to arabesque

8: lower the leg to a lunge

1-2: circular cambré

3: back foot brushes front to battement efacé devant

&4: pas de bourée over, coupé to tendu efacé derierre

&5: pas de bourée under, coupé to tend efacé devant

&: brush to croisé derierre

6: detourneé to back corner

7: temps lié

8: close. Repeat on the left. Finish facing back corner on right with a full port de bras and lift to 3rd arabesque with a cambré back.

Grand Battement

note - this song is a 6/8 so the rhythm is a bit different. Take your time with the battements.

1: grand battement front

2: tendu

3: close

4: battement

5: tendu

6: close

1: battement

2-4: slightly lower the leg and pulse back up to full height, 3 times

5: tendu

6: close

Repeat f/s/b, then 4 grand battements side. There is an extra set of 6 counts used for transition and preparation. Temps lié and prepare for the other side.

I hope you enjoy!