Beginner Ballet Class 2
Good evening ladies and welcome back, good to see you all again. I hope you’ve been practising hard.
Last week I’m sure you remember we danced to music from famous ballets. This week I’ve been in rehearsals not only for a ballet but also musical theatre and I’m in a rather musically mood so I think we’ll go for a musicals theme this week.
I’d like to start of with a warm up in the centre before we head over to the barre so if you could all find a space please.
This will be to the circle of life from the lion king:
www.youtube.com . . .
Start in parallel, feet shoulder width apart arms loosely at your sides, standing tall, weight on the balls of your feet.
We are going to start off just breathing in time to the music. 4 counts in, 4 counts out.
When the singing in English starts, continue breathing in time. But we will start working on our arms as well. As you breathe in lift your arms out to the sides until they are above your head, continue the circle they make on the out breath so they come back to the beginning. Repeat, then reverse twice.
Start again from the arms. But this time when your arms go up, you rise up onto demi pointe.
This should take us to the chorus.
Now sway to the right letting your arms drift across your body to the right, then to the left, and to the right again but this time circle your arms up over your head and back round. Then repeat form the swaying but to the left. Repeat right again, then left again.
Grande plie in second, (4 counts) arms in second. straighten right leg(4 counts), left stay in fendue, and twist body and arms to right so in arabesque, return to grande plie and repeat to right, then to left, then to right.
Great job, I know that wasn’t very balletic but hopefully it’s got you a bit warmed up.
Now move over to the barre for plies. To think of me from phantom of the opera:
www.youtube.com . . .
Start with the left hand on the barre feet in first, right arm in bras bas. You start as the singing starts.
Demi plie and stretch (4 counts) – with a breathe of the arm
Port de bras the arm to second, 4 counts
Grande plie and stretch 8 counts with port de bras to first
Rise (1 count) lower (1 count)
Degage foot to second(arm to second), close in first, degage to second, place in second – each movement one count
Lower arm to bras bas (2 counts)
Repeat in second, then in third.
In third instead of degage close, degage next position, do: degage forwards close, second (arm to second) close behind, second close infront.
Then. Tendue right leg forwards and full port de bras forwards and come up to standing straight again (hand should be obove the head, right leg still forwards)
Bring in the leg as you rise up and turn to face the back with the other hand on the barre, slowly open arm to second. Tendue left foot to second, close in first, lower arm.
Repeat all on the other side.
Ready for a work out? Lets do some developpes, to close every door from Joseph:
www.youtube.com . . .
When you are doing developes no matter which direction you are going in make sure you are turning out the leg, especially when you have the knee of the working leg bent, really push the knee out to the side. And try to lift from the thighs.
Start in third, right foot in front, left hand on the barre.
This music is in ¾ time so I will be counting in 6’s. You start as the singing starts.
6 counts to develop right leg, so 3 to raise right toes to left knee then three to unfold. Arm should be mirroring leg, so 3 counts to 1st, then three to second.
Hold for three counts, lower on four, close slowly 5 and six. (and close arm)
Repeat to side and back.
Then still at the back 2 count develop (one count to bring toes to knee, one to unfold) to the side. Bring toes into knee again (one count) and unfold to front (one count) lower (one count) and close (one count)
Rise and turn towards the barre to face the other side ending in third left foot infront right hand on the barre. Full plie.
Repeat everything except the full plie.
I’d like to do some work on core strength so if you could come out into the centre we will do tendues to all that jazz from Chicago:
www.youtube.com . . .
It’s got some talking and stuff at the start, ignore all that. I think to make it as easy as possible we’ll start when she starts singing.
To not wobble you need to really make sure you are pulling up on the supporting side.
Okay start in third, right foot in front arms bras bas. In this exercise unless otherwise stated you have one count to tendue and one count to close.
Raise arms to first, four counts, open left arm so in third, matching feet.
Tendue right foot forward twice, then to right, opening arm to second, close foot behind lowering arms. Repeat on other foot.
Take arms to 1st arabesque – one count
4 tendues to back (right foot)
4 to side crossing over – you need to do two which close in the same place so you end with the left foot in front – take arms to second.
Arms to thrird, right in 1st left in 2nd 4 tendues forwards.
Slowly open right arm to second, grande plie and port de bras to take up the whole ‘all that jazz’ bit. – you should start tendueing again on ‘skidoo’
Then repeat on other leg, but not plie. Just bring the arms down to bras bas.
If you would like to you can repeat the whole thing again, but I don’t know about you but I find long tendue exercises get very boring. Four done right would be nice then 100 with rubbish technique.
So make sure you are really pointing the feet like we discussed last week going through flat, demi, stretch and back. And turning out from the hips.
Okay now, port de bras to edelweiss from the sound of music:
www.youtube.com . . .
This will also be counted in 6 but it’s quite a fast 6 – the word edelweiss takes 6 counts
Stand in first, arms in bras bas.
Wait 6 counts, then breathe 6 counts.
Raise the arms to 1st 6 counts, then in 6 counts to fourth right arm high, looking along the left arm.
Lift off the roof and open to second (6 counts)
Lengthen and lower to bras bas (6 counts)
Repeat on other side.
Repeat on both sides again, this time peeping under the raised arm and following the finger tips of the raised arm as they lower.
Great job, make sure your elbows are lifted, thumbs tucked away, and your arms keep moving. Maybe try watching yourself in a mirror.
Finally, we’ll do a little pirouette preparation, next week I will want to work on our pirouettes so let’s get ourselves ready.
For this we will use it’s a hard nock life from Annie, you start when the singing starts:
www.youtube.com . . .
Start in third, right foot in front, arms bras bas
This song has an upbeat, so count one is on the word life.
On life releve, arms in first. – one count, come down into a plie –one count
Into retire – one count (arms to third – right in 1st) down to plie one count
Into retire again, arms in 1st as though your were going to turn but don’t – one count stay there for two counts, close behind.
Repeat on other leg, then on both sides again.
I’m sorry class was short, Unfortunately I’m not too well I hope I’m better next week so I can do some better exercises for you.
Ballet_Baibe
