Ballet Exercises at Home

A type of performance dance which was born in the 15th century in Italian renaissance courts, ballet is a dance form which involves many complex dance moves and positions. The history of ballet dancing developed in France, Russia and England and it transformed into a concert dance. Ballet is a very hard type of dance and takes much practice to perfect. Let's have a look at some ballet exercises at home. Find out more information on ballet stretches.

Ballet Barre Exercises

Ask any ballet dancer and he/she can tell you ballet barre exercises not only means the handrail that is used for warm ups, but also refers to a number of ballet stretching exercises that are essential to form a foundation in ballet dancing for all levels. These are some ideal examples of ballet exercises at home.

Plie: One of the most popular ballet barre exercises. Plie means "to bend" in French. It is an important exercise to develop balance. Dancers bend their knees keeping their toes pointing outwards. The more they bend, the more unstable they become. The point is to develop balance. It also helps in keeping the joint and muscles flexible.

Tendus: Dancers practice this exercise to obligate their instep in an outward direction. It also helps to perfect the curves, as it is focused on the movements of the ankle and feet. This is one of the best ballet exercises for legs.

Frappe: It's a movement in which the foot is elevated from a secured position and then straightened. It helps dancers train in strength and balance, as they lift their foot and also strengthen their instep.

Developpe: This exercise aims at the back muscles, legs and abdomen. The dancer lifts the leg up and maintains the lifted position in air while extending the foreleg. This forces the dancer to try to maintain balance. Developpe is one of the best ballet exercises to lose weight. Have a look at some ballet positions.

Fondu: Ballet dancers need to jump high in air and these jumps help to strengthen leg muscles, by the slow bending of knees.

Rond de Jambe: This exercise consists of two sub exercises - Rond de jambe a Terre and Rond de jambe en l'air. Rond de jambe a Terre brings the toe and heel into the same line, which helps to perfect the balance of a ballet dancer. Rond de jambe en l'air unwinds the joints of hips and turns the leg outwards, preparing the dancer for the next dance position.

Ballet Exercises for Beginners

Beginner ballet exercises helps the novice in the field to achieve desired fitness and flexibility needed in this ancient dance form. Let's have a look at some basic ballet exercises for flexibility.

Rises: You can practice these exercises even at home. One of the most difficult aspects of ballet is to have the strength to stand on your toes. Your calf muscles will benefit greatly and you will also excel in maintaining balance on your toes which is very essential while performing ballet.

Ankle Work: Strong ankles help to avoid injury in ballet. Lie down on your back with legs raised up in the air. Point and flex your toes and try to roll your ankles. Performing this exercise efficiently increases both flexibility and strength of your ankles.

Inner Leg Lifts: To perform this exercise, place a regular size chair near you and lie on one side of your body. You can balance yourself on one elbow. Raise your upper leg until it reaches the bottom of your chair. This raising works out the inner thigh muscle which is of great help in ballet and can improve your turnouts in regular leg lifts. This is one of the ideal ballet exercises for flexibility.