Ports de Bras :

Bras Bas :

Relax your shoulders

Keep your thumbs close to the other fingers

Try not to show the backs of youe hands

1st Position :

Relax your shoulders

Support your elbows

Keep the palms of your hands facing you

2nd Position :

Keep your shoulders relaxed

Keep your arms gently curved with the center of your palms facing the front

Support your elbows

3rd Position :

Not to over-cross the arms in front

All the points made regarding the 1st and 2nd positions

4th Positions :

Those shoulders !

Check your posture - has it sagged anywhere ?

5th Position :

Keep your shoulders relaxed - they will be tempted to lift with your arms

Keep your palms towards you , not the audience

Demi-Seconde

Keep plenty of space and air between your upper arms and your sides

Keep the point of the elbow outwards to create a gentle arc to the fingertips

Demi-Bras

Keep the shoulders relaxed and open

Support the elbows

Place the hands at waist height - no higher !

Exercise for Hands :

Keep your elbows supported while you squeeze and peel your hands. It will make them work harder.

Keep the movements simple , gentle and delicate.

Watch them to make sure.

Exercise for Legs :

Keep your legs well stretched as you roll them in and out

Hold your back and head well

As you lift your leg , look at your foot to see if it is still beautifully pointed.

Demi-plies :

Keep your knees out over your toes

Keep your back straight

It sounds easy but it isn't

Walks and Point :

Keep your head well poised , as if you were wearing a crown

Keep your back upright to match your head

Turn your foot out only as far as your knee can catch up with it !

Sautes :

stretch your legs and feet well in the air , otherwise you might look like a frog !

Land quietly , toes first then heels , with your back well lifted and your knees open .

Galops (sideways) :

Start the first galop with a hop

Bounce !

Keep your back and arms still as you travel

Exercise for Eye Focus :

Keep your head straight as you turn it to the next wall

Don't tilt your body as you turn away from the front or you might lose your balance

Try not to lift your hip in stage 2 to stretch your toes . Push your foot further away instead

Keep all the weight of your body over the supporting leg .

Make sure your hips stay square to the barre

Keep your back well lifted

Make two long, stretched-out legs so your knees do not pop up

This is hard work ! If you get cramp , stop and wiggle your legs loosely against the ground until it has gone

Breathe in slowly and naturally so your movements are released

At the height of breathing in , tilt your head back on top of a long neck . If it has collapsed in a heap on the back of your shoulders you have not succeeded in poising your head and body

As your head gradually lifts up , focus your eyes so you chart the path of your head to the poised position . Do the same on the return journey .

Move your body fully from two legs to one leg

Keep your back and head well lifted to help the transfer

Try not to stiffen up as you do it or your relaxation exercise will have been wasted !

Use your legs and feet fully

Keep your arms and body still

Breathe !

Bounce 1

Use your arms to help you balance

Keep your back lifted and your head poised

Place all your weight over your back leg or the step will look lumbering and depressed !

This may need practice , even if you know it from Primary

Take care not to turn too far away from the audience when standing en ouvert or en croise

Keep the posture well lifted up the back en ecarte - it may be tempted to sag backwards in the position

Push all your weight over your heel as you step forward so you can balance there for a second

Hold your back and head proudly . This will not happen if your elbows have sagged !

Listen to the rhythm and keep in time

Practise the sequence a lot as it is included in your dance.

Press your knees sideways over your toes

Keep your back upright

Keep the movement smooth and even

Don't look down to see if you have got it right

Rises (at the Barre) :

Keep your body on top of your feet

Keep your knees tight

Take care that your heels do not slip away from the barre as you rise by holding the turnout from the thigh

Changements (In the Centre) :

Keep your posture upright

Keep your arms still - don't heave yourself into the air with them

Lower your heels firmly in demi-plie

Echappes Sautes to 2nd (a la seconde) :(in the centre)

Keep your knees over your toes

Stretch your legs and feet well in the air

Keep your back upright particularly when arriving in demi-plie

Maintain good posture

Keep the turnout of your legs feet even

Make the movement smooth

Battements Glisses (at the Barre) :

Keep your body still and square to the barre

Only allow your foot to come off the ground by about 1 in. (2.5cm) . The lower it is , the more clever you have been !

Try not to look at your foot - feel the right position . Your teacher will help you .

Watch those hips !

Exercise for Battements Fondus (at the Barre) :

Support your back as you melt

Press your knees away from each other in the fondu

Squeeze youe legs together gently on the recovery

Grands Battements (at the Barre) :

Throw your working leg without disturbing your supporting one

Keep your back still

Keep your knees tight

As with all other springs , keep your back upright to allow the legs and feet to work well

The origins are to be found at the barre - in battements fondus

Plies :

Make the movement continuous from beginning to end

Don't let your heels pop up ! Only raise them as far as they need to go

Try to keep your back upright while using your arm . You may be tempted to lean towards it

Ronds de Jambe a Terre :

Hold your hips very still - this is an exercise for the leg only !

Pull your legs up tightly and keep them evenly turned

Relax your foot when it arrives in 1st position

Keep your weight over the leg on which you are standing

Retires :

Keep your hips square to the barre to make sure the turnout is even on both legs

Be just as careful , on the quicker retires , to keep the toes of your working foot in contact with the other leg and stretch the working knee fully in between the two

Grands Battements Derriere

Keep your leg behind you

Keep both knees tight

Try not to pull away from the barre

Developpes Devant :

Hold your turnout equally in both thighs

Listen to the music - it will help you with the unfolding

Practise until you can do this exercise with ease. A pained expression is not attractive in a dancer !

Exercise for Releves Devant and Pirouette Position :

Keep your shoulders still

Snatch both feet in on the releve - don't let only one do all the hard work !

As for rises, keep your heels forward to the barre on demi-pointe by holding the turnout in the thigh

Press your knees out on the downward spring into demi-plie

Classical Walks with Arabesque :

Bring your shoulders forward over your supporting leg on the transfer of weight

Hold your posture firmly

Make the longest time possible without making your arabesque look like a cardboard cut-out

Feel elegant !

Triple Runs :

Each run is of equal length and will therefore produce a smooth and fast-moving motion forwards . You should create a draught as you go by !

Keep your arms moving in a clearly defined shape (figure-8 over two triple runs) and in a relaxed manner !

This is supposed to be enjoyable !

Balances de Core (Boys) :

Step out well on the first movement

Make the lifting movement gentle

Finish transferring your arms from one side to the other a little later then your feet to give a sense of continuous movement

Pas de Chat :

Don't just lift your knees to your ears - spring !

Keep your steps quiet , light and stealthy . study a cat !

Make sure the second foot that lifts to retire is fully pointed and that your thigh remains sideways

Jetes Ondinaires :

Keep your "swish" under control . The stronger and lower it is , the more help it will be . A grand battement movements is only useful if you are going to use the step to travel sideways

Avoid heaving with your arms and back . Keep the top half of your body still and leave the work to your legs and feet

Breathe !

Exercise for Grand Allegro :

This is terrific fun to do , but don't let your enthusiasm undermine your control

For instance, keep your arms low and correctly placed

Do not be tempted to kick the first leg too high . Remember the hedgehog effect !

Hop Steps :

Keep the rhythm even

Pick your foot up sharply to your knee and keep your elbows strong and slightly forwards

Travel well - create a draught !

There should be no noise except on the stamps

Grands Battements :

keep your weight lifted upwardes over the supporting leg as you fondu

Keep the movements liquid

Let the music assist you

Developpe a la Seconde :

Lift well through your body (not your shoulders) to assist the control of your raised leg

All the points made before about developpe

In the Centre

Pirouette en Dehors :

Keep your posture firm with the help of your hands on your waist on the quarter-turn

Keep the sides of your neck of equal length so your head does not tilt as your body leaves it behind

The Turn :

Lift your body well on top of the supporting leg

relax your shoulders

Brace the working knee to the side - it will be tempted to fall inwards

Keep your head straights as you turn away from the front

Pas de Bourrees (under) :

Keep your thighs evenly turned out

Keep your posture firm and well supported

Keep your hips and feet en face

Use your head gently from one side to the other , focusing your eyes each side

Glissades (derriere and devant) :

Make good use of your legs and feet to create the lift in the middle

Keep both knees pressed out to the side - no allowing them to get friendly !

Balances on Avent and en Arriere :

All the points made before about balances

Take care not to tilt too far backwards in 1st arabesque

Only lean forward from your waist on the movement en arriere or your back may collapse, with disastrous effects to the outline of your body !

Flying Hops :

Not to shorten your back by lifting your back leg and arms too high

Travel well and with equal distance on the two runs forwards

Do not use too high on these runs or you will cut down the distance travelled and make yourself pop up like a champagne cork !

Snake Steps :

Keep your body upright and between your feet on the rockimg steps

Ease your knees when travelling

Keep the snake step oily and smooth