Tips and Tricks for Barre

Today I'm going to share some tips and advice to help with barre. I get it, barre isn't always the most fun. In some ways, it can even seem like it limits your ability to move and dance. My goal in writing this post is to help barre become more interesting and useful. 

Barre is not a warm up.

Barre should never be replaced for your warm up before class. The whole point of doing a warm up is so that you will be able to find and activate your muscles while dancing. If they're not warm, you won't be able to actively engage them. Even if you only have three minutes before class, find some exercises that warm you up quickly. I like to do the plank, crunches, squats, etc. It's important to warm up your full body before class.   

Barre isn't a time waster.

Barre can definitely seem like a waste of time, but it's not. If it were, why would every ballet class include it? Barre is vital if we want to dance well in center. It strengthens us, helps us find our balance, and prepares us for center work. A grande battement combination will later help with grande jetes, retire balances with help with pirouettes, etc.

Don't grip or rely on the barre.

As I said earlier, the barre is to help you train for center. If you rely completely on the barre now, you'll be lost in center. It's there for strengthening, support, and training. Only your fingertips should be touching the barre- never grip it. During balances, let go. Trust yourself. The worst that can happen is you touch it, or you come off of releve. Quick taps on the barre are okay once you've let go, but you have to go for it in the first place. 

Don't cheat.

Try not to watch the person in front of you or the mirrors to see everyone else. I get that sometimes you'll forget things, and in that case, I think it's fine to look at classmates or the teacher to figure out what you're supposed to be doing. Otherwise, try to remember the combinations on your own, which requires paying close attention to the teacher when they're giving the combination. It will increase your confidence and trust in yourself, and other people will notice your self-confidence too. 

Don't compare yourself to others.

This doesn't just go for barre, but comparing yourself to others is dangerous. Not only can it affect you mentally, but it can also lead to injuries. If you're trying to get your over split as high as the girl in front of you, you could tear muscles... and that's just one example. Know your limits and do your best. If you see someone doing something you would like to be able to do, ask them how they got there, and what tips they can give you.  

Stay on your toes.

Keep the weight in the balls of your feet- never lean back on your heels. This will especially come in handy during quick combinations, such as frappes and petite allegro. 

Use your upper body.

One reason why barre can sometimes feel like you're not really dancing is because you're not using your upper body. Tilt your head and use facial expressions. Use your port de bras. If you're moving your arm from first to second, reach out and make it flow smoothly. Make fast combinations dramatic, and slow ones graceful. I promise you, your teachers will notice it, and it can definitely help when auditions, casting, and level promotions happen.

Push yourself at barre- never relax.

Do your best, even at barre. Sometimes we reduce the amount of effort we put into barre, especially since we do it for every class. It helps me when I think about the long-term benefits that might happen if I do my best now. You could get better roles for a production, you could get promoted to the next level sooner, and plenty of other things. Put your all into every combination now, and it will pay off later.

Keep it interesting.

The last tip I have for you is to keep barre interesting. At least for me, barre can get boring if I don't put effort into making it fun. For me, simply pushing myself as far as I can makes barre a lot more exciting. I love actively thinking about the muscles I'm using, my turnout, etc. Some people might have different methods to keep it interesting though. Using your port de bras and facial expressions can make barre much more exciting. Listen to the music and match your dancing to it. Instead of thinking of barre as just a preparation for center, consider it as dancing. Express your emotions and the music through the entire class- warm ups, barre, center, and choreography. 

Dancing4Jesus

Psalm 149:3~ Let them praise his name with dancing. (NIV)

Contact me here: dancing4jesus20@gmail.com