ballet with Megan LeCrone

LENGTH: 38 min. LEVEL: Advanced SPACE: Small

This barre is for the advanced dancer or any dancer that wants a full body challenge. It is a warm-up for the day, before a rehearsal, or in preparation for a performance. Taught at a fast pace, it focuses on the articulation and presentation of the legs and feet while keeping the upper body lifted and calm and the core stable.

By approaching the barre with an entire body awareness and a particularly responsive plié to the changes in the pianist’s tempo and rhythm, musicality becomes another important focus in this class.

Megan directly notes some additional thoughts for those taking this class:

“The dancer should use the Épaulment, finding beautiful positions for the neck, cheekbones, and the face in relation to collarbones, back, and the arms (and of course the rest of the body).

You should try to display all the fingers as the individual members they are without creating a floppy aesthetic... this is quite a challenge... And of course, remember to keep the elbows lifted, the arms in front of your torso, and the greatest elongation of the legs, even as you fight for speed and try to remain secure in balances. 

Everything originates from a very crossed fifth, so keeping the inner things and the rotation of the legs engaged is absolutely necessary. 

By the end of the barre the dancer should be aware of their placement, both sides of their body, and feel “on their leg”, so to speak. 

Approach the class with a strong technical purpose. But don’t forget the lyrical and beautiful feeling of dancing to the music from the beginning to the end.

And remember, you are preparing your body to be on display for an audience (if you are a professional dancer) so the way you work should show that you have taken into account presenting yourself in the most strong and beautiful way possible!”

Music: Miro Migliore

Category: Ballet