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Barre Warm-up: Pliés and Tendus

Lesson time 09:18 min

Misty introduces placement principles for proper alignment and shares a series of stationary exercises to practice pliés and tendus. These exercises will help you build strength and prepare for jumps.

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Topics include: Tendus

Misty Copeland

Teaches Ballet Technique and Artistry

American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland teaches you how to build your technique, embrace your story, and own your movement.

Preview

[MUSIC PLAYING] - What you will be seeing in the next few chapters is the way I start my days at the barre. I think that I have a different understanding of the ballet technique than I ever have in my professional career. You know, a plie is a plie, a tendu is a tendu. But it's having a different understanding of how to approach those steps. All of the exercises I'm going to show you at the bar are designed to prepare me for performances. We'll work through technique and build into larger moves that'll execute in the Black Swan Variation. Ballet class has become a meditation and it prepares me to be able to take on all the stresses of what it is to be a professional dancer. You know, I've really found amazing teachers and people that I work with who have gotten me to a place of thinking that less is more. Less repetition, more quality work. I've gotten to a point on stage now where the less I'm kind of moving my body, the more I can save energy and have more stamina. So that's really kind of the basis of what I do daily. So my barre work is pretty simple. I do a lot of it facing the barre, which I think a lot of people would think, oh, that's what children do. You know, when you're five, you start facing the barre. But I think it's a really good way for me to just find the stability, get warm, and then quickly be able to move on and do what I need to do. So we're just going to start simply, like I would do every day. So I usually start in second position and really just go in order of getting my core to feel engaged, and then getting my hips to really be wrapped and strong. And then straightening my knees as much as I can and getting the weight kind of, really, pushed down through my heels. And then I'm focusing on keeping my shoulders kind of locked in and open. And the work that I'm doing is so minimal, because I'm putting so much effort and energy into really just getting all of this set to get me strong and get me ready for the center work. So I do the smallest plies. I've really engaged in keeping everything straight and then up. So it's really small work. But that little movement gets me warm in about 30 seconds. So again, the less repetition and the more quality of plie and work that I do, the better. In ballet, everything works holistically, that means continuously considering each part of your body and how one part is influencing another. As you plie, push your knees back. You want to be careful not to tuck your hips or arch your lower back. Your back, hips, and thighs should stay tightened. Make sure you pull your core in and up. Push your shoulders down and lift your chest slightly up and outward. This will help to push your shoulders back slightly and help keep your middle back straight. Fully straighten your legs by planting your heels into the ground. Shifting your weight to the balls of your feet will actually cause you to lose balance and fall out of alignment. It's really interesting to think that my knees...

About the Instructor

As the first African American female principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland made history. Now she’s one of the world’s most influential dancers, and she’s inviting you to the barre to develop a deeper appreciation for ballet and the language of dance. From pliés to partners, Misty demonstrates her techniques and teaches you to own your movement, own who you are, and do the dance only you can do.

Featured MasterClass Instructor

Misty Copeland

American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland teaches you how to build your technique, embrace your story, and own your movement.

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