The Ballet Barre

When you go to a Ballet class, barres will be provided for you – either permanently attached to the walls or freestanding ones that can be moved into position and then cleared away again to free up central floor space.

If you are doing a Ballet class at home with an instructional video, you can use the back of a chair for support. It should be something that you just rest your hands on. You should not be leaning all your weight onto this support or clinging onto it for dear life.

There are answers to ‘what Ballet equipment do I need to practice at home with?’-style questions that worry us greatly.

For example, one book on learning Ballet, when addressing things that you can hold onto while doing your barre exercises, says that the piece of furniture you use should be extraordinarily heavy – so that if you start to fall you won’t be able to pull it with you.

You also shouldn’t be executing movements that could provoke a sudden heavy fall. You should be taking everything calmly and within your own limitations. Keep returning to the best posture and you won’t fall over, let alone take out your living room furniture...

A good check to see if you are exerting too much reliance on the barre is… can you take your hand off it while doing your exercises? Now, you need this support, however gentle it is and you certainly need it while you are an absolute beginner in order to encourage your balance. So it's not recommended that you try your barre exercises without one at all.

To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful.  - Agnes De Mille

However, every so often, just to check how much weight you are putting on the barre, try to lift your hand off it. It shouldn’t be too difficult, after all, your hand is only resting on it, isn’t it?!

Each set of exercises you do on the Ballet Barre will be done on each leg in turn.

For example, when you are standing with the Barre on your right side, resting your right hand on it, your right leg will support you and your left leg will be doing the exercise - this is your 'working leg'. You will then turn to face the other end of the studio, resting your left hand on the Barre and doing the exercises with your right leg.

So, when you are asked to turn around during your Ballet Barre exercises, politely turn TOWARDS the Barre, as though you are turning towards your partner.


Good Posture

This is what you are aiming for.

Barre Too Close

Don’t squeeze yourself up too close to the ballet barre. Make sure that your elbow isn’t near to or resting on the Barre.

Barre Too Far Away

The opposite of above, this is too far away from the Barre. You don’t want to have to reach for it. And at this distance, it won’t provide you with balance and support.

Tight Barre Grip

A classic. The death grip. Don’t forget that the ballet barre represents your partner’s hand. They are unlikely to stick around long if you keep squeezing so hard that you cut off the blood supply to their fingers. Rest your hand gently on the Barre, please!

Barre Too High

Sometimes, this can’t be avoided. If you are learning in a studio that doesn’t have a choice of Barres, you might find that the one provided is too high (pictured here) or too low (see below). It’s not the end of the world. But if you do have a choice, always try to use the Barre that is somewhere in between your hip and waist height.

Barre Too Low

A Barre that’s too high or too low isn’t that comfortable, but shouldn’t affect your dancing too much. Or if you are particularly tall or short, you may find fixed Barres aren’t the ideal height for you. But again, they only represent holding your partner’s hand, so try not to rely on them too much!-

Try these classic Ballet Barre Exercises

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