🩰 I was doing this so WRONG #ballettips #ballet

If you're an adult ballet beginner, you might not realize that you're using the barre incorrectly. One of the biggest realizations (that took me WAY too long to come to) was that the barre is not there for you to hold onto it for dear life. If you're an adult, aspiring ballerina, listen up! As a someone starting ballet in my 20s, I've made so many mistakes and I want to help you avoid so many of the mistakes I made. So you definitely don't want to miss this ballet tip.

Don't make this mistake that 90% of adult ballet beginners make!

When I first started ballet, I had no idea how to properly use the barre. I thought the only reason we did was to warm up. Which yes, that's a big part of it, but HOW you use it to warm up is the key. I was holding onto that barre for dear life lol and using what I loving refer to as "the death grip." If your knuckles are turning white, that's a good sign you're holding onto it, way too tightly.

If you watch carefully in this video, my grip these days is much lighter, sometimes I even let go entirely. Why? Because we use the barre to help start building heat yes, but also balance and muscle activation. Every movement you do at the ballet barre is preparing you for center combinations, jumps, etc. If you're depending on the barre too much, you're likely not activating your standing leg, your core, your arms & back, etc.

#shorts

[VeronicaViccora]

Don't make this mistake that 90% of adult ballet beginners make!

When I first started ballet, I had no idea how to properly use the barre. I thought the only reason we did was to warm up. Which yes, that's a big part of it, but HOW you use it to warm up is the key. I was holding onto that barre for dear life lol and using what I loving refer to as "the death grip." If your knuckles are turning white, that's a good sign you're holding onto it, way too tightly.

If you watch carefully in this video, my grip these days is much lighter, sometimes I even let go entirely. Why? Because we use the barre to help start building heat yes, but also balance and muscle activation. Every movement you do at the ballet barre is preparing you for center combinations, jumps, etc. If you're depending on the barre too much, you're likely not activating your standing leg, your core, your arms & back, etc.

[Sincerely_hazelnut]

Been a dancer almost my entire life, and can confirm! Relying on your core instead of barre makes a HUGE difference!

[zofiathebrave]

Being able to hold yourself with your hand floating on the barre is such a good feeling

[happymommy]

When i was a teenager we weren't allowed to have the thumb under the barre, the hand had to rest lightly on it :)

[summerangel]

The hand should always rest on the barre and not grab it. Also, the hand should be placed in front of the body with a relaxed elbow to ensure that the dancer is not too close or too far away from the barre.

[margusiraptor]

I've been watching Dance Academy and this channel was recommended to me. I have to say, as a woman who started (Olympic) weightlifting at the age of 20 not a long while ago, it's very encouraging to see you pursuing a very challenging sport in your 20s as well. I have the utmost respect for the art and athleticism of ballet. Let's all become stronger together ❤

[isla_rosee]

SHE MOVED HER HAND FORWARD!!

for those who don’t know, in ballet when you have you hand either behind you or directly beside you it throws your balance off tremendously, so when you put it in front of you you gain control and are able to do so so much more when your dancing!! it also effects your posture when dancing

[PaigeBartholomew]

Almost as if the barre isn’t there at all.

Getting to the pointe where we don’t need the barre means we’ve found a new level of strength and balance!

[AndyTheInconsistent]

In my dance class we don't have an actual barre because it's not just a dance studio so we just use chairs (it's not that big of a class lol)

My dance teacher always says "Remember, the barre is your friend. We do not strangle our friends."

[Blake-pkzy]

Also, try not holding on to the barre. Try lightly resting two fingers on top instead, then go down to just your pinky😊 eventually, float your hand above it, only using it to re- align before you fall❤

[beck_maxident]

I loooove the feeling of just resting your hand on the barre!!! I realized that all I needed to do was take a small step away from the barre to make it impossible for my hand to wrap around the barre

[IslaAnderson]

Omg my old dance teacher would tell us: “the barre is not your boyfriend!” Whenever we would hold it too tightly.
My other dance teacher has us do only two fingers on the barre so we don’t put too much pressure. It makes us look like dinosaurs 😅😊

[MargoIndigo]

when i was in class we could only lightly have the tip/first half of the fingers on the very top of the barre, no thumbs, no gripping, no pulling. my teacher would tell us we’re not walking up and down invisible stairs, stop grabbing it like that kind of handrail 😂

[TheOfficialDYHO]

The tiniest things in ballet are almost the most important!

[pinkprettiezyarns]

My teacher always says: ‘Imagine the barre is the hand of your prince’. It helps a lot to prevent the death grip 😅

[TheSortingHat]

I love her balance and her legs are ❤❤❤

[snailfriend]

back when i did ballet this is one thing we all learned very early on... the absolute lightest touch on the barre. two or three fingertips only.

[laylasaqibuddin]

Thank you! I was holding onto the barre for dear life this past weekend and my teacher told me to loosen my grip !

[Maramae]

Don’t grip the barre, is pretty much the rule. My teacher always said that the barre is there to help balance you, not be the thing holding you up or in place. In my ballet examinations, a couple girls had points deducted because they gripped the barre, so it’s pretty serious in ballet at times. It’s much better to rely on core strength and muscle activation, rather than using the barre to stabilise yourself. In fact, we were always taught to never hold the barre at all, but just rest our hands on top of it.

[whiteroseblossom]

Another thing to always remember is to push your hips forward. If you don't feel a bit uncomfy and awkward it's not far enough. This completely changes your form and what muscles you're using. This is sometimes referred to as pulling in your butt. You especially will be able to notice a huge difference in how leg holds look from the back. From the front you may look beautiful but the minute someone sees your behind you look awkward and unimpressive.