Ballet Foundations and Technique

This unit introduces core ballet technique, safety practices, musicality, spatial awareness, and basic expressive and partnering skills. Students will build foundational barre and center exercises, learn safe practice habits and floor preparation, and begin applying terminology and historical/contextual awareness to movement to prepare for intermediate study.

Learning Objectives

• Demonstrate correct body alignment and foundational positions by performing barre and center exercises (including demi-plié, fondu, battement tendu, développés, grands battements, petit allegro, chassé, pas de cheval, glissade, and pre-pirouette drills) with appropriate technique and consistent musical phrasing.
• Apply safe-practice and injury-prevention protocols by selecting an appropriate practice space and floor surface, completing targeted floor stretches and stabilizer-strengthening exercises, and executing joint-safe landings and controlled leg descents.
• Analyze spatial orientation and musical elements by mapping the room, using spotting strategies for turns, counting and matching movements to chosen musical options, and coordinating travel across the floor with rhythm and placement.
• Evaluate basic expressive, historical, and partnering concepts by identifying key ballet terms and repertoire references, using purposeful gestures to convey narrative intent, and demonstrating basic partner balance/support techniques.