What is ballet dance?

Ballet as a dance form has its origin in the Italian Renaissance and is essentially a performance dance which is high in technique and derives its vocabulary from the French language. It has been globally influential and has defined the foundational techniques used in many other dance genres. Becoming a ballet dancer requires years of training. Ballet has been taught in various schools around the world, which have historically incorporated their own cultures to evolve the art.

What are ballet classes?

A ballet class is a formatted class which imparts techniques in the form.

It usually starts off with barre work; Dancers use the support of the barre to work through exercises one side of their bodies at a time.

Dancers use the support of the barre to work through exercises one side of their bodies at a time. They first hold on with one hand and work the opposite leg, then turn around and hold on with the other hand and work the opposite leg. This is then followed by centre exercises which are done way from the barre. After this, students generally move to an adagio section which consists of slow, graceful movements in the centre of the room again to build extensions, balance and control. These movements could also travel a little over the room. And finally the class moves to an allegro section which consists of faster and livelier steps including turns and jumps.

A typical class would usually be different for different age groups. Ballet classes in Bangalore for children are very popular simply because it is a good age to start with your ballet training and the bodies of children respond a lot faster and sets a solid foundation.

We, at Dhurii, believe that ballet classes, Bangalore or anywhere else in the world sets a solid foundation for contemporary dance! And that is why we use the ballet technique in other forms too. We have not only ballet classes but other forms too. Sometimes, we fuse the technique and practise on the barre in our contemporary classes to help with extensions and suspensions and balance. In those classes, we do not stress on the spin upright and the neck long and looking in one direction. Instead, we try and work with the plies and tendus while engaging the spine, we work on the arabesque while trying out different arms or melting into the floor from there. The thing is, ballet is great for your body, if ­performed correctly under close ­supervision. A Swedish study found that when competitive skiers undertook dance training, it improved flexibility in their backs and reduced pain. But if not taken care of properly, ballet can really harm your spine and make you stiffer in life.

A Latin ballroom class like jive or cha cha will require you to sink into your pelvis a little rather than keep lifting from it... it will require you to soften your knees rather than keeping them locked and straight all the time. A contemporary dance class will require you to release your spine even while doing a pirouette or contract around your lumber while doing a develope. Hence all these factors have urged us to adopt ballet in other classes but with a slightly more flexible approach which is more freeing for the body and helps you to adapt to different forms and in fact make your lines and extensions clear with a lot of ease in the rest of your body.

If you are looking for ballet classes in Bangalore to strengthen your contemporary movement or get your kid started on dance, do drop in to Dhurii. Our ballet classes happen over the weekdays and are available for both kids and adults.