Barre terms explained
Ever wondered what the Barre terms mean?
Perhaps you’ve been to a class, or you clicked a link to learn about the terms, or you’ve simply stumbled across this blog on the internet, however you’ve found this blog you’re in the right place!
I’m going to give you a short and sweet run through of the terms you’re most likely to hear in a Barre class. Check it out below…
Plié - to bend and straighten at the knees, whilst keeping the heels on the floor and in a turned out position at the hips
Tendu - to stretch the leg and point the foot until just the tips of the toes are on the floor
Arabesque - lifting a turned out leg behind, keeping the leg straight and the torso upright
Attitude - lifting a turned out leg behind, with the knee bent so the thigh is lifted and the knee is higher than the foot
Pulse - small bend of the knee in a constant pulsing action, usually in a turn out position. Executed to a beat of 3, 7 or 8 counts
Retiré - bending one leg so toes are touching supporting leg knee, usually in a turned out position so knee is facing the side but can be done in parallel too
Releve - to lift heels in a rise balancing on balls of toes, can be performed in all leg positions
Positions , 1st (legs) - turning out the hips so the heels remain together but toes are apart, ensuring knees and toes are in line
Positions , 1st (arms) - arms in front of chest lengthened with a small bend in the elbow so finger tips are almost touching
Positions , 2nd (legs) - turned out hips as in 1st but feet are in a wider stance so heels are apart
Positions , 2nd (arms) - arms extended to the side in line with shoulders, elbow slightly bent and lifted so hands and elbows are on the same plane
Positions , 3rd (legs) - turned out at the hips as in 1st but with one foot slightly crossed in front of the other, heel is in line with the middle of back foot
Positions , 5th (arms) - arms extended above head, elbows slightly bent so finger tips almost touching
Port de bras - a sweeping movement of the arms usually combined with a stretch forwards at the hips and finishing in an arching extension of the back
Hopefully that’s given you a whistle stop into the terms used within a Barre class. To see them in action click the video above and watch my tutorial on Barre terms.
Try Barre with me here.
graceful, poised, strong and elegant are all attributes attained through regular practice of barre.
“I don’t squat, I Plié”