Adult Beginner Ballet Across the Floor Exercises
“Allegro is the foundation of the science of the dance, its intricacy and the bond of future perfection. The dance as a whole is built on allegro...And if we look back, we see that until now everything was just a preparation for the dance...I dwell longer on allegro because it is the foundation on which dance as a whole is based.” - Agrippina Vaganova, The Basic Principles of Classical Ballet
It could be the highlight of their day, or a dreadful experience. For most adults, going across the floor in ballet class is thrilling and dreamy - the chance to really dance, to really fly and leave the floor behind. Unfortunately, too many ballet teachers with adult students seem to be at a loss when it comes to choosing appropriate, satisfying, and safe exercises for grand allegro. All too often, teachers dole out combinations that are tried-and-true classics - for intermediate and advanced students, not beginners. These complicated, nuanced, and difficult movements can leave adult students feeling disappointed, inadequate, and dangerously sore and strained. Take a peek on adult ballet social media, and you’ll read dozens of stories of adults who came home from classes feeling absolutely dreadful - and sometimes in tears.
Grand allegro should be a summation of work done at barre and centre, but it should also serve to fill your students with joy and glee - which will, in turn, bring them back through your studio doors ($!). Another point which should be impressed upon the teacher is that grand allegro should look and feel beautiful for the student. You want your students to leave feeling like prima ballerinas, not drugged giraffes on an iced-over lake. By giving exercises and combinations that are too advanced, too fast, or too complicated, you are not only failing to teach, but you are making class unpleasant and making your students feel stupid and ungainly. Instead, focus on making your across the floor exercises simple, balletic, and beautiful, with a focus on correct technique and carriage.
“All these steps may be combined and elaborated depending on the class, the approach of the teacher, and the method he employs to develop the ligaments, muscles, and joints. I only want to point out that in the lower grades, the pupil’s time should not be taken up with a variety of combinations...It is better to do one step eight times in succession than two or four combinations of steps for eight bars. Few, scattered movements will not achieve the aim. The teacher must be absolutely certain that the pupil has mastered the movement, that is becomes part of her and that it will be done correctly in any combination, before he may complicate the lesson without harm to the pupil. If this is not done, the teacher will get the pupil to understand the movement, but her legs will remain loose, and not a single step will be mastered to the finish.” - Agrippina Vaganova, Basic Principles of Classical Ballet [emphasis mine].
How often have you watched a video of an adult ballet class where all the students are loose-legged and unsure of the complicated combination they have been given?
This guide will provide the instructors of adult and teen beginners with a variety of movements and exercises to be performed across the floor.
What is the goal of grand allegro exercises for beginner adults?
Just like young children in a pre-professional program, adults need to work on bringing balletic form into fast, dynamic movements that travel. They need to build strength and ballon by pushing vigorously off the floor, and build the ability to “hang” or hold their legs in the air longer than in a pedestrian running stride. Beginners also need to continue to learn to step, leap, or tap on a beat.
Adults, unlike children, come into dance class with years of less-than-ideal muscle development and crookedness. Slumped shoulders and shortened necks from backpacks and desk work, stiff hips from sitting, and even shortened achilles from wearing high heels. Grand allegro should focus on helping adults lengthen and open their bodies while moving at speed. By burdening them with movement that is too complex, you limit their ability to focus on these subtle, but much needed changes in their body. Many adults also have little opportunity for playful skipping, leaping, and turning in their daily lives, so reacquainting their bodies with this vigorous movement make take more time.
Instructors should not be concerned with fully formed, technical exercises like grand jete, but instead on providing simple movements that insist on pointed feet, straightened knees, engaged core, shoulders down, a correctly placed pelvis, turnout, a strong back, and proper head carriage. Beginners simply can not focus on foundational technique and try to figure out a tour jete at the same time. Alignment and technique must come first, or your student will never truly develop into a ballet dancer. Always keep in mind that you are teaching a performing art, not a workout class. However, you can still provide your adults with aerobic satisfaction by having them do a variety of exercises multiple times over, so consider leaving more time for grand allegro than you may usually do.
If you have a great number of significantly older adults (50 and over) and/or dancers who are not able sustain high levels of physical activity (due to injury, weight, disability, or other factors), consider offering a “low impact” beginner class (in addition to your regular class) that has less allegro movement. Advertise it well, and you may attract a whole new flock of students!
The Exercises
Ballet walks and pose. Prerequisite at the barre: sur le coup de pied and coupe.
Music: Varied. Good chance to use full orchestral music.
The ballet walk can be a mystery, especially if your adults are not watching ballet videos frequently. Start slow, with a slight pause during the sur le coup de pied position, ensuring that the heel is rotated forward and the knee is open (“make a diamond shape in-between your legs!”). This can zig-zag across the floor, with a simple pose at each end. You can offer both masculine and feminine variations. Have fun with this, and use some orchestral music from a ballet!
Galops (sometimes called “skips”). Music: 2/4 polka.
Similar in mechanics to a chasse, but without a heavy focus on sliding through fifth and fourth. Early emphasis should be on getting the student to reach forward with a pointed foot instead of the heel, and getting both feet off the ground during the suspension phase long enough to point. Early on, ask for speed and power. Push the student to use their “engine”! Students should also be able to hold their arms in 1st position without letting them drop. A good exercise for getting students to stop looking down.
Galop Patterns. It is crucial to introduce basic grand allegro figures with simple movement. Performing a basic galop/skip while changing direction every 4 to 8 counts can be quite tricky for a beginner, so don’t neglect this! You can also incorporate a change of gaze and port de bras. You can challenge your more advanced students by adding spring pointes, spring pointes that change direction, and changements that change direction.
The Scottishe (say “shaw-DISH”). Three clean run steps with pointed feet and lifted knees, then one jump with the leg in parallel retire. Repeat. Then, 4 “skips” in parallel retire, changing the working leg each time. You can can cue this as: “One-two-three-HOP, one-two-three-HOP, step-HOP, step-HOP, step-HOP, step-HOP”.
This may seem simple, but it is appropriate for beginners! Not only must they point their feet every time they leave the ground and snap up their knees, but they must also step and jump correctly on the beat. Many beginners also have a challenge making their steps clear and sharp.
Additions:
- Clap above your head every time you jump into retire. Helps keep the beat and lengthen the torso. Practice keeping the shoulders down as you raise your arms to clap!
- Zig-zag in pairs.
Triplets in Waltz Time and Basic Waltz Step.
Music: ¾ medium waltz.
Many beginner ballet classes end with the classic waltz step - or balance en tournant. Be advised - balance en tournant is NOT a beginner movement. YOU, the instructor, may find this movement as easy as breathing, but this is not the case for beginners. So instead, offer:
Triplets in Waltz Time. DOWN-up-up! You would be surprised how many find walking smoothly in ¾ time a significant challenge! The “down” step should be a true plie and remain in cadence with the rest of the steps. Many beginners will make their plie step very heavy and staccato instead of smooth and flowing. Also ensure that the two “up-up” steps in releve are clear and smooth. Play a variety of ¾ pieces - this is a great time to break away from the piano CDs and offer something more orchestral.
Pro Tip: Keep music instrumental and avoid songs with lyrics. Song lyrics subtly distract the mind, and must compete with your own spoken corrections. Also, keep in mind that many adults may be drawn to ballet because of classical music. You may personally be sick of Tchaikovsky’s scores, but for many others, it’s precisely the reason they are giving you their money. Play the classics!
Balance en Tournant Prep Step/brush steps. Prerequisite at the barre: Tendu with plie/soutenu. Music: ¾ slow and medium waltz.
Building off the triplet step, now the student will brush the working leg on the “ONE” count.
Additions:
Hold hands and perform with a partner (you should assign partners based on similar leg height/inseam). Enter at the corner, perform a basic figure in the middle of the room and then line up along the sides. Great for introducing a little corps choreography for the first time!
Change of Weight Sways with Triplets. See: RAD Free Movement. Prerequisite at the barre: Temps lie, de cote.
Music: ¾.
In a relaxed, yet expressive style, have students temps lie to second (de cote), while allowing their arms to sway through first position, and their gaze to follow their hands. Follow with triplets. Make sure the the student fully points and stretches their feet. A beautiful and pleasing combo that really feels like dancing! Can also be used to introduce fourth position.
Modern Runs. Music: Dramatic.
Done in parallel, with the legs in plie. The leg straightens and points when it is pushed to the back. The torso is held steady, with arms in demi-bras, bra bras, or first. As the student runs, they should push off with vigor and purpose, with the goal to build strength and confidence. The shoulders should be held square and quiet, with the arms held in place and not pumping. Head should be held level and gaze is forward.
Run-Run-Leap. Music: dramatic, with a cadence. “Black Swan Coda” from Swan Lake is a good selection.
The point of this is not to insist on perfect technique, but to get the student comfortable with running, pushing off the floor, keeping a basic count (one-two-THREE), and holding the upper body steady, Do not ask for the straightened knees of a true grand jete - it is too stressful on the the body of an adult beginner. Make sure this is given after other allegro combinations so the body is properly warmed.
Big Runs, or Stag Runs. Music: dramatic. “Gallop of the Stags” from Bambi is tailor-made for this exercise!
Building off the previous “run-run-leap” exercise, except now, every step is a leap. Knees are bent, and the cadence should be even and steady (one-one-one-one). Knees are brought high both in the front and back. The difficulty for the beginner lies in getting enough height and activating the back leg. Arms may alternate in a basic jogger’s pump, but the head and shoulders should stay square. This dramatic and powerful run will give your adults the cardio they need!
Peg-Leg Runs (or Brush Runs), a jete prep. Music: 2/4 medium polka.
One leg strides forward in a normal pedestrian run, while the other leg brushes with a straight knee through first position and out (like a pirate’s wooden peg-leg). An unusual exercise to get a beginner comfortable with brushing the leg forward with a straight knee.
Common Grand Allegro Movements that have no place in a beginner class:
Grand Jete
Tombe-pas de bouree-glissade-grand jete
Saut de chat
Balance en tournant (this may be appropriate for a Beginner-Intermediate class).
Tour jete
Any combo with more than two or three movement elements. Keep it simple!
