Ballet is at the heart of everything we do at Jade Harrison School of Dance. It takes a lot of time, training and effort to become a ballet dancer, and it is known as probably the most difficult of dance styles to master. The discipline, practice and skill it takes to complete some of the ballet steps take dedication but once learned they are beautiful to watch.
Here are some of the most difficult ballet steps to master:
Grand Jete
The Grand Jete is one of the most challenging jumps to perform and requires the dancer to continuously stretch to obtain flexibility. A skilled ballet dancer will gracefully propel themselves into the air and appear to do the splits while hovering above the ground for a moment.
En Pointe
The “en Pointe” technique in classical ballet is one of the most challenging to execute. In this move, a dancer has to support their entire bodyweight on their feet, which are fully extended. This move is usually done while wearing pointe shoes that allow structural reinforcement to distribute the weight of the body into the entire foot, rather than the toes alone. Without structural reinforcement, it would be too painful for the dancer to perform the move. It takes years for ballet dancers to master this technique.
Pirouettes
It can take years for dancers to learn how to properly perform a pirouette. It is one of the most common moves in ballet, but require incredible balance and technique. To get their positions right, dancers spend hours practicing this move. No ballet dance is truly complete without a pirouette.
Fouette
A fouette is a “whipped throw” and is one of the most difficult turns in ballet dance. The dancer must pass their working leg in front or behind their body while spinning. This dance move is hard to master and takes a tremendous amount of determination to learn.
Grand Adage
A challenging part of any ballet routine is the Grand Adage. This dance move involved strong, slow, and well-controlled movements. Dancers must lift their legs to the front, back, and sides in swift movements without losing their balance. The Grand Adage reveals a dancer’s muscular strength and flexibility.
Tips for Mastering Difficult Ballet Dance Steps
- Listen to your ballet teacher
- Practice makes perfect!
- Warm up before practicing
- Stay calm and focus on the ballet dance steps
- Don’t get discouraged if you make a mistake, try again!
Stretch before and after