The "lesson" is held in a dance studio. The practise room is well lit. The floor is, ideally, made of parquet with a lino covering. Mirrors cover certain walls whilst barres are fixed to others.

Ballet dancers wear tights and leotards usually covered with numerous layers of woollen garments.
On their feet, they wear supple ballet shoes made of canvas or leather: demi-point shoes, experienced dancers can wear ballet shoes made of satin: point shoes.

The ballet lesson begins at the "barre" with limbering-up exercises that last for 30 to 45 minutes.
This limbering-up period includes musculo-articular warm up exercises, as well as exercises for stretching and strengthening muscles.

They always begin from the 5 basic positions. "Placement" is attained using these five positions:
- stable, diagonally balanced pelvis as a result of bilateral, symmetrical and simultaneous use of the hip adductor and abductor muscles,
- hips in external rotation of at least 608, always following the turnout rule. The simultaneous contraction of the pelvitrochanterian muscles, the posterior fibres of the glutaeus maximum, the iliopsoas, the adductor magnus and the crureus biceps whose external rotation action is felt down to the fibula makes this action possible, together with the elasticity of the iliofemoral ligament and an adequate morphology of the femoral neck.

Knees are extended with both feet in a frontal plane in all five positions.

In "première", both feet, heels together, are in the same frontal plane.


"Seconde" or "deuxième" is identical to "première", except that the heels are apart by about the length of a foot.


In "troisième", the two lower limbs cross over one another, one foot in front of another, the posterior extremity of the heel of the front foot, is in line with the middle of the internal arch of the rear foot.


In "cinquième", the two lower limbs cross over one another a bit more, the distal extremity of the toes of the front foot, is in line with the posterior edge of the heel of the rear foot.


"Quatrième" is identical to "cinquième", except that the two frontal planes of the feet are separated by about the length of a foot.


Limbering-up at the barre includes exercises carried out symmetrically to the right and to the left. Beginning with the easiest, both muscularly and technically speaking, and working up to the most complicated. The majority of the movements are carried out standing on one foot, one hand on the barre. The supporting leg, is stretched or bent, the foot flat, on the demi-point or on the point. The free leg carries out the movements.
"Placement" must always be respected, whatever the movement being carried out by the free lower limb, the line of the hips must remain horizontal, the lower limbs in external rotation. Ballet dancers progressively stretch muscles and ligaments limiting articular amplitudes, by practising "plié-tendu", fast or held battements, narrow and wide amplitude, "penchés en avant" and "cambrés".
Hence, their articulations become more supple and they acquire the strength they need to hold positions.
Ballet dancers, having finished at the barre, move to the middle of the room where they work on a succession of choreographic enchaÓnements. Beginning with simple ones in order to get "their balance on the floor", they then work on all the different facets of ballet: pirouettes, adages, batterie, jumps, grands tours, manèges and fouettés.



Bibliography :

Thiescé A.: Le geste dansé et ses conséquences en rhumatologie Ed Laboratoire Ciba-Geigy 1996

Thiescé A.: Hanche et Danse professionnelle. ThËse Med., Cochin, 1987.