Ballet Beautiful: Transform Your Body and Gain the Strength, Grace and Focus of a Ballet Dancer (32 page)

d
Keep your chest very open and lifted. Do not collapse as you plié—this is terrific for your posture and back!

e
Pulse here in plié. You will feel your standing leg working and your butt and stomach en\gaging.
8 counts, 4 sets.

/B.
Beginners can do 2 sets of 8, followed by Standing Stretch for Legs, then another 2 sets of 8.

a
From the starting position in Tendu in Arabesque with a Plié Pulse, bend your front knee and extend your back leg in tendu. Your arms are in first position, your chest is open, and your stomach is engaged.

b
Now lift your back leg up off the floor in arabesque, keeping the standing knee bent. Lift your arms to second position.

c
While stretching your back knee straight behind you, keep pulling in through your stomach and don’t arch your back.

d
Lower your working leg back to the floor (keeping your foot pointed) and keep your front knee bent. Be careful not to drop your chest as your leg lowers. Stay very lifted through your upper body. Your arms can come back to first position, as above.

e
Pull and lift up again into arabesque, raising your arms to second position and keeping the standing knee bent.
8 counts, 4 sets.

A chair or wall makes a great makeshift ballet barre, so feel free to hold on to one or the other for support if needed. Also, don’t worry about how high your back leg lifts into arabesque. Keep your back knee straight and your stomach engaged. Your leg will lift higher in time.

This one really targets the muscles in your legs, back, and butt!

a
The starting position is going to change slightly here. Extend your arms into Swan Arms Low while keeping your back leg extending into an arabesque tendu on the ground, with your standing knee bent into a demi-plié.

b
Pull your stomach in and lift through your inner thighs.

c
Relax through the upper body and move the arms into first arabesque.

d
Now lift your back leg up off the floor, keeping your stomach in and your front knee straight, taking care not to arch your back as you stretch the standing knee.

e
Lower your arms slightly as you lower your back leg down to a tendu on the floor and lift again. Keep both knees straight throughout this exercise.
8 counts, 4 sets.

a
From the starting position for Tendu Arabesque Lift with Straight Leg, a tendu arabesque, lift your back leg into the air (keeping your front leg straight). Keep pulling in and engaging your stomach, and do not arch your back as you lift your leg.

b
Keep both knees straight and both arms straight in fourth position. Keep your stomach pulled in and your chest open.

c
Lift your leg up slightly higher. Then lower it slightly, keeping it in the air the entire time.
8 counts, 4 sets.

Remember that your back leg doesn’t need to lift very high when you are getting started. I would prefer that you keep your back leg lower and stay engaged through your center and abs as you lift into arabesque back. As you gain strength and flexibility, you’ll be able to take your back leg up a little in the air.

a
From the starting position in Arabesque Lift with Straight Leg High, lift your back leg into arabesque and then bend the standing knee into a plié. Extend your arm (on the same side as the elevated leg) to the side and lift your other arm up above your head into third position (your standing arm curved above your head, your working arm out to the side, at shoulder height).

b
Keep your back knee straight in arabesque, your stomach pulled in, and your chest open.

c
Bend the standing knee slightly deeper and pulse here in a plié with your back leg extended, arms extended as in step
a.
8 counts, 4 sets.

This is a variation of the Arabesque Lift with Straight Leg High and the Arabesque High with Plié that works more deeply through the back of the leg and inner thigh.

a
Begin as in the Arabesque High with Plié, with your arms in third position.

b
Now pull your stomach in and stretch the standing knee into a lifted arabesque position, with both knees straight and your back leg in the air. Remember to keep your working leg stretched out long behind you and pull in with your stomach to engage your center and protect your back.

c
Straighten both arms into first arabesque and pull your stomach in tight as you stretch the standing knee.