Age 8 and older. The span of this adagio center practice could take 3 years to master.

Beginning Level Adagio Center Practice - Combinations 1 to 24

1. Five Positions of Feet
arms in 2nd throughout -
point and step down in each position -
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

2. Walk to Four Walls
center front wall facing the audience is 5
stage left wall is 6
back of stage wall is 7
right stage wall is 8

3. Walk to Four Corners
The corners of the room:
stage right front is 1
stage left front is 2
stage left back is 3
stage right back is 4

4. Five Positions of the Head
1. look up;
2. look down;
3. look forward;
4. head turn;
5. head lean

5. Exercise to Stretch Arms
clasp hands behind back, stretch arms straight while
looking to ceiling, then relax-
also opens chest and stretches upper back

6. First Port de Bras
standing in 1st position

7. Third Port de Bras
standing in 1st position

8. Hand Gestures
with arms extended forward at waist height,
turn palms up to face ceiling, turn palms down to face floor -
rotates the two long bones in the lower arms

9. Pas de Cheval
"step of the horse"
from 1st position, standing on LF
the RF paws the floor in front
on the underside of demi pointe
as a horse would

10. Grand Battement
stand in 1st, arms in 2nd,
point RF fwd to 4th, lift leg,
point to 4th and close in 1st,
repeat with L leg

11. Battement Retiré
standing in 1st, arms in 2nd,
raise R toe along side of leg
to just below knee and lower to 1st again,
repeat with L toe

12. First Arabesque
begin facing wall 5 in 1st position, arms in 2nd -
pointe Rft to 2nd position, step to 2nd turning to face 8 -
transfer weight to RF and lift L leg behind -
R arm is in front of body and L arm is behind,
head leans over standing leg, hold,
point L foot to 4th behind, turn to face 5 again,
arms in 2nd position -
close back in 1st position -
repeat all to L

13. First and Third Port de Bras
First Port de Bras:
facing wall 5 - front - in 1st position,
arms low in front of but not touching thighs,
head remains straight
ct 1 - raise arms almost to waist height,
ct 2 and ct 3 - open arms almost to sides at waist height,
ct 4 - lower arms to 1st
Third Port de Bras:
arms low but not touching thighs,
ct 1 - arms forward to almost overhead,
ct 2 and ct. 3 - open arms to sides
ct 4 - lower arms to 1st

14. Retiré with First Port de Bras
face wall 5 in 1st position, arms low,
ct 1 - slide R toe up L lower leg to just below and in front of knee
while arms raise in front to almost waist height,
cts 2, 3 - open arms to 2nd and hold raised knee position
ct 4 - close arms and feet in 1st postion
repeat with other leg

15. Point, Lift, Rise on Demi Pointe and
from 1st point fwd to 4th, lift working leg slightly,
rise on demi pointe holding leg raised,
lower supporting foot, close working leg in 1st position

16. Chassé into Second Arabesque
move from corner 3 to corner 1 -
chassé and end by raising back foot into low arabesque,
change feet on each chassé,
when RF slides forward L arm is forward and R arm is to side in 2nd,
When LF sides forward R arm is forward and L arm is to side in 2nd -
head first remains straight and later leans to arm that is in front
repeat all from corner 4 to corner 2

17. First and Third Port de Bras with Three body positions
First port de bras 3x and 3 body pos. with 1st port de bras
Third port de bras 3x and 3 body pos. with 1st port de bras
3 body positions are:
a la quatrieme devant, a la seconde, a la quatrieme derrièrre

18. First Port de Bras with Chassé into Backbend
Firt port de bras 2x, chassé fwd. in 4th pos into
attitude à terre and close in 5th position

19. Enchainement of First and Third Port de Bras
with Three body positions
First port de bras and 3 body positions with 1st port de bras
Third port de bras and 3 body positions with 1st port de bras
Third port de bras and 3 body positions with 1st port de bras
First port de bras and 3 body positions with 1st port de bras

20. Plié
from 1st position:
ct 1 - arms fwd. and slide RF to 2nd
ct 2 - open arms to side and lower R heel
ct 3 - bend knees
ct 4 - straighten
ct 5 - bend knees
ct 6 - straighten
ct 7 - stretch R toe
ct 8 - close RF to 1st
repeat to left side

21. Grand Battement
"large beat"
3 grand battement fwd. in 4th and battement
to 2nd closing 5th back

22. Battement tendu with épaulement
stretch RF to 2nd, head and shoulders to RF,
close 5th front with demi plié

23. First and Third Arabesque
ct 1 - arms fwd
ct 2 - slide RF to 2nd, open arms
ct 3 - lift R heel
ct 4 - turn to face 6 [wall 6] in 1st arabesque - l arm fwd
cts 5&6 - bring R arm through to 6 [wall 6] so both arms are fwd
ct 7 - lift R heel and face fwd - arms open at sides
ct 8 - close 5th back

24. Pas Marché
moving from corner 3 to corner 1, arms in 2nd,
spring to R pointe and lower R heel as L leg developpés fwd
repeat beginning with LF from corner 4 to corner 2

Homepage - Table of Contents
Introduction and Key to Text

Classical Ballet Beginning to Advanced by Susan Kramer. Preballet, beginning, intermediate and advanced levels of ballet with hundreds of combinations including a separate section of pointe work. 100 pages. Buy as an Ebook or Paperback Book


Article by Susan Kramer