Abby: Hello everyone, and welcome to episode 3 of ‘Abby’s Dance Class’. The series where we learn about all things dance! Beginners, in-betweeners, professionals, you’re all welcome here. In today’s class we’ll be continuing our ballet basics. To review, last time we learned how to do a tendu and a ron de jambe. Today we’ll be learning new ballet terms. Demi Pointe, Releve, Sauté. So throw on something you can dance in, it doesn’t matter what, and let’s get dancing!
Abby Voice Over: First, let’s learn what our Demi Pointe is. We have already practiced being in a full point extension. Demi Pointe technically means half point. This is the position in which we are slowly rising to the balls of our feet. The balls of your feet are the padded part on the sole of your foot between your toes and your arch. Make sure you are centered over the balls of your feet. You don’t want your feet to start to roll out or in. You want to be balanced right in the middle. This is your Demi Pointe!
Now that we’ve learned how to do our Demi Pointe, let’s move on to our Releve. Releve in French means raised. It is describing the action of the move. When the dancer slowly rises up onto their Demi Pointe, this action is a Releve. You’ll slowly come back down from your Releve, flat on your feet. This is Releve!
Next is Sauté. Sauté means jump in French. Today we’ll be learning Sauté from first position. Let me show you one first. Whoop! Kind of shook the camera there. Okay I’ll put it in slow motion, that was kind of fast. So, I’m doing a Plie and then jump and land back in first position. Okay try it with me just doing one foot for now. Okay we’ll start in first position in a Demi Plie. Now in slow motion, we’ll start to peel the heel off the floor. Then the balls of my feet and then my toes! Then I will fully extend my pointe and spring off the floor. Now we’ll reverse the order on our way down. We land with the balls of our feet making contact first and then our heels, as lightly as possible. Now let’s speed it up a little bit using one foot. We stand in first position. Demi Plie. Heel, ball, toe. Toe, ball, heel. Again. First position, Demi Plie, heel-ball-toe, and toe-ball-heel. Again, but this time let’s take it full speed. Let’s prep. Ready? Demi Plie, and spring up! Nice! Again. Demi Plie and spring up and down! Nice! This is Sauté from first position.
Abby: Now the challenge is, can we do Releve’s at the barre and Sautés out at center? I think you can. Let’s do it! First we’ll do four Demi Plies in first position to warm ourselves up. Then we’ll do ten Releves at the barre. Next, we will come out to center to do our Sautés. No barre. First, we’ll do three Sautés with one foot in slow motion. We’ll do this on each foot three times. After that we will do eight Sautés full motion. Got it?
[Pause! Take a moment to grab a sip of water and set up your chair. To start, put the back of your chair to the right of you. Mirror me!]
Abby Voice Over: Alright my friends, let’s start by warming up with some Demi Plies. Arms out. We Demi Plie one. Demi Plie two. Really bend and squeeze that core. Demi Plie four. Nice. Let’s calf raise! Up and down. Stay nice and alighted. Your calves are going to be burning after this. Keep going! Squeeze that core. Gently Releve. You’re so close my friends. Just a couple of more. Hang in there. Last one. You got it! Alright. Bring those arms down and we’ll switch to the other side.
Bring your arms up and out. We Demi Plie one. Demi Plie two. Keep your butt tucked under you and that core squeezed tight. Demi Plie four. Here we go, Releve one and slowly down. Make sure as you come down, it’s nice and controlled guys. Keep following along with me. I know your calves burn but you can make it I promise! Second to last one. And last one! Finish strong! Great job everyone. Step away from the barre and let’s get going on our Sautés.
Alright, place those hands on your hips and let’s just start with one foot for now. We Plie and gently lift the heel-ball-toe, toe-ball-heel. Demi Plie again. Peel that heel off the floor. Spring that toe off and back into Plie, heel-ball-toe, toe-ball-heel. Demi Plie. Alright, let’s try the other foot. So we’ll start with a Plie. Peel the heel-ball-toe, toe-ball-heel. Demi Plie, peel that heel-ball-toe, toe-ball-heel. Demi Plie, one more! Heel-ball-toe, toe-ball-heel. Plie! Alright! Let’s move on to real Sautés shall we? Okay, so we’ll Plie and jump and straighten. Another one. Plie and jump and straighten. Again, jump and woah, I almost lost my balance. Plie, jump and straighten. Keep going. Plie, jump! Home stretch. Plie and jump! Here’s the last one. Big prep. Spring and straighten.
Abby: Well done everyone! You learned so many new things today. You learned how to do a Releve. You learned what Demi Pointe is and you learned how to do Sautés in the center taking away the barre! I am so proud of you. Join us next week for more ballet basics.
High five! Woo hoo!