Have you ever dreamed of being a ballerina? Well now is your chance! Take center stage with these ballet-inspired exercises!
What You’ll Need: A sturdy chair and hand weights that are 1-3 lbs.
Exercise Tips: Wear long pants to keep your muscles warm, and if you’re nervous that you are going to slip, invest in a pair of socks with little grips on the bottom!
Celebs Who Love Ballet-Inspired Exercise: Kelly Ripa, Ginnifer Goodwin, Natalie Portman, Zooey Deschanel, and Madonna
Your Playlist: Get classical! “Allegro Gentile” by Joachin Rodrigo, “Allegro Vivace” by Ludwig van Beethoven, and “Appalachian Spring” by Aaron Copland. Don’t know classical music well?To get started, go towww.good-music-guide.com where they have a beginner’s guide!
Plie/Releve:
PHASE ONE:Stand about a foot behind a chair with your legs turned out so that your heels are touching and your toes are pointing away from each other. You may rest your palms lightly on the back of the chair. Rise up onto the balls of your feet, known as “releve.” Look down to make sure your hips are in line with your knees. Then, bend your knees down about four inches into a gentle squat. This is known as a “plie.” Repeat eight times.
PHASE TWO:Spread your feet apart so that your heels are a little wider than hip width. Your heels should still be inward and your toes outward. Remember to keep your palms on the back of the chair. Rise onto the balls of your feet and then bend your knees, similar to the previous exercise. Make sure your hips are above your knees. Repeat eight times and do three sets.
Second Position:
Stand with your legs turned out so that your heels are inwards and your toes are outwards. Your heels should be a little wider than hip width. Take a weight in each hand and then put your hands at the base of the neck so that the elbows are pointing upwards. Lift both hands to the ceiling at the same time, then lower them to the position at which you started. If you would like to increase the intensity, as you lift your hands towards the ceiling, rise onto the balls of your feet. As you lower your hands down into the original position, do a gentle squat, where you go down about four inches. Repeat eight times and do three sets.
Degage:
Begin in third position with your feet touching and one in front of the other. The front foot should be out in front about half the length of your foot. Raise your front leg off of the floor until your toes are about four inches off of the floor. Keep the rest of your body completely still. Return to the starting position and repeat eight times.
Grande Battements:
Start in the same position that you used for the degage exercise above. This time though, raise your foot to hip level while keeping the other parts of your body completely still. Your kicking leg should remain completely straight throughout this exercise and the kick should be a slow movement.