Ballerinas: Barre Work

You will find a “barre” in most ballet studios. Ballerinas hold on to this handrail to support them while they practice positions. The barre can be permanently attached to the walls or freestanding so that it can be moved into position and cleared away to free up central floor space. Barres are used extensively in ballet training and warm up exercises. Such exercises are commonly referred to as “barre work”. Even experienced ballerinas do barre work at the start of each class. Barre work prepares the ballerina for dancing during the second part of the class. It establishes correct placement, and it develops core and leg strength.

There are also barre workout classes that use a combination of postures inspired by ballet, yoga and Pilates. In these classes, the barre is used as a prop to balance while doing exercises for isometric strength training. Beverly