A ballet barre is used most often for beginning and intermediate ballet dancers who have not developed an adequate sense of balance. The ballet barre is used before partnering, because a dancer would lean on the ballet barre the same way he or she would trust a partner. The ballet barre is slowly phased out throughout a dancer's training. Women and girls who are first learning to use pointe shoes will use the barre until their ankles are strong enough to stand en pointe on their own.
A typical ballet barre is usually 1 1/2 inches in diameter. The barre consists of a long, horizontal pole that is raised approximately 40 inches off the ground. Many bars have a smaller barre slightly underneath the 40-inch barre to allow for small children to practice as well. Portable barres are usually mounted on a lightweight metal frame that can be picked up and carried away. Permanent barres are mounted on the wall of a dance studio or home with strong metal bolts.
Some barre exercises include plies, which are moderate knee bends in first position without lifting the heels off the ground in the process. A Grande Plie is a deep knee bend where the heels are lifted off the ground, but the toes are engaged. Releve is a barre exercise where the dancer stretches her toes and arches by going up on her toes. A Rond de Jambe is where the pointed toe makes a circular motion on the floor in front or behind the dancer. Each of these exercises are intended to warm up the legs while holding onto the barre for balance.
Barre exercises are a must for a beginning or intermediate ballet dancer. Although barre exercises are repetitive and sometimes seem boring, they stress body control and strength in a way no other exercises can. In order to become a successful ballet dancer, barre exercises are crucial. Once a dancer has become advanced enough to work without a barre, warming up using the same exercises is still important. Barre exercises focus on flexibility, strength, balance, and precision. The more dedicated a dancer is to her barre exercises, the stronger a ballet dancer she will become.
Do not perform barre exercises if you have back problems, have had knee injuries, or any other injury that may prevent you from using the barre properly. Talk to your ballet or dance teacher before using the ballet barre. Do not use the ballet barre unsupervised, especially if you are trying exercises for the first time Have a teacher or another dance you watch to make sure you are performing the exercises correctly. If you have any questions about ballet barre exercises and whether or not you are physically able to perform barre exercises, talk to your doctor.