Finding appropriate center work for teens that are just starting Ballet can be a challenge! I have found that it takes very little to make them lose interest quickly so the key is to find ways to instill the technique at a pace that is not too pedantic and in a way that is broken up with moments of movement and fun.

Of course they definitely need to understand the use of turnout and I like to use simple floor exercises to help them understand what parts of the body need to be utilized to find correct turnout and then be able to maintain it. Being on the floor helps them to safely identify the muscles that will help them to do this without straining ankles and knees.

Exercise 1

Sitting on the floor, legs straight out in front in a parallel position. Hands placed just below the hips where the legs join the hips. Encourage the dancer to sit up very straight. Rotate the legs out to a turned out below the hips and then back to parallel. Repeat a number of times. This exercise will help the dancer to understand how the legs can move independently underneath the hips without the hips moving.

Exercise 2

Lying on the floor, legs straight out with feet flexed, arms relaxing at sides. Slowly inhale and on the exhale have the dancer push the middle of the back into the ground, repeat this 3 more times. Rotate the legs and feet outwards with the feet still flexed and repeat the same motion with the back pushing in to the floor. I like to have the dancers close their eyes and really focus on what muscles they are feeling so that when they are in a standing position they are able to remember and recreate that same feeling. This exercise will help any dancer remember what correct posture should feel like.

Port De Bras

Standing in 1^st position, arms in bras bas or low 5^th.

Facing en face

1-4 Slowly take the arms up through 1^st position to 5^th

5-8 Taking the arms down through 2^nd position, turning the head to the right hand, and lowering the arms back to bras bas or low 5^th.

1-4 Repeat the first 4 counts

5-6 Open the hands and arms to open 5^th, head turning to the left hand

7-8 Lower the arms through 2^nd position to bras bas or low 5^th.

Tendus

Feet in 3^rd position. Right foot front

( I do not recommend using 5^th position until the dancer understands how to hold turnout)

Arms in bras bas.

With the 4 count musical intro take the arms through 1^st position to 3^rd in opposition to the front foot.

1-4 2 Battement tendu devant

5 1 Battement tendu to 2^nd Arms to 2^nd position

6 Lower heel with weight centered

7 Tendu to 2^nd with left foot transferring weight to right foot

8 Close to 3^rd position of the feet with arms in 3^rd position opposition

Repeat to other side.

This exercise can also be taken from croise to croise once the students become more proficient.

Sways and Spins (Use of scarves is encouraged)

Start with feet in 1^st position, scarf in right hand.

& 1 Demi plie and reach to right side pointing left foot taking scarf to right side, head looking at right hand

& 2 Repeat to other side, taking scarf across the body to the left side, head looking to the left

&3, &4 Repeat to both sides

5-7 Draw feet together on demi pointe and spin to the right 2 times looking over right elbow

8 Lower heels to 1^st position facing en face

1-8 Repeat exercise to the other side.

Across the floor exercise done on the diagonal

1& a Step on the right foot and hop bringing the left foot through to the front with a developpe, taking both arms to the right in a low 3^rd position

2&a Repeat on other foot

3&a4 Run on demi pointe towards the corner taking arms to open 5^th

5&a Balance de cote to right

6&a Repeat to left

7&8 Assemble soutenou to the right taking arms to 5^th with a full port de bras

Repeat the exercise on diagonal to the other side.

These are just some of the exercises that I use to keep my teens moving and yet learning technique, so that they are constantly increasing their vocabulary of steps and how to execute them without becoming bored and turned off from ballet.