Teaching Soutenu
Teaching Battement Soutenu in Pre- and Beginning Ballet
Today, we're covering tips for teaching battement soutenu. First, please note that this is for the step frequently done at the barre. Depending on your school of training, you may also know this step as a "tendu fondu", "tendu soutenu" or "battement tendu soutenu". Whatever term you use, please be consistent within your own ballet classes or school.
Why is battement soutenu important? It requires a lot of strength, coordination, and correct technique. However, it helps to build strength and can help to improve turnout, jumps, and relevés. For students in pre-ballet, soutenu can be a difficult step because it incorporates stretching one leg while bending the other. (In plié, both legs bend, and in tendu, degagé, and piqué, both legs remain straight.) Especially when first learning soutenu, students may need the step broken down. If you find your students have difficulty with the coordination of soutenu, have them practice the step in a more broken-down preparation.
Have your students plié, then tendu one leg while keeping the other leg in plié. You can have them return to the plié when closing, or straighten their standing leg when closing.
Have your students tendu, then plié just their standing leg. Again, you can have them close either way.
To prepare for spring points in addition to soutenu, have your students tendu, then plié and straighten their standing leg several times before closing.
If older students in the Ballet 1 level find soutenu difficult, you may also break it down in a similar way as above. In this level, soutenu provides an excellent opportunity to focus strongly on correct turnout. Students should feel both legs wrapping around to turnout. Also, watch out that students' standing knees are over their toes, just like in plié so that they are using correct turnout.
Happy Dancing!
Ashley Hartford
Founder + Owner, Once Upon a Ballet
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