5 Adagio Tips to Improve Balance, Grace, and Higher Legs
Adagio is beautifully slow, graceful, controlled, and gravity-defying. So why is it so hard to actually do (AND make it look easy)?! It requires balance, stability, mental focus, and stamina — all things that we train at the barre and need to learn how to apply without our dear dancing partner.
What does it mean to be graceful?
Being graceful is an elusive concept, new dancers often asking why they don’t “look” the same as a seasoned dancer. Often the eye can pick up on the fact that your adagio “looks” different, but you won’t know why. Let’s break down what it means to add an element of grace to your dancing.
Mastering a Promenade
Ah, the promenade. The ultimate adagio challenge! Can you hold a position, while rotating yourself around like a ballerina in a music box? Your goal with a promenade is to show off the gorgeous position you’ve made by giving the audience a 360 view of it, swiveling yourself around in a circle. Check out tips below on how to keep your balance while you show off your beautiful lines!
Get those legs up!
We all want higher legs in our développés and the ever-beautiful penché! Check out tips to work at the barre to strengthen those legs to get them higher higher higher!
Let’s dance!
Let’s try to put it all together with a follow-along. Putting it all together requires another level of mental clarity, focus, and stamina in order to execute on all of the skills that you’ve worked so hard on developing at the barre and in isolation. Give it a try!
Don’t forget to breathe and have fun!
Adagio is a moment in time when we can feel beautiful, graceful, and expressive. Don’t forget to connect with your breathing, and enjoy the movements. You’ve been given the gift of an able body, a strong mind, and the opportunity to learn ballet, so cherish the moment and dance your heart out!