Ballet Barre and human geometry

 As I have been teaching the Adult Beginner Ballet class each week at Taylor Dance West in NYC, I have been thinking about the many components that make learning ballet both complicated and beautiful in its intricacies. 

In many sport-like physical activities, the most efficient stroke/swing/punch/stride/etc. is often a beautiful and graceful motion to watch, and it is often a repeated activity with variances depending on the sport and the environment. 

In ballet we learn to execute a myriad of different actions to be used in different combinations which turns into the dynamic "choreography" (combining different actions into sequences) that we enjoy watching as an audience. But learning the actions (steps is the generic term I will use as we move forward) means first having them taught brokendown in their most basic form. As an example a plié (bend of the knees) will become part of a fondu when done standing on only one leg. That step, plié, will be used by teachers many, many times during a ballet class. The plié is used to take off for turning, jumping, and even just changing weight from one foot to the next! And yet it is a step unto itself.

For many dancers, a ballet "barre" often becomes ANY secure horizontal support on which a dancer can place their hand to start warming up their legs and body. But it is most often a horizontal wooden/metal/plastic pole that is either attached to a wall, or designed to stand independently in the center of the room. With the support of the barre, dancers get to work on having a secure "standing" leg, as the other becomes an "active" leg, while holding onto the barre and performing steps as well as practising the classic shapes associated with ballet!  Ultimately the intent of class is to move freely about the studio without needing to use a barre for balance or support whether standing on one or two feet.

1983 - me candidly showing my back "attitude" while resting on a railing by the Oakland docks in CA.

The human geometry I mention in the title of this post refers to how ballet uses a barre to help us determine the direction of our steps and shapes. If we stand at right angles to the barre with our left hand on the barre, then the barre indicates a straight line forward (en avant) and backwards (en arrière) and if we take our "active" right leg to the side (à la seconde) it moves perpendicular to the barre! So now we have "front" (devant), side" (de côté), and "back" derrière). It is easier for the dancer to turn 180 degrees and face the opposite direction at the barre and then the right will be the "standing" leg and the left will be the "active" leg.

The brain game of deciphering my description is precisely why it is ultimately better (and more fun) to come and take a class in person! What I am trying to describe is just that in ballet we often refer to "cardinal" directions like you might see on a compass if your body was in the center facing North, then South would be behind you, East would be to your right and West would be to your left.

These imaginary lines through our bodies help to determine the directions of our steps and the curves and opposing forces we use to create classical shapes like "attitude" and "arabesque". Geometry gives us a way to visualize the shapes we make in ballet as well as the patterns we create as we move around a studio or a stage.

Lynn Seymour in a gorgeous "attitude" pose for "Anastasia" (Kenneth MacMillan). Photo: Anthony Crickmay

Here are the clips this post inspired me to find and leave for you to ponder. I will also admit that I will consistently be finding clips of dances by Paul Taylor for comparison, as I proudly danced for him for fifteen years, and it is in the Taylor studios where I teach! Paul Taylor Dance Company is also my home base as the director of licensing, responsible for being sure the best of our alumni are staging Paul's dances on companies around the USA and the world.

Some of the ballet steps we learn early on are clearly seen in these amazing moments of choreography! And if you look at them in terms of geometry, the use of lines, and curves while engaging principles of balance and weight transfer are exemplified.

2020: "The Barre Project" (William Forsythe) clip with Tiler Peck, Lex Ishimoto, Roman Mejia.

1981: "Dust" (Paul Taylor) clip of Susan McGuire.

I try to provide as much information as I can about what these clips are from, and who is in them, so that you may try to research and see the full versions for yourself. Hopefully, if something isn't available on line, you might be encouraged to go see it performed live in a theater near you.