The bar is always set at waist height, and it is used to assist the dancers balance. I is never gripped tightly, but contact between the bar and your hand is made throughout the motif, apart from the ending position.
The first motif we learnt was a Plié exercise. The order went as followed:
- You start in first position
- Two demi plies
- A grand plie
- Two demi plies repeated
- A Relliver
- Then point into second
Then you repeat the whole exercise through all positions.
This exercise was a good introduction into ballet, but I personally found the demi plie move most difficult as my flexibility is a weakness of mine.
After this we performed another motif, however with this one, we just stayed in third position.
- Began with a Tendu- which is the stretch
- The a degage
- Followed by two Grand battements- Two big kicks
- Then retire where we span round, and performed the same motif on the other leg.
The exercise helped us focus upon pointing through the whole leg.