The basic principles of classical ballet form a complete and integrated system for dance training. Alignment, turnout, port de bras, aplomb, and musicality are not isolated elements but interconnected principles that support both artistry and longevity.

After barre work, the dancer moves to the center of the studio to practice the same movements without the support of the barre. Center work develops balance, coordination, and the ability to perform traveling movements across the floor (enchaînements). It encompasses the same exercises as the barre but also includes adagio combinations, pirouettes (turns), petite allegro (small jumps), and grand allegro (large jumps).

Download your free Basic Principles of Classical Ballet PDF. Learn the 7 core tenets of turnout, alignment, epaulement, and the five positions. Perfect for beginner dancers and teachers.

: Chapters group movements by type, including battements, rotary leg movements, arm positions, and jumps.

Every ballet class begins at the barre, a wooden handrail that provides support for the dancer's developing balance. Barre exercises are designed to warm up the body, build strength, and ingrain proper alignment and turnout before moving to the center. A typical barre sequence includes pliés, tendus, dégagés, ronds de jambe, and stretches.

Rising onto the balls of the feet (demi-pointe) or the tips of the toes (pointe).

Ballet is not flat. Epaulement is the rotational twist of the upper body—specifically the head, shoulders, and neck.

The arms form an oval shape resting just in front of the thighs, palms facing upward and inward, elbows slightly rounded outward.

Before we list the principles, we must understand their hierarchy. A ballet step (a jeté or plié ) is a verb; a principle is the grammar that makes the verb understandable. Without turnout, a tendu is just a foot slide. Without alignment, a arabesque is a fall waiting to happen.

The dancer stands at an angle so that the legs appear open and uncrossed to the audience.

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Combining slow extensions with shifts of weight and body directions.

Let this article and the accompanying PDF be your map. Print it out. Stick it next to your mirror. Read it while you’re stretching your hamstrings.