Rond de jambe en l’air (in the air) consists of drawing an oval shape with the toe starting out in second position, bringing the leg into retiré and then out to second again. These can be performed en dehor (outwards and away from the barre) or en dedans (inwards and towards the barre.) You can perform a single rond de jambe en l’air or a double and the foot can be brought to the knee or the calf muscle dependent on the exercise set. Below I will describe how to perform both a rond de jambe en l’air en dehor or en dedans.
Rond de jambe en l’air en dehor - (outwards and away from the barre)
Standing in first position take the right leg directly out to second en l’air ensuring that the heel is forward by instigating the turn out from the hips and inner thigh.
Close the leg into retiré ensuring the hips and shoulders remain square and the heel remaining forward maximising your turn out.
Instigating the movement with the heel take the leg in front of the body taking the leg back out to second. Make sure that you can feel the back of the thigh working as you take the leg out to second.
Rond de jambe en l’air en dedans - (inwards and towards the barre)
Standing in first position take the right leg directly out to second en l’air ensuring that the heel is forward by instigating the turn out from the hips and inner thigh.
Instigating the movement with the heel take the leg in front of the body taking the leg to retire. Make sure the hips and shoulders remain square and the heel remaining forward maximising your turn out.
Take the leg back out to second. Make sure that you can feel the back of the thigh working as you take the leg out to second.
TOP TIPS
SQUARE TO THE BARRE - Ensure your hips and shoulders are square to the barre don’t let these twist particularly when you take the leg out to second.
TURN OUT - Use your natural turn out, don’t try to force turn out when it isn’t there. Instead have the knee and leg in second more in front of the body (more of a diagonal). This will ensure that you are gaining strength in the correct turn out muscles (i.e. hamstrings and backs of the thigh) rather than in the quadriceps and with incorrect hip alignment.
PULL UP - Make sure your shoulders are back and down and that the upper back is flat, try not to slump in this position.
STRONG - Keep your supporting side strong and lifted, push your little toe of your supporting leg into the floor to ensure the supporting leg is pulled up and strong.
FEET - When taking the leg out to second ensure that the feet are fully pointed at no point should the feet be relaxed.
At Balletic we follow the bbodance ballet syllabus which is turn uses the ‘Gail Grant Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet’ for all of it’s terminology. The diagrams depicted here may be different to what you are used to based on the school of ballet that you follow.