tendu (Photo credit: jahansell)
No matter what level you are in ballet, tendus are exercises that are essential in practice in any ballet class. DanceAdvantage.net has an excellent article on why tendus truly are important, which says:
It is through tendu that dancers become conscious of directing and eventually expelling energy through a stretched (or pointed) foot. It is also where strength is developed in the foot for taking off and landing with cushion in jumps. Without tendu (and its partner tendu jeté or dégagé) there would be no assemblé or grand jeté or entrechat quatre. Movements would lack the finish of a pointed foot and jumps would land awfully hard. But that’s not all that would be missing from classical or contemporary dance technique without tendu (Nichelle from Dance Advantage).
If you’re like me, you’re always looking for different ways to practice at home because after a while the old ones become boring, so you can check out the rest of the article here for more explanation on tendus and advice on improving them. And if you’re a beginner, check out the video below for a simple tendu exercise from a studio in Philadelphia:
What are your favorite tendu exercises?
__________________________________________________
