Garden we're really excited about #WorldBalletDay on the 4th of October

streaming live around the world on the Royal Opera House Facebook page. Make sure you

share this video with all your friends and like the page so you can get all the

updates beforehand. Today you'll get a preview of the class exercises that will

be set on the day. For the first time we'd like you to join us and get a feel

for what it's like to take class as a member of the Royal Ballet. The Royal

Ballet has an incredibly varied repertoire

at the moment we're working on Ashton's 'La Fille mal gardée' with loads of virtuosic

turns and fast footwork, Macmillan's 'Anastasia', and the great Royal Ballet

tradition of dance drama and theatre as well as a Wayne McGregor triple bill

with 'Chroma' 'Carbon Life' and a new creation challenging the dancers' bodies

in the most extreme way. We have nearly a hundred dancers and a lot of those

dancers will be involved in all three of those programmes so how do we make a class

that addresses all the needs of those pieces and the individual dancers within them?

It comes down to making sure the fundamentals of ballet technique are

sound and that the dancers leave class warm and ready to face any challenges

thrown their way. I'm going to show you five exercises at the barre with the help

of brilliant Royal Ballet dancers James Hay and Meghan Grace Hinkis and they will

be exactly the same on the 4th of October at 11am UK time. You'll be

joining us halfway through so make sure that you're well warmed up before you start.

Don't worry if you've never done that before or don't have a ballet barre at home, office

or classroom: you can use the back of a chair like this one.

Ok let's get started. We'll start with 'fondu', it goes like this: fondu to the front, plié front

carry à la seconde, fondu to the side and plié

side and carry it back, fondu to the back, brush it front and carry to the

side, single ronde de jambe, single ronde de jambe, double ronde, plié and close through to the back.

Reverse that: fondu, back, plié, carry side, fondu, side, plié, carry front, fondu front, brush it back,

carry it to the side, single ronde de jambe, single ronde de jambe, double ronde de jambe with plié

we'll close it front, soutenu and we'll do it immediately on the left side.

Okay, ready?

Thank you Tim, and:

Fondu, front,

plié, carry à la seconde

Fondu, side

plié, carry back

Fondu, back, brush it front

Carry side, ronde de jambe, ronde de jambe, double ronde, plié

Good - reverse.

good

Nice square hips - and, fondu

And brush

plié, ronde de jambe, ronde de jambe, double ronde, soutenu - good, left side.

One, and plié

plié and back

One, two

Arm and leg together, and

plié, and arm and leg

One, two

Double plié, soutenu. Great perfect guys. Let's carry on we'll do a little passé exercise to

make sure you have your balance for all the turns coming on later. We'll go coup de pied front.

plié front, carry side, back to coup de pied, plié front, carry side

retiré, close it front, brush, attitude and attitude and attitude and fifth

relevé, passé, change to the back, we'll reverse it. Coup de pied, plié

Carry side and coup de pied. Plié back, carry side, retiré, and close. Attitude

brush and brush and brush and fifth, passé at the end then bring in front

and find your balance. Okay, ready?

Thank you Tim, and:

Coup de pied, plié front, carry side, coup de pied, plié front carry side, up and down

attitude

Good, and passé

Good, reverse

And, one, plié, side, in, really rotate the leg, rotate, and let her go. Brush.

And up

Good, thank you. Good, good, good.

Left side

Really use the foot. Rotate it out, rotate in

Open the hips

And up

Good, keep pushing the floor down.

Great ok. We'll carry on with frappé, will go single frappé front and side

and back and side, double front, double side, double back, double side,

double front

piqué piqué, double-side, piqué piqué, petits battements with port de bras, reverse. One, one, one, one

double out, double out, double out, double out, double back

piqué piqué, double-side, piqué piqué, petits battements with port de bras, close it front

inside leg attitude balance to finish. Ready, frappé, thank you Tim, and:

Back, side, and double front, double side. Double front, piqué, piqué

Double back and double side and double front

Back

Really sharp, and, port de bras

Close the leg in front, inside leg attitude, find the balance

Thank you.

Beautiful guys, very good, very good. Left side:

Really sharp

Double out and out and out

And front

And petits battements, good

And one, two, energy into the floor

Inside leg bring the thigh up to you against the back, lock it in.

Great very nice guys, very nice. Ok carry on with the adagio, we go passé, plié front

and carry in to the a la second, passé, lift the knee, plié out and carry out to the

arabesque, brush it through and fouetté into the arabesque on the other side

and penché there to finish the phrase. Passé, developpé with pilé front

carry a la seconde and hold it, passé, plié a la seconde, carry in to the arabesque and hold it

brush it through arms and body together into arabesque on the other side and

penché there to finish the phrase. We'll go immediately to the left side

Adagio, thank you Tim and:

plié, carry it a la seconde, now against the body, knee and foot

Arabesque, now brush through, front

Leg takes you forward, and penché

Other side, left heel comes up to the ceiling, rotate it in

and passé, plié

Arabesque, brush through first

And forward

Okay good, good very nice guys. Last thing: grands battements, this is a combination

from Ninette De Valois l the founder of the Royal Ballet, taught to me by Lesley Collier

I think it's nice to pay homage to the tradition and heritage of the company and

just spring it on your dancers occasionally and keep it fresh! We'll go one grand battement

with plié and close, one grand battement straight leg and close, one grand battement

Demi-pointe, passé, sous-sus, close, one grand battement with plié

one grand battement, no plié, one grand battement demi pointe, passé, close, same to the back

One with plié, fifth, one no plié, fifth, one demi pointe, passé, now change the passé front

port de bras, front, side, all the way around, nice big stretch and soutenu

and will do left side immediately. One with plié, one no plié, one on demi pointe, passé, close it front

same side, with plié, no plié, demi pointe, passé, close back

with plié, no plié, demi pointe, passé, bring the passé front, close it, nice big stretch, port de bras

all the way around, circle, left side. Grands battements, thank you Tim and:

Plié

No plié

Demi pointe, passé

And close, plié

Good, to the back, with plié, no plié, really bring the passé, now bring it front, close

and stretch, good, other side

with plié, no plié

And up

And plié

Plié

And plié

Bring it front, nice easy stretch

Great that's it guys. Thank you to Tim on the piano, James, Meaghan for helping me out

we look forward to seeing you on the 4th of October, bye!