Discover · The Cover Story
Ballet Boarding Schools: A Guide for Families
Thinking about ballet boarding schools for your dancer? Here's what residential ballet training really involves, the pros and cons, and how to weigh it as a family.
Read the storyBallet Directions: Croisé, Effacé, and Écarté Made Easy
Ballet directions like croisé, effacé, écarté, and en face, explained in plain English so you know exactly how to face the body and why it changes how every step looks.
Ballet Poses and Their Names: A Visual Guide
The famous ballet poses and their names, from arabesque to attitude to penché. Here's what each ballet pose looks like and how to spot it, in plain English.
Fouetté Turns Explained (Plus the Famous 32)
What a fouetté turn is, how the whipping leg keeps you spinning, and how a ballerina pulls off 32 fouettés in Swan Lake without stopping.
Find your footing
Four ways in
Discover
The art, history, companies, and culture of ballet.
Ballet Boarding Schools: A Guide for Families
Thinking about ballet boarding schools for your dancer? Here's what residential ballet training really involves, the pros and cons, and how to weigh it as a family.
Ballet Directions: Croisé, Effacé, and Écarté Made Easy
Ballet directions like croisé, effacé, écarté, and en face, explained in plain English so you know exactly how to face the body and why it changes how every step looks.
Ballet Poses and Their Names: A Visual Guide
The famous ballet poses and their names, from arabesque to attitude to penché. Here's what each ballet pose looks like and how to spot it, in plain English.
Pointe-rs
Everything pointe, fitting, care, and going up on your toes.
Freed of London: A Dancer's Guide to the Brand
A friendly guide to Freed of London dancewear: who they are, what makers and the maker's mark stamp mean, and which dancers their pointe shoes tend to suit.
How Long Do Pointe Shoes Last?
How long do pointe shoes last and when should you replace them? A friendly guide to pointe shoe lifespan, dead-shoe signs, and tips to make each pair go further.
Pointe Shoe Accessories: The Essentials Every Dancer Needs
The pointe shoe accessories that actually matter, from toe pads and spacers to ribbons, elastics, and blister care, and how to use each one.
Injury Prevention
Stay strong, dance longer, and protect the body.
Common Ballet Injuries and How to Prevent Them
A calm, plain-English guide to the most common ballet injuries, where they come from, and the everyday habits that help dancers stay healthy and keep dancing.
Injury Prevention for Ballet Dancers: Essential Tips for Strength and Longevity
Ballet is a physically demanding art form that requires incredible strength, flexibility, and endurance.
Lisfranc Injury Overtime
The last thing you want as a dancer is any sort of damage to your feet. Your feet are pretty much essential, so it’s important to prevent foot injuries, like a Lisfranc injury at all cost.
The Archive
More from Raising the Barre
Freed of London: A Dancer's Guide to the Brand
A friendly guide to Freed of London dancewear: who they are, what makers and the maker's mark stamp mean, and which dancers their pointe shoes tend to suit.
How Long Do Pointe Shoes Last?
How long do pointe shoes last and when should you replace them? A friendly guide to pointe shoe lifespan, dead-shoe signs, and tips to make each pair go further.
How to Do a Ballet Bun: Step by Step
A step-by-step guide to a classic ballet bun that actually holds. What you need, the exact order to build it, and how to keep the ballet bun from falling out.
Common Ballet Injuries and How to Prevent Them
A calm, plain-English guide to the most common ballet injuries, where they come from, and the everyday habits that help dancers stay healthy and keep dancing.
Port de Bras: Carriage of the Arms in Ballet
Port de bras means carriage of the arms. Here's how ballet arms move through the positions, why soft and breathing beats stiff, and the mistakes to skip.
Demi-Pointe: What It Is and How to Nail It
What is demi-pointe? It's rising onto the balls of your feet in ballet. Here's what demi-pointe means, how it differs from pointe, and how to relevé.