Piano Music for the Ballet Technique Class

Barre 6 - Rond de Jambe en l'Air

Description of elements of a typical combination:

A rond de jambe en l'air is "a circle of the leg in the air. The working leg is opened to second position in the air. The toe makes an oval in the air, the foot moving in toward the body and then away from it” (Lishka 1979, p. 21).
This combination is usually a more stately waltz rather than the lyrical quality of the previous, rond de jambe à terre combination.

Common steps used in this combination:

Rond de jambe en l’air
Passé
Coupé
Relevé

Dégagé
Sous-Sous
Grand Rond de jambe

Meter

triple (3/4)

Tempo

quick - 189 bpm

Accentuations

Like the rond de jambe a terre, an emphasis on the final quarter note of the barre is needed. This is when the dancers will do the rond de jambe en l’air and will arrive back to second position on the count.
During the introduction, “the working leg will often dégagé to second position and do one rond de jambe en l’air, arriving in second position en l’air again by the “1”” (Cavalli 2001, p. 109).

Example of Teacher Demonstrating a Rond de jambe en l'air Combination:

Cues from teacher's demonstration:

Notice that the teacher gives special attention to the “&”. This tells us to accentuate the third quarter note in a 3/4 time signature.

Music Selected: Cécile Chaminade, Valse-Ballet, Op. 112

PDF of Original

06_Original_Valse-Ballet 112_Chaminade.pdf

PDF of Arranged Score

Barre06_Rond de jambe en lair_Valse Ballet op112_Chaminade10.22.22.pdf

Changes made in arranged score:

I added a four bar introduction.
I changed the texture of the left-hand to be the constant and familiar “oom-pah-pah".
I only used a portion of this piece (mm. 1-40); some sections are not in square phrases.

Videos of Dancers performing combination with selected music:

Next: Barre 7

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