How to Use The Barre Ballet Barres Correctly – Top Tips!

We get asked quite often how to use ballet barres correctly so we have put our top 4 tips together below to help you out. If you would like further information or any more details then get in touch, we are here to help and make sure that you have the right equipment for your requirements!

      1. Measure Your Space

Make sure you know how big your space is, we can then establish the best combination of barre lengths that you need to maximise your space.

2. Wall Mounted or Freestanding?

Do you want to mount your barres on the wall or have a freestanding option? Knowing this before making your purchase will make the process smooth and enable us to put an accurate cost together for you.

3. Understand the Barre to Student Ratio

This is a big one. Understanding the ratio of students to barre length is crucial. Our general rule of thumb is for you to base your space on 3 younger students to a 2 metre length (per side). For older students, you would be looking at 2 students per side. So if you have an average class of 10 older students with a wall mounted barre, you would need 5X2 metre lengths.

This spacing keeps the students safe from injuring themselves or their classmates and allows you as the teacher to clearly see every student to ensure they are performing their exercises safely and correctly.

4. Downward Force on the Barre

The barre is an ‘aide to balance’ for the student. It is not designed, nor should be used with force. Applying heavy downward pressure during strenuous or elevation exercises risks damage to the equipment and stops the student from performing the exercises properly. Students should be using their core strength and then using the barre to help aide or adjust their balance when needed.

TOP TIP: Teaching the student to use the barre by placing only 2 fingers on it rather than a full hand will make them unable to apply too much force downwards. This encourages them to use their own core strength to build up the muscles correctly rather than relying on apparatus.

If you have special requirements for your barres then please get in touch with us as we are able to talk through your needs and suggest the best options for you. Our barres are used in other industries outside of dance (gymnastics, bootcamps etc.) where the criteria and usage is different from that outlined above. Our barres come in diffrernt materials and colours so take a look at our website for the full range!