Ballet exercises for children are designed to teach kids the basic fundamentals of ballet. For a young child, coordination and fluidity are two attributes that are often difficult to master. As a result, many ballet exercises for children focus on developing technique and improving a child's coordination through repetition. While your child may not be performing the original "Nutcracker" anytime soon, many ballet exercises for children will help provide a solid foundation for your child to build upon in future years.
Ballet Positions 1 through 5
This exercise will teach your kid the five major ballet positions while remaining static on the ballet floor. Have your child stand straight with his legs next to each other. From here, have him point his toes at 45-degree angles away from each other. From this first position, have your child lift his hands out in front of himself and then extend them out to both sides of his body. Simultaneously, have your child shift his weight onto the toe of his left foot. From here, have him slide his left foot back to its original position, then one foot out in front of his body. While keeping his right hand extended out to the side, have him move his right arm out in front of him. From here, have him lift his left arm above his head while his left toe is pointed. Hold this pose for several seconds and repeat the exercise.
Barre Stretching Exercise
Barre stretching is designed to help loosen up your child before a proper ballet performance. The first part of a ballet class is performed on the barre and is a way to warm up and stretch your child's muscles. Have your child start by holding onto the barre with her right hand. From here, have her stand parallel to the bar, with her feet right next to each other. From this position, have your child lift her right leg up onto the bar so her heel is touching the bar. Have her hold this stretch position for a count of 10 before releasing. Have her perform this stretch with both legs.
Arabesque to Attitude Exercise
This exercise combines popular ballet positions to help your child focus on working on his transition skills. Have your child start in a basic arabesque position. This position consists of your child standing straight with one leg extended directly behind him. While in this position, your child's leg must be perfectly straight and extended the entire time. From this position, have your child bend his other knee and extend his back leg forward. This will successfully transition him into an attitude position. Have your child attempt this switch both ways, sometimes starting with the attitude and sometimes with the arabesque. He can also switch legs to strengthen muscles in both of his legs.
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