Ballet Saute – How to Perfect Your Technique

You might be wondering how something as simple as a ballet saute can impact your dancing, especially since it’s considered a beginner step.

But it’s the foundation of all jumps in ballet, teaching us precision and coordination.

By mastering the fundamentals, you’re setting yourself up for more advanced allegro work.

WHAT IS A BALLET SAUTE?

A ballet saute is a beginner jump in ballet that involves both feet leaving the ground simultaneously and landing back in the same position.

Whether in 1st, 2nd, or 5th position, you begin a saute in a plie, pushing off the floor by straightening your legs.

As you spring upward, you fully extend your feet, pointing your toes in the air.

When descending, you control the landing, rolling through the feet to absorb the impact, and return softly back into the plie position.

A ballet saute teaches you how to:

COMMON MISTAKES

Here are three common ballet saute mistakes that can be easily avoided with practice and precision.

LIFTING THE HEELS

The first common mistake during a ballet saute, like many jumps, is lifting the heels during the preparation.

Many dancers believe this will give them more power and height, but in reality, lifting the heels prevents you from maximising the strength of your plie.

By pressing the entire foot flat on the floor during the preparation, you set yourself up for a more powerful and stable jump.

Additionally, if you can´t keep your heels grounded, you will have more difficulty moving quickly and precisely, especially during faster sequences and complex combinations.

OPENING THE LEGS

The second common mistake is opening the legs too wide when jumping up.

It can be tempting to let the legs drift apart as you ascend, but it’s essential to maintain the same alignment as the starting position (ie. 1st or 2nd position).

By keeping your legs aligned and controlled, you create a cleaner, more precise jump.

STICKING OUT THE BOTTOM

The third common mistake is sticking out the bottom and thus distorting the position of the pelvis.

This often occurs when you’re not properly engaging your glutes and the backs of your legs.

Without this essential connection, the bottom tends to pop out, compromising alignment and making even a simple saute challenging to perform effectively.

To avoid this, remember to engage your rotators, focusing on initiating the jump from the rotation of your legs.

This activation helps keep the pelvis stable and aligned, allowing you to maintain a lifted, controlled posture throughout the jump.

TIPS FOR BEGINNER DANCERS

Here are three tips for beginner dancers to incorporate into your daily practice to achieve the correct ballet saute technique.

TIP 1 – USE YOUR PLIE

Your plie plays an essential role in maximising power and elevation in your saute.

A deep, controlled plie with proper knee alignment provides the spring needed for a light and effortless-looking jump.

RECOMMENDATION

To achieve that bouncy jump that doesn’t look heavy or laboured, it really comes down to a deep plie.

Try a series of five sautes in both 1st and 2nd positions.

Each time you return to plie, focus on using your full depth and range of motion.

This will help you feel the plie’s power and notice how it provides the strength and stamina needed to continuously rebound and spring off the floor.

TIP 2 – CONTROL YOUR UPPER BODY

When first learning to jump, it’s common to lack the core strength needed to fully control the upper body.

This can cause the torso to lean forward or backward or even lead to initiating the jump with the shoulders, which affects alignment and control and can put unwanted pressure on the spine.

RECOMMENDATION

Learning to engage the core can help dancers stabilise their torso when they are mid-air in a saute, and later more complex allegro steps.

To check your upper body alignment, practice sautes while standing sideways to a mirror.

This will allow you to see any forward or backward lean in your torso and help you spot whether your shoulders are lifting or staying pressed down.

Incorporate regular core conditioning into your routine to build the strength needed to keep your ribs from flaring out and maintain core stability.

TIP 3 – SOFT LANDING

One of the most important aspects of jumping is learning how to land safely to avoid injury.

Sautes are ideal for building this skill because it teaches you how to land softly, with control and proper alignment.

Since the saute is a simple jump, you can focus on absorbing the impact through a well-executed plie, rolling through the feet to cushion the landing.

RECOMMENDATION

To land softly, you must use your plie and roll through your feet, while engaging your entire body to stay lifted.

Imagine there’s a string attached to the top of your head, gently pulling you upward as you land.

This visualisation encourages a sense of lift, helping to soften your impact on the floor by giving you the sensation of ‘lifting to come down’ rather than simply dropping.

TIPS FOR ADVANCED DANCERS

Here are three tips for advanced dancers, that build on the basic principles of a ballet saute, that can be incorporated into your daily practise to perfect this movement further.

TIP 1 – PUSH THROUGH YOUR FEET

Learning how to use the floor when performing a saute will give you the greatest power in your feet to fully activate your intrinsic muscles and arches.

This will then enable you to fully straighten and lengthen your legs.

As you push off the floor, the activation should travel from your feet, through your legs, creating a strong foundation for your movement and enhancing your overall jumping technique.

RECOMMENDATION

In addition to strengthening your intrinsic foot muscles with targeted exercises, a highly effective way to practise pushing from the floor is by performing sautes without the plie.

This involves jumping continuously without incorporating a plie in between each jump.

This technique will allow you to focus solely on activating your feet and pushing off from the floor using only the power from pressing your whole foot flat into the floor.

TIP 2 – COORDINATION AND TIMING

The saute develops coordination between the legs, feet, and arms, as well as the importance of correct timing while jumping.

By starting with the saute, dancers develop muscle memory that can then be carried over to petit allegro and grand allegro steps.

RECOMMENDATION

To improve coordination and timing between your arms and legs during a saute, start by engaging your arms during the preparation phase to initiate the jump in sync with your plie.

Keep your arms steady and supported in the chosen position while in the air, and then transition smoothly through the port de bras as you land.

Think of each phase (preparation, jump, and landing) as a sequence that flows together, enhancing timing and coordination.

TIP 3 – INCREASE HEIGHT

To add more height and elevation to your saute, it’s essential to strengthen the necessary muscles in your feet, legs, and glutes while also focusing on building explosive power.

Targeted exercises that enhance strength in these areas will provide the foundation needed for a powerful push-off and suspension in the air.

RECOMMENDATION

Incorporating plyometric movements and targeted strength training routines is crucial for developing the explosive energy needed for greater elevation in your jumps.

Focus on training your fast-twitch muscles and strengthening key areas such as your glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, and feet.

WRAP UP

In ballet, technique is vital for progression, which is why performing a saute correctly is crucial for improving your overall jumping ability.

By practising sautes consistently, you can build a strong technical base that allows you to progress safely and effectively into more challenging allegro combinations.

So, the next time you find yourself struggling with allegro, take a step back and revisit the basic fundamentals of how to correctly perform a ballet saute.

Remember, mastering the basics is key to achieving greater heights in your ballet training!