Ballet Penche – How to Perfect Your Technique

A ballet grand penche is a perfect example of the flexibility required to achieve elegant lines in adagio.

However, a penche isn’t as effortless as it may appear!

It requires a combination of flexibility, strength, control, and balance.

Even the most flexible dancer would need help maintaining the controlled descent and clean lines needed to execute a beautiful penche.

WHAT IS A BALLET PENCHE?

A ballet penche is a stunning movement where a dancer extends one leg behind them in an arabesque while allowing the torso to tilt forward, ideally bringing the upper body parallel to the floor or lower.

The working leg should lift as high as possible, aiming to reach a full 180-degree split line with the supporting leg, to create a beautiful, elongated line.

The penche is a challenging adagio step, heavily featured in pas de deux work.

It relies on impeccable flexibility, strength, alignment, balance, and coordination, with the upper and lower body creating a counterbalancing effect.

COMMON MISTAKES

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

PULLING OFF THE SUPPORTING LEG

The first common mistake during a ballet penche is shifting too much weight onto the heel of the supporting foot (instead of the ball of your foot) which causes you to pull off your leg.

This causes instability which can lead to wobbling and a loss of the penche’s clean line.

Keeping your weight centred over the ball of your foot helps you engage your hamstrings and glutes, essential for:

DIVING DOWN

The second common mistake is diving the torso down too quickly, essentially “dropping” the back.

This approach not only disrupts the aesthetic line of the movement but also makes it harder to control the descent.

Instead, the movement should be gradual, working in opposition between your upper and lower body.

From the highest arabesque with a lifted back, initiate the descent with the working leg, allowing the back to follow smoothly and gradually, resisting slightly to create balance.

BENT LEGS

The third common mistake is not fully stretching both the working and supporting legs, which creates a weak and unengaged look.

Often, this issue arises from insufficient flexibility in the back and legs or lack of muscle engagement to achieve that beautifully extended, lengthened position.

Properly engaging the muscles in both legs is essential.

You really can’t afford to take any shortcuts with your alignment or extensions!

TIPS FOR BEGINNER DANCERS

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

TIP 1 – WORK ON YOUR ARABESQUE

A strong arabesque is the foundation of a beautiful penche.

An arabesque forms both the beginning and ending of the movement, so it’s important that you build both strength and control in your arabesque.

In doing so, you’ll establish a stable and supported platform before attempting this movement.

RECOMMENDATION

To achieve a strong penche, build flexibility and strength in your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, allowing you to reach your highest arabesque position.

I recommend practicing holding your arabesque at the barre, incorporating small pulses with pauses in between (keeping your back lifted).

This helps to gradually increase leg height while building the strength and stability you’ll need when you progress to executing a full penche.

TIP 2 – CONTROL YOUR BACK

While it’s easy to focus solely on the legs when executing a penche, maintaining control of your back is equally crucial for achieving a beautiful position.

A penche involves both a downward movement and a return to the starting position.

This requires a strong back to prevent the common issue of the torso diving forward.

The descent can be challenging, but the real difficulty lies in coming back up, where your back must work diligently to lift your upper body back to the initial arabesque position.

RECOMMENDATION

Pilates is particularly effective for developing this strength, as it focuses on the upper and lower back along with the core.

Key exercises include:

TIP 3 – WORK ON YOUR PROPRIOCEPTION

When it’s time to perform penches in the centre and move away from the support of the barre, strong proprioception becomes crucial.

Proprioception, or your body’s ability to sense its position and movement in space, provides the awareness needed to maintain balance and proper alignment.

This heightened awareness allows you to better understand your body’s positioning during the movement, ultimately enhancing your control and execution of the penche.

RECOMMENDATION

To enhance your proprioception, incorporate exercises that challenge your balance, like standing on one foot on both stable and unstable surfaces.

Practising balance in arabesque on a wobble board or Bosu ball can significantly refine this skill, as these exercises engage your muscles more intensely.

Additionally, challenge yourself by moving through various positions with your eyes closed; trust me, it’s more difficult than it sounds!

TIPS FOR ADVANCED DANCERS

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

TIP 1 – KEEP YOUR HEAD AND EYE LINE UP

Your head position plays a major role in your ability to execute a controlled penche.

Since the head is relatively heavy, even a slight shift can affect balance and alignment.

Dropping the head or looking straight down can pull the upper body forward, making it harder to maintain stability and throwing off your alignment.

RECOMMENDATION

I recommend you keep your eye line out and slightly forward, looking diagonally down. This will help to keep your head in an optimal position.

While the torso naturally lowers in a penche, maintaining this slight upward focus will help stabilise your head position, enhance your balance, and support the alignment of your upper body.

This is such a simple adjustment, yet it could be the missing piece that transforms your penche.

It’s often these small tweaks that make the biggest difference!

TIP 2 – ZIP UP THE SUPPORTING SIDE

A common issue in penche is leaning or tilting toward the supporting leg as you lift into arabesque and begin your descent.

This imbalance can disrupt alignment and make it challenging to stay stable.

RECOMMENDATION

To counter this, imagine ‘zipping up’ the side of your supporting leg by actively engaging the hip and transverse abdominals.

This will create a feeling of lift and length through that side of the body.

Extend your arms outward and slightly forward, which provides additional support and helps maintain that sense of length.

Remember, in penche, the entire body is connected, working in harmony to keep you balanced and aligned.

TIP 3 – STRONG HAMSTRINGS

Your hamstrings and the backs of your legs are your foundation in your penche, providing the essential support needed to control the descent and lift back up.

To enhance both strength and stamina in these muscles, it’s beneficial to incorporate exercises that target them directly.

RECOMMENDATION

A fantastic exercise to build hamstring strength for your penche is the Pilates ‘Donkey kick’.

Start on all fours, ensuring your back is straight and your core is engaged.

Lift one leg behind you, bent at a 90-degree angle with your foot flexed. Keeping the leg parallel to the floor, pulse it upward, then return to the starting position.

Aim for 2 sets of 20 reps on each leg.

You’ll definitely feel the burn, which is exactly what you need to build that stability and control for your penche.

WRAP UP

As with any ballet movement, consistent practice, patience, and a willingness to refine each part of the technique are key.

Once you’ve found the necessary control and mastered the technique, the penche will begin to feel more natural and less challenging.

Try incorporating these tips into your practice and see if they help boost both your stability and confidence.

With time, your penche can become a standout element in your dancing-graceful, controlled, and beautifully executed!