Although ballerinas appear to glide across stage effortlessly, the endurance required is astounding. They need outrageous amounts of strength, flexibility, balance, talent, and mental stability to succeed.
Physical preparation for ballet training includes daily barre exercises, conditioning, and floor combinations. Those three components of practice produce the muscle and technique required of a successful dancer.
This is the primary warm up and technique training for ballerinas. Every class begins with combinations given by the instructor that must be synchronized on count to music. The barre is where a ballerina learns the foundation of ballet itself.
This part of training focuses on deep stretching and muscle strengthening. Ballerinas increase their flexibility through many different targeted stretches for perfecting their technique. Conditioning is a key part of training that can be done at home for quicker results in class.
These exercises usually occur after warm up at the barre or even after conditioning. The goal of floor combinations is to practice and perfect counting, skill, and technique. These combinations relate to exercises done at the barre, but with further complication and variation.