How do I practise a ballet combination at home?

By the RepeatWatch team · Updated

Quick answer

Practise a ballet combination by looping its music, not the whole class. Set A and B around one exercise of barre music, slow it to about 0.9× while you learn the steps, and add a 2-second pause so you can change sides. Raise the speed in 5% steps until it matches class tempo.

Try this now: say your combination out loud in counts, like "two tendus front, close, plié on 7, 8". If you can’t, that is what to learn before you dance it.

How to practise a ballet combination with RepeatWatch

  1. Open class music that matches the exercise. Use ballet class music labelled by exercise and metre, such as "Plié (3/4)" or "Tendu (4/4)", and paste the link into RepeatWatch.
  2. Loop one exercise. Use the chapter times from the description, or press A and B at the start and end of that track. Save it as a section named after the exercise.
  3. Write the combination in counts. Before dancing, say the steps against the counts while the loop plays. Fix the order first, then the technique.
  4. Learn it at 0.9×. Set speed to 0.9× and Pause between loops to 2 s, enough time to turn and prepare the other side.
  5. Build up to class tempo. Speed trainer: +0.05× every 3 loops, goal 1×. Keep turnout and alignment the same at every speed.

Try it on an example: open the opening of the plié music (3/4, right side) in Remina Tanaka’s ballet barre playlist with a 24-second loop already set at 0.9×.

Try it on an example

5 common mistakes

  • Dancing before you can say the combination in counts, so you learn the order and technique at once.
  • Slowing the music so far that balances and plié timing change. Stay around 0.9× and above.
  • Practising only the right side. Loop the music again for the left with the pause to turn.
  • Losing turnout when the tempo rises. Speed up only when the shape stays the same.
  • Practising on a slippery or hard floor at home without care. Keep jumps for a suitable surface.

Frequently asked questions

What is a ballet combination?

A combination is a short sequence of ballet steps set to music for one exercise, such as tendus or a waltz across the floor. Teachers give a new one each class, often in eight-bar phrases.

Can I slow ballet class music without it sounding wrong?

Yes, within reason. YouTube’s player keeps the pitch the same, so the piano sounds natural at 0.9×. Much slower than that, phrasing feels unlike class, so use it only for learning the order.

How do I remember a combination from class?

Write it down in counts straight after class, then loop matching music at home and say the steps out loud with it before dancing it. Saying it in counts is what teachers expect you to know.

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