Rond de jambe a Terre literally means ’round of the leg across the floor.’ Rond de jambe en L’air is a circular action with the working leg in the air but is different from what we are discussing today.
A straight working leg moves in an arc while the toes lightly touch the floor. The aim is to make the shape of a capital D.
Rond de jambe can be performed en dehors and en dedans. En dehors takes the leg from the front to the back, and en dedans takes the leg from the back to the front.
You want to think about where you have a tendu to the front, to the side, and to the back, and rond de jambe thus connecting the invisible dots.
The main muscles involved when doing a round de jambe a terre include the biceps femoris, the psoas, the sartorius, the gastrocnemius, and the quadriceps. There is rotational movement of the hip as the leg goes around. There is also rotational movement at the foot.
What is the Purpose of a Rond De Jambe a Terre?
Rond de Jambe a terre is usually done at the bar, and the exercise is used as a warm-up for the hip joints while further challenging the development of control of turnout.
The circular motion of the leg is a building block to more complicated steps such as fouette turns or pas de basque.
How to get the most out of Rond De Jambe a Terre
To get the most out of your Rond de Jambe a terre you need to take note of the following suggestions:
- Keep your hips level at all times and work that turnout from the hip joint.
- Keep your hips square to the front of the room.
- Think of lengthening our working leg and lifting off of the supporting leg.
- Keep your moving foot well-pointed and follow a clear path that is the same every time you go around.
- Start by doing a quarter rond de jambe from the front to the side, Then from the side to the back, before putting the two together. This is the way the girl in the video below does it.
- Lengthen the leg out from the hip and reach your toes out as far as possible.
Video Demonstrating a Rond de Jambe a Terre
If you are just starting with this step, it is a good idea to do demi rond de jambe a terre as this video shows so that you can hone in on your technique first before doing the entire ‘D shape.’
Do it slowly, really thinking about your hip stability and your alignment as you move your leg around.
