What is a Tendu?
Tendu comes from the French word Etendre which means “to stretch”.
The full term used in ballet class is Battement Tendu which means a “stretched beat”. In the execution of a tendu, your legs start from 1st/5th position, open (stretch away) to the front, side or back and return to 1st/5th position with the toes remaining in contact with the floor throughout. The opening and closing movement of the leg is called Battement and to open your leg without closing it, is to Degagé (to disengage).
It may seem like a simple step, but its importance is high on the scale of dance technique. A proper battement tendu strengthens our legs and feet, lengthens the line of our lower bodies, and teaches us about weight placement and weight transfer. Practicing tendus also direct the path our legs move so that we will learn how to travel to the front, side and back with the legs correctly placed and turned out.
Here are some key pointers to help you get the most from your tendus today!
1. Keep thinking turnout
Think about your turnout at every stage of your tendu – when you’re standing on two feet, all the way through to that final extended position.
Tendu devant: Imagine leading with your heel as you stretch your leg forwards, and leading with the pinky toe as you bring the foot to close.
Tendu ala seconde: The direction your feet are pointing toward from first position is the pathway your tendu to 2nd position should travel on. Rather than aiming directly to the side (unless you have 180º turn out), align your gesture leg to the toe of your standing leg.
Tendu derrière: Reverse! Lead with the pinky toe to stretch the leg away and close by driving the heel forwards.
Remember to engage your maximum turn out equally through both hips and to keep your pelvis as square as possible throughout the movement. Work safely to build strength within your range as forcing your turnout will compromise the health and placement of your hips, knees, ankles and feet in the long-term.
2. Move through your whole foot & love the floor
A tendu is more than standing on two feet and then having one foot pointed, it is also every position in between!
Move through the centre of your foot and feel a gentle pressure against the floor as you brush your foot forward. Lengthen all five toes and glide them along the floor to create resistance, pushing the floor away through the demi-pointe position, articulating them to the fully-pointed final position as your body weight shifts to the standing leg. There should be no weight on the toes in the final stretched position, just the very tip touches the floor. Reverse this step by step on the way back.
Working through this floor pressure ensures that we aren’t gripping our muscles and instead focusing on lengthening through the lower body. With each tendu we can also become aware of the energy expelled through our feet. The strength developed through each articulation for example, will then help us take off and land jumps with cushion.
3. Don’t forget the other leg
Although tendus are a one footed balance they are still a two-legged movement! Have you had trouble closing your tendus without softening your knees? Or perhaps your toes tend to scrunch when you pointe?
Often times bent knees are an indication that we are sinking into our standing leg, creating less room for our working leg to move efficiently. We need to lift our supporting side while grounding into the floor – thinking of these opposing forces will help you engage your core and glutes to maintain turnout and stability.
Scrunching our toes might also mean we still have weight on them. Again this relates to support in the working leg to maintain balance. Think of pulling up the muscles around both knees and work on lengthening your gesturing leg away from your hip. Remember to elongate your toes when working to the fullest stretch.
Over time, your muscles will respond to this effort and change to give you an effortless extension.
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Tendus truly are a powerhouse of a move. We hope to see you practicing in the studios!
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