Quick Ballet Warm-Up for Recital Season Classes
As recital season approaches, ballet classes start to look a little different.
Time is limited. Choreography takes priority. And maintaining the structure of a full class can feel… unrealistic.
If you’ve ever been in class this time of year thinking:
“There’s no time for technique”
“Do we even have time for barre?”
“How do I fit in everything I need to do?”
You’re not alone.
The good news? You don’t need a full, perfectly structured class to keep your dancers progressing.
Sometimes, a short, focused warm-up is more than enough to maintain technique, reinforce fundamentals, and set your dancers up for success before moving on to choreography.
During this time of year, classes often shift toward choreography and performance preparation. If you’re in the middle of that process, you might also find it helpful to read my guide to recital choreography, A Dance Instructor’s Guide to Recital Choreography, where I walk through how I approach planning, music selection, and structuring pieces for students.
Here are a few quick, effective warm-up ideas you can use during recital season.
Under 5-Minute Barre Reset
Time is tight, go back to the essentials.
Focus on:
Pliés
Tendus, mixed with dégagés & rond de jambes
Add lots of arms to combos, so their brains are ready for choreo
Keep it slow and intentional. Even just these few exercises can help reconnect dancers to their technique.
👉 Tip: Emphasize quality over quantity—this is about precision, not length.
Center Alignment & Placement Check
Before jumping into choreography, take a few minutes in the center to reset alignment.
You might include:
Port de bras with head movements
Slow relevés focusing on control and stability
This helps dancers feel centered, lifted, and ready to move with intention.
Foot & Ankle Activation
Strong, articulate feet are easy to neglect during busy rehearsal periods—but they make a huge difference.
In just a few minutes, you can include:
Do some quicker relevés, & balances
Quick jumps or échappés for activation
Keep It Simple, Keep It Consistent (do the same warm-up each class)
During recital season, your classes don’t need to be perfect—they just need to be intentional.
Even 10-15 minutes of focused work can:
Reinforce technique
Improve performance quality
Help dancers feel more prepared and confident
And most importantly, it helps you feel more organized and less rushed going into class.
One of the biggest things that helps during recital season is having a clear plan—even if you're adjusting it week to week. I often find myself working backwards from the end goal, which I talk more about in this post:
👉 Link here: I Work Backwards - Who’s With Me?
Want a Ready-to-Use Warm-Up Plan?
If you’d like something you can take straight into the studio, I’ve created a free, printable recital season warm-up plan for you.
It’s designed to be quick, effective, and easy to use during busy rehearsal weeks.
👉Download the Warm Up Plan Here!
Looking for Full Lesson Plans?
If you’re finding it challenging to balance technique and choreography this time of year, my full ballet lesson plans are designed to support you.
They’re structured, flexible, and can be used as complete classes—or pulled apart to fit your schedule.
