This exercise is designed to cultivate controlled landings in allegro, which is crucial for injury prevention and enhancing ballet technique. It improves dancers' proprioception, musicality, and timing. This prepares them for more complex allegro sequences, boosting their confidence so they can perform beautifully.

Preparation: Arrange the mat in front of a wall, rolling it up for support. Have students position the fit ball in front of the wall and lie on it with their hips in the centre. The feet are placed against the wall in third or fifth position in line with their hips. Students should place their hands on the mat, slightly in front of their shoulders.

Steps:

1. Instruct them to position the left foot in cou-de-pied on the right calf with toes pointed down.

2. Guide them to propel into the air, engaging the metatarsals and calf muscles.

3. Keep the focus on controlled landings and alignment as the students perform 8 petit jetés in the air.

4. Encourage experimentation with different combinations using this setup.

Focus: Emphasise maintaining shoulder alignment over hands and correct foot positioning in cou-de-pied. Focus on controlled, precise jumps and landings.