How To Tendu Correctly

One of the most basic steps in ballet is the battement tendu and it is one of the most essential steps in the ballet technique. Battement tendu is executed in first and fifth positions, but the methodology to a tendu is the same in both positions; both a tendu performed in first and fifth are crossed. The motion of a tendu is to extend the leg out with a pointed foot and return it to the position from which it came. However, there is much to think about in this seemly basic motion.  

You must maintain the largest degree of turnout at all times during the outward and inward motions; your heal should lead the motion outward while your toes should aim to reach first or fifth before the heal does on the return motion. While the leg is moving out and in, the weight of your standing foot should be over the ball of the foot; it is as if you could lift your heal off of the floor at any time during the tendu. At no point during the tendu motion should the metatarsals of the foot become relaxed; it is often taught that battement tendu goes through a demi-pointe, dropping the metatarsals to the floor, but this is wrong. It is as if the foot is always on its way to a full point from the moment it leaves first or fifth position.

Battement tendu is always crossed; to the front, your toes should be directly in front of your belly button, to the side, your toes should be directly to the side of your body (neither in front or behind your hips), and to the back, your toes should be directly behind your belly button. Once again, while this motion is performed, your body must remain erect with your shoulders and your hips as square as possible, with your butt tucked under, and your stomach muscles pulling up.

Here is a video of a dancer giving a tutorial on the step of tendu.  Watch the video carefully, with my writing on the tendu in mind.

I have two issues with her interpretation of the tendu:

1. The direction of the tendu is very precise. As I clearly stated above, the tendu should always be crossed; to the front, one’s toes should be directly in front of their belly button, to the side, one’s toes should be directly to the side of their body (neither in front or behind their hips), and to the back, one’s toes should be directly behind their belly button. Her description of the direction of a tendu is wrong; tendu should not go in the direction of one’s “natural turnout”. The leg should be directly to the side of the body.
2. Her description of the foot massaging the floor in tendu is incorrect. Like I said before, at no point during the tendu motion should the metatarsals of the foot become relaxed; it is often taught that battement tendu goes through a demi-pointe, dropping one’s metatarsals to the floor, but this is wrong. It is as if the foot is always on its way to a full point from the moment it leaves first or fifth position. The notion of massaging the floor creates a relaxed approach to the tendu, which is incorrect.

Now go tendu and make sure you correct wrongdoers when they pass by the rosin box!