barre

/bɑr/

/bɑ/

Other forms: barres

The rail that a ballet dancer holds while warming up is called a barre. Ballet teachers also refer to these pre-dance exercises themselves as barre, or barre work.

In French, the word barre means "bar," and that's just what it is: a sturdy, horizontal rail made of smooth wood and metal. Dancers place one hand on the barre to practice perfectly synchronized pliés, and they hold the barre with two hands to do deep backbends. Barre classes teach ballet and yoga techniques using the stability of a barre for holding poses and stretches.

Definitions of barre

1. noun

   a horizontal rod that ballet dancers use as a support as they perform certain exercises
   type of:

   support

   any device that bears the weight of another thing