Barre - is a handrail. It may be portable or mounted onto the wall. It is used by both beginner and professional dancers. When you first start learning ballet you always stand facing the barre and hold it with both hands. It helps you to keep your balance, keep your body straight up, your shoulders down and in the right position (parallel to the barre).

The barre is also good use for stretching. Depending on your flexibility, you can do different types of stretching. For example: Stand half facing the barre, one leg resting on the barre, one on the floor (don't bend your knees). While you hold to the barre with one arm, put your other arm straight up and now you can bend your body toward your leg on the barre trying to touch your toes. Remember not to bend your knees - it's easier when you do, but the point is to make it harder, so you get a really good stretch.

Ballet barre exercise - is the beginning of all ballet classes (some other dance styles also have a barre exercise), you can't have a ballet class without exercising with the barre first.

Beginners do the exercise facing the barre, holding it with their hands, the main focus being on working the legs and straightening the body. No other parts of the body are moving; only the legs should be working. Towards the end of the beginner's course, you learn whole body movements facing the barre.

Advanced students also have to do barre exercise. But they hold to the barre only by one hand, and always check their balance by releasing the barre. While you take barre exercise you always repeat one combination twice. For example: If you start combination holding barre with right arm, after you done you turn around 90 degrees to hold barre with your left arm and start the same combination again.