You've mastered the basics of lyrical dance—the fundamental techniques, the basic emotional connection to music, and simple combinations. Now you're ready to elevate your practice to the next level, where strength meets storytelling, and grace becomes second nature.

Intermediate lyrical dance demands more than just remembering steps; it requires a fusion of technical precision, emotional authenticity, and physical power. The following drills are designed to target the specific skills you'll need to seamlessly execute complex combinations that wow audiences and feel incredible to perform.

Core & Centering Drills

Your core is the command center for lyrical movement. It stabilizes your turns, controls your extensions, and gives your movements their powerful yet fluid quality.

1

Controlled Attitudes in Développé

Goal: Build strength for sustained, controlled extensions.

  1. Stand at the barre or in the center, maintaining perfect posture.
  2. Slowly développé your leg to attitude devant, taking 8 counts to reach the full position.
  3. Hold for 8 counts, focusing on keeping your supporting leg strong and your core engaged to prevent wobbling.
  4. Lower for 8 counts with the same controlled precision.
  5. Repeat to attitude derrière and à la seconde.
Pro Tip: Imagine your core is pulling your entire body up toward the ceiling while simultaneously grounding your supporting foot into the floor. This opposition creates stability.

Dynamic Balance & Weight Transfer

Lyrical combinations are filled with falls, suspensions, and fluid changes of direction. Mastering your weight transfer is key to making these movements look effortless.

2

Piqué Turn Series with Suspension

Goal: Improve balance and control in sequential turns.

  1. Execute a single piqué turn en dehors to relevé passé, but don't close immediately.
  2. Hold the balance in passé for 2 full counts before slowly lowering the leg to tendu back and stepping into the next piqué turn.
  3. Repeat 4-8 times consecutively, focusing on spotting and maintaining the same height in relevé each time.
Pro Tip: The power for your turn comes from the plié before you step, not from throwing your body. Use your core to "catch" yourself at the top of the turn.
[Image: A dancer suspended in a high attitude turn, demonstrating perfect balance and extension]

Emotional Connectivity Through the Port de Bras

In lyrical, the arms are not just decorative; they are the primary vehicle for emotional expression. Your port de bras should tell a story from your fingertips to your core.

3

Sequential Arm Pathways with Breath

Goal: Develop fluid, intentional arm movements that connect to breath and emotion.

  1. Stand in parallel first, eyes closed. Take a deep breath in.
  2. As you exhale, begin moving one arm slowly, initiating the movement from your back and shoulder blade, then flowing through the elbow, wrist, and finally the fingertips.
  3. Inhale as you reverse the pathway, drawing energy back into your center.
  4. Repeat with the other arm, then practice with both arms moving in opposition, in unison, and in canon (one arm starting a count after the other).
"Don't just move your arms. Pour intention through them. Imagine you're moving through water or pushing through clouds—there is resistance and history in the space around you."

Putting It All Together: A Mini-Combination

Now, let's integrate these elements into a short, complex phrase.

Phrase: 16 counts of music (choose something with a building intensity, like "Turning Page" by Sleeping At Last).

  1. Counts 1-4: From a lunge in second, use a controlled core to rise into a high passé balance, arms sweeping up overhead (connect to your breath).
  2. Counts 5-8: Lower into a deep plié in fourth position, executing a sustained, emotional port de bras forward as if reaching for something.
  3. Counts 9-12: Step into two sequential piqué turns with suspension, using the dynamic balance drill.
  4. Counts 13-16: Fall smoothly into a controlled spiral floor roll, ending with an extended leg gesture, showcasing your strength and flexibility.

Practice with Purpose

Building strength and grace is a journey, not a destination. The magic of lyrical dance happens in the nuance—the slight catch of breath before a fall, the unwavering balance at the peak of a extension, the story told through a single glance of the fingertips.

Incorporate these drills into your regular practice consistently, and you will build the muscular memory and artistic depth needed to make even the most complex combinations feel like a natural, graceful expression of self.