Clarity in Ballet Technique: Building Towards Advanced Jumps (The Changement Foundation Students Need)

By Chelsea Weidmann, ballet educator with 29 years of teaching experience and author of Artistry Inside Ballet Technique

That first successful changement is a milestone every ballet student remembers, along with the first time you landed with the wrong foot in front. If your teacher has ever told you to change your feet “earlier” or “later,” it’s because there are three valid ways to do this jump, and they build different skills. All three are correct. What matters is that your studio uses one consistently, so ask your teacher which one you’re learning.

Changement in Ballet: Three Approaches

The Late Change. Keep the front foot in front until the last possible moment. This builds muscle memory for the crossed position at the center line and lays the groundwork for assemblé and jeté, which makes it especially useful if those jumps are your focus.

The Quick Change. Change your feet as early as possible, ideally before the peak of the jump. This reinforces center line awareness and prepares you for petit allegro like entrechat quatre and entrechat six.

The “Secret First.” Pass through a clear first position at the peak of the jump, keeping your starting foot position on the way up and completing the change on the way down. This builds clean technique and strong turnout habits. It also changes the counting slightly: “and a one” instead of “and one.”

Which One is Right for You?

It depends on your goals and your studio. In my own teaching, we start with the “Secret First” through early intermediate levels, then move to the Quick Change as students advance. If your teacher uses a different method, that’s fine. Ask them why they chose it, and you’ll understand the jump better.

Feel the Change in the Air

The foot change in a changement happens in a split second, and learning to sense it is a somatic awareness skill. That’s one of nine elements of artistry, and The Ballet Artistry Deck has six prompts for each one.

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