What is a Sauté Ballet and How to Do It Properly
If you’ve ever watched ballet dancers leap into the air with grace and control, chances are you’ve seen a sauté ballet in action. The word sauté comes from the French word meaning “to jump,” and that’s exactly what this movement is.
Mastering the sauté ballet is essential for every ballerina, especially when performing. In this guide, we’ll walk you through what a sauté ballet is, how to do it properly, and how to avoid common mistakes. Let’s learn it further!
What is a Sauté in Ballet?
A sauté is a jump that begins and ends in the same position. It’s typically performed in first, second, or fifth position, and it’s one of the first jumps taught in ballet class. When you sauté, both feet leave the ground and land together, with pointed toes and controlled landings.
Sautés aren’t flashy tricks. They are fundamental moves to help dancers learn proper push-off from the floor, build calf and ankle strength, and develop safe, soft landings. You’ll see them in combinations across the floor, in warm-ups, and even in advanced choreography.
Tips for Beginners Doing Sauté Ballet
If you’re just starting to learn sauté ballet, don’t worry—it’s totally normal to feel like your ballet jumps aren’t quite light or springy yet. The good news is, with a few helpful tips and consistent practice, you’ll feel more in control and confident in no time.
Here are some beginner-friendly tips to help you improve your sautés with strength, grace, and proper technique:
1. Use Your Plié
Your plié is the secret to a light and bouncy sauté! A deep and controlled plié gives your jump the power it needs to feel effortless. The deeper you bend your knees (with proper alignment), the more spring you get.
Try doing five sautés in both 1st and 2nd positions, focusing on returning to a full plié each time. This builds strength, stamina, and helps you feel how much energy the plié gives your jump.
2. Control Your Upper Body
A strong core keeps your torso steady while you jump. Beginners often lean forward or lift their shoulders without realizing it. That throws off your alignment and puts pressure on your back.
To fix this, practice sautés sideways in front of a mirror to check your posture. Keep your shoulders down and your ribs from sticking out. Adding core exercises to your routine will help you stay strong and centered mid-air.
3. Soft Landing
Landing gently is just as important as the jump itself. Sautés teach you how to control your descent using your plié and feet. Always roll through your toes to your heels when landing, and keep your body lifted.
A great trick is to imagine a string pulling you up from the top of your head—this helps you feel “light” when landing, so you don’t hit the floor hard. Think of it as lifting into your landing, not just dropping down.
4. Enroll to Private Class
If your child is just starting out in ballet and wants to build a strong foundation in movements like sauté, enrolling in Private Instructions at Rockstar Academy is the perfect next step.
In these personalized sessions, students receive intensive one-on-one training, with ongoing feedback and expert guidance from professional instructors. They’ll also get progress reports, training videos, and weekly at-home exercises to reinforce what they’ve learned in class.
Private Instructions don’t just accelerate technical growth but also help students take greater responsibility for their learning, encouraging them to stay focused, disciplined, and committed.
Advanced Tips for Sauté Ballet
Once you’ve nailed the basics of sauté ballet, it’s time to take things to the next level. Here are a few advanced tips to help you elevate your sauté ballet technique:
1. Push Through Your Feet
To create a powerful and lengthened sauté, you need to use the floor fully and push through your feet with purpose. This not only activates the muscles in your feet and arches but also helps you straighten and extend your legs completely during the jump.
One great way to work on this is by practicing sautés without using plié between each jump. This forces you to rely on foot strength and pressing the whole foot into the floor to push off. Over time, this builds stronger feet and a more dynamic jump.
2. Coordination and Timing
Advanced sautés require clean coordination between your arms, legs, and feet, along with precise timing.
To refine this, focus on engaging your arms from the very beginning of the jump. Start with a strong, supported ballet arm position in your plié, maintain that shape in the air, and then move smoothly through port de bras as you land.
Thinking of your sauté as a flowing sequence (prep, jump, land) helps your whole body move in harmony and creates a polished, expressive performance.
3. Increase Height
If you want your sautés to really soar, you need to work on building explosive strength. This means focusing on your glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, and feet through targeted strength training and plyometric exercises.
These movements activate fast-twitch muscle fibers that give you the lift and hang time in the air. The stronger your muscles, the higher you can jump. This can make your sauté look more elevated and effortless.
Common Mistakes When Doing Sauté Ballet
Even though the sauté may seem like a simple jump, there are a few common mistakes that can affect how clean and powerful it looks. Let’s break them down so you know what to watch out for:
1. Lifting the Heels
A lot of dancers make the mistake of lifting their heels during the plié, thinking it will help them jump higher. But actually, it takes away the power from your plié.
For a strong, controlled sauté, your feet should stay flat on the floor during the preparation.
Keeping the heels down helps build a solid base, gives you more control, and helps you move faster in more advanced combinations.
2. Opening the Legs Too Wide
When jumping, it's easy to accidentally let your legs drift apart. But your legs should stay in the same position you started with. It is important to learn all the ballet feet position, so you’re learning the right way, not the wrong way. Without proper guidance, it’s easy to fall into poor habits that can slow your growth.
If your legs open too wide, your jump will look messy. Keep them aligned and under control to make your sautés look cleaner and more polished.
3. Sticking Out the Bottom
Sometimes dancers unintentionally stick their bottoms out when they jump. This often happens when the glutes and back of the legs aren’t engaged. When your pelvis tilts too much, it throws off your alignment.
To fix this, focus on rotating from your hips and activating your leg muscles before and during the jump. This keeps your posture lifted and your sauté looking strong and well-aligned.
Feel the Power of a Perfect Leap!
Sauté ballet may seem simple, but it builds the strength, grace, and control every dancer needs. Next time when you hear your teacher call out "sauté!", remember that it’s a moment to shine with technique, power, and poise!
Looking to improve your ballet skills in a supportive and inspiring environment? At Rockstar Academy, a leading Sports & Performing Arts Academy, our ballet classes are designed to help you shine—whether you’re preparing for RAD ballet testing or just starting out.
Our ballet curriculum includes opportunities to participate in exciting events like RockOlympics and Elite Championships, where students can showcase their progress, gain confidence, and perform in front of a supportive audience.
Additionally, our ballet class also features an exciting Ballet & Contemporary Dance Recital, giving students the opportunity to showcase their progress and talent on stage.
This special event not only celebrates their hard work and dedication but also helps build confidence, stage presence, and performance skills in a supportive and inspiring environment.
Our experienced instructors focus on technique, strength, and confidence to help every dancer reach their full potential. Curious to see if ballet is the right fit for you? Join us for a free trial class and experience firsthand the energy and passion that make our academy special!
FAQ
What is sauté in ballet?
Sauté is a basic jump where you push off the floor and land in the same position.
How to do sauté in ballet?
Use a deep plié, keep your body aligned, jump straight up, and land softly with bent knees.
