Ernestine Pastorello

Trailer: "The Centre" and behind the scenes with Ernestine

A little teaser of my most recent video "Ballet Class: The Centre"--in which I present tantalizing examples of my brilliance sans barre--and excerpts from the next video, my first "behind ...

Ballet class: "The Centre"

Two exercises from the centre portion of ballet class, "Tendu" (which you might remember from "The Barre"), and a waltz/pirouette, which is one of my very favorites in an entire class. 

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Update from a train somewhere between Napoli and Rome...

My film editor Steven, a man with an impeccable work ethic, informs me that the recent spate of sunniness in the UK has confused everyone and dazed him into a bit of a slower turnaround than I have...

Coming soon... "Ballet Class: The Centre"

The sun is setting over the Sicilian countryside, and from poolside at my villa (rented, people), I have just sent off the last of the instructions to Steven, my tireless editor, for the next video...

Glimpses of things to come

Hello my somewhat neglected friends! It has been a busy month; I am preparing for a month-long tour of Europe including Sicilian weddings and German bordellos.

As you await my next video (Com...

The Red Umbrella

The Barre: Grand Battement

When you arrive at grand battements--usually after a painfully slow adagio--it is a fantastic release of contained energy. In the beginning of studying ballet, students are focused on the muscular ...

The Barre: Battement Fondu Développé

It took me about ten years to get this one right. As a young dancer, I used to watch the older dancers who "got it" very closely, trying to understand how they navigated the push and pull, the pliÃ...

The Barre: Rond des Jambes

My second-favorite barre exercise, this one is deliciously slow. The movements become more difficult, legs are longer, higher, and everything must be done with juicyness. The slowest things are oft...

The Barre: Dégagé

Here the barre gets even quicker, and it becomes even more important to keep all your bits in place so that the legs and feet can move with the utmost efficiency! 

The Barre: Tendu

This exercise is all about feet. It is the foundation of all the quick things that feet will later be asked to do, including pointe. Tendus must be sharp, quick, and one must keep one's posture the...

The Barre: Plié

Traditionally the first exercise in a ballet class, pliés are also my favorite. It is a slow and expressive exercise; it is the moment in class when you find your feet and your posture and get gro...

7 days, 7 videos

Hello, patrons! At long last, Steven, my amazing film editor and I have finalized an individual video for each barre exercise. So please enjoy, for the next 7 days, one new video per day of each tr...

By special request, for Mr. S

Thank you, sir, for your patronage! In response to your request, I give you this video for your viewing pleasure. 

(Don't you wish I could make a video for you? Quartermasters...

Watch my body speak its native language.

This video contains excerpts from every barre exercise in succession, giving you a peek of what goes into the creation of a ballerina. I have been doing these exercises since I was 7 years old, and...

"The Barre" premieres! The first video: Étirement (stretching)

Super delighted to be bringing you, at long last, the first of several videos we are editing from the first official studio shoot of the Ballet Burlesque Project. While stretching is traditionally ...

Behind the scenes of filming "The Barre"

Two lucky patrons just received an e-mail full of photos like this one, documenting the most recent studio shoot! (Don't you wish that was you...) Hey. I came by these hips honestly. Might as well ...

Coming soon! "The Barre"

Dropping momentarily and throughout the month, a series of videos of me back where I belong: at the ballet barre. Exquisitely filmed by Nefeli Forni and edited by Steven Mayfield, this is the heart...

Are you ready for the next video?

In preparation for filming me at the barre this weekend, I am working up a sweat.

The upside to cross-training like mad for my next Patreon ballet video via online yoga classes in my living r...

Behind the Mysteries of Pointe Shoes

So very excited to be posting my first video! It is a sneak peek into the little-known world of the ballet dancer--all that goes into preparing a pair of pointe shoes to be worn, warming up the fee...