Glossary of ballet terms

* For more on the equestrian movement, see pirouette (dressage).

A significant part of ballet terminology is in the French language.

Unless there is much to say about a specific term, there is no reason to put each and every one of them into a separate article.

A

Abbreviations

À la seconde

To the side. For example you would do a battement tendu à la seconde, to the side.

Adagio

ADAGE (French), ADAGIO (Italian)

Adagio is meaning at ease or leisure. English ballet teachers use "adage", the French adaptation, while Americans prefer the original Italian. Adagio is the opening section of the conventional "Pas de deux".

http://www.dancemelody.com/ballet-dictionary/

Arabesque

Arabesque

(Literally: 'in Arabic fashion') The position of the body supported on one leg with the opposite leg (with the knee straight) extended behind the body. The back leg may either touch the floor (in tendu) or be raised in the air at an angle.upper back up and not fallen forward See also: Attitude.

Arrière

Normally used in conjunction with "en"; "en arrière" means a step that moves backwards.

Assemblé

Literally meaning to assemble, a movement where the first foot performs a battement glissé/degagé, "swishing" out. The second foot then swishes under the first foot, thereby launching the dancer into a jump. The feet meet together in mid-air and the dancer lands with both feet on the floor at the same time.

A jump: plié, brushing working leg out. Bring both legs together ("assemble" them) while in midair; land on both feet. The brush can be to the front, the side, or the back.

Dancemelody.com - Assemblé. Illustrated Ballet Dictionary. Photos and Pictures.

Attitude

A pose in which the dancer stands on one leg, with the other leg lifted behind (derriere) or in front (en avant) of the body with the knee bent at approximately 120-degree angle. See also: Arabesque. Leave the foot of the ground only lightly so you can lift your foot of easier.

Avant

Normally used in conjunction with "en"; "en avant" means a step that moves forwards or a movement done to the front such as "grand battement en avant".

B

Ballerina

Ballerina is a principal female dancer of a ballet company. Technically, the word for a male dancer would be "ballerino" however this is not in common usage.

Ballon

Battement

This is a kicking movement of the working leg (i.e. the leg that is performing a technique)
**battement jeté is a battement normally taken to anywhere from 2 cm off the floor up to 45 degrees, depending on the style.
**battement fondu is a battement (usually slower) from a fondu (both knees bent) position and extends until both legs are straight.
**battement frappe is a battement where the foot moves from a flexed position next to the other ankle, and extends out to a straight position, by doing so hitting the floor (the so-called frappe). In the Russian school the foot is wrapped around the ankle, rather than flexed and does not strike the floor.
**battement glisse is a rapid battement normally taken to 2-3 centimeters off the floor (literally means a gliding battement).
**battement lent a slow battement, normally taken as high as possible, which involves considerable control and strength.
**battement tendu is a battement where the extended foot maintains in contact with the ground. It forms the preparation for many other positions, such as the ronds de jambe and pirouette positions.
**petit battement, a battement action where the bending action is at the knee, while the upper leg and thigh remain still.
**grande battement, a powerful battement action where the dancer takes the leg as high as they can, while the supporting leg remains straight.
**grande battement en cloche, a grande battement which continuously "swishes" forwards and backwards (literally in large battement with pendulum movement)

Batterie

A whole family of techniques involving jumps, where the feet cross quickly in front and behind each other, creating a flapping or "beating" effect mid-air.'Also called beats in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) syllabus.' Usually start to do these in grade 4.

Brisé

A movement similar to an assemblé. The leg that kicks forward, backward, or to the side beats and the movement travels.

C

Chaînés

This is a common abbreviation for "tours chaînés déboulés", which is a series of quick turns on alternating feet with progression along a straight line or circle. In classical ballet it is done on the pointes or demi-pointes (on the balls of the feet).

Changement

Literal meaning: changing, or, to change. A jump in which the feet change positions in the air. For example, beginning in the fifth position with the right foot front, plié and jump, switching the left foot into the front and the right to the back, landing with the left foot in front, fifth position.

Chassé

Chassé, literal meaning - to chase or to hunt. A slide with both legs bent either forwards, backwards or sideways and meeting in the air straightened. It can be done either in a gallop (like children pretending to ride a horse) or by pushing the first foot along the floor in a plie' and springing into the air where both legs meet stretched.

D

Derrière

The French word for the back(side). For example, a battement tendu derrière means a battement tendu taken to the back.

Dessous

The French word "under". This is where the back leg is brought to the front in techniques such as the assemblé and pas de bourrée.

Dessus

The French word meaning "over". This is where the front leg is brought to the back, in techniques such as the assemblé and pas de bourrée. Usually follows a plié or an arabesque.

Devant

The French word for the front(side).

E

Elevé

(pronounced: ay-luh-VAY) A relevé without the plié, where you go to demi or pointe from flat feet. Also called "rise" in other schools.

See Relevé

En dedans

Term in ballet used to refer to the movement of in a circle. En dedans is when the leg starts at the back (or the side) and moves towards the front. When the right leg is the working leg, this is an anti-clockwise circle. When the left leg is the working leg, this is a clockwise circle. En dehors is the opposite to en dedans.

En dehors

En dehors is the opposite movement of en dedans, that is a cirular movement of the leg, like rond de jambe, towards the back.

Epaulement

(literally, "shouldering") Rotation of the shoulders and head relative to the hips in a pose or a step.

F

First position

When one stands with the feet heel to heel in the shape of a "-", arms should be out like you're holding a beachball with your hands about even to your belly button.

Fourth position

Position where the feet are separated by one foot's distance, parallel to each other and in line with the heels at separate ends.

;00

Fifth position

Similar to Fourth position above, however the feet are touching toe to heel, legs overlapping at about the knees hands are up above your head, your arms creating an oval shape.

Fouetté

French: "To whip"; pronounced 'fweh-TAY'. A movement on one leg that requires the dancer to change the hip and torso direction, usually with a whiplike sharpness, while maintaining the leg direction and position. Can also be done in the air.

Fouetté en tournant

The famous 32 fouettés that mark a virtuosic high point in Swan Lake and other ballets are actually fouettés en tournant (turning), where it is the working leg, not the torso, that does the whipping movement. Each fouetté involves the dancer standing momentarily on flat foot with the supporting knee bent as the other ('working') leg is extended in front then whipped round to the side, creating the impetus to spin one turn as the working foot is then pulled in to touch the supporting knee and the dancer executes a relevé, jumping onto pointe. Done 32 times in sequence without touching the working leg to the ground (or falling over, 'travelling' off the stage, etc.) is a bravura performance designed to express the strength, triumph and indomitability of the character. And, of course, show of the technical brilliance of the ballerina. Male dancers do a variant usually keeping the leg out - they're not en pointe.

Grand jeté

G

Glissade

Literally, to glide. This is a traveling step starting in a fifth position demi-plie, in which the working foot moves out to a point, both legs briefly straighten as weight is shifted toward the pointed foot, and the other foot moves in to meet the first. The movement may also be done sur les pointes.

Grand plié

A full plie, or bending of the knees is similar to a deep knee bend but turned or rotated out and rather than dropping below the knees you stretch the thighs by gently forcing the knees down while the heels come off of the floor (except for second position where the heels are kept on the floor) and returning to a straightened positions by pressing the heels to the floor as you straighten the knees.

Grand jeté

A grand jeté is a long horizontal jump, starting from one leg and landing on the other. It is most often done forward and usually involves a split in mid-air (also called grand écart en l'air).

P

Partnering

For a male dancer, this includes lifting, catching and carrying a partner, also assisting with leaps, promenades and suppported pirouettes.

For a female dancer, it includes being lifted, carried, and being assisted with or caught after leaps.

In general it is an effort by both the male and female dancers to achieve a harmony of movement so that the audience is unaware of the mechanics but just the effect which can be both physical and emotional.

Pas

Literally, movement or a step. A pas d'une is a dance for one, a pas de deux is a dance for two.
*Pas de chat - "step of the cat". This involves the dancer jumping sideways, and whilst in mid-air, bending both legs back up to touch the top of their buttocks while the knees are apart. The position sustained in mid-air is similar to the "butterfly" stretching position. The Dance of the Cygnets from Swan Lake involves sixteen pas de chat, performed by four dancers holding hands with their arms interlaced.
*Pas de basque - a grand movement ("step of the Basques") which is halfway between a step and a leap, and can be taken strictly on the floor (glissé) or with a jump (sauté)and can be done moving toward the front or toward the back.
*Pas de bourrée - a quick step involving the dancer moving on their toes, taking three small, rapid steps as if running on the spot on their toes. There are dozens of variations moving side to side or to the front or to the back and interchanging back/side/front; front/side/back; back/side/back; front/side/front - and so on.
*Pas de cheval- (literally: step of the horse) where the dancer does a coupé then a small developpé and tendus back into starting position.
*Pas de poisson- (literally: step of the fish) requires the dancer to begin from two feet in fifth position, and jump, arching the back with the legs straightened behind, so that the body resembles a fish jumping out of water. This position may also be used in partnering work.
*Pas de valse - waltz step. A travelling step done to music in 3/4 time, which can be done either straight or turning (en tournant).

Passe

The movement, passe', usually refers to the working foot passing close to the knee of the standing leg and can be done by the front or back foot withdrawing from the floor, as in fifth position, and performing the retire' movement(this movement is literally the 'withdrawing') and when the foot arrives by the knee of the standing leg it passes and continues it's movement either to return to the floor by sliding down the back (or front depending on where it started the movement) of the standing leg or into an arabeque or attitude or variations thereof depending if the passe' foot is coming from the back or front. The term, passe', has also come into popular usage for the position in which the foot is placed near or on the knee.

Pirouette

Pirouette

One of the most famous ballet movements; this is where the dancer spins around on demi-pointe or pointe on one leg. The other leg can be in various different positions; the standard one being retiré. Others include the leg in attitude, and grand battement level, second position. They can also finish in arabesque or attitude positions.A pirouette can be en dehors - turning outwards, starting with both legs in plie, or en dedans - turning inwards.

Plié

A basic bending movement of the knees; in French, it means "bent". This can be taken to demi-plié (a comfortable, natural bend) or grand-plié, where the dancer bends all the way down until their buttocks reach their feet, whilst maintaining classical turn-out.

Pointe work

Port de bras

"Carriage of the arms." Movement of the arms in a motion around the body. The basic port de bras moves from bras bas to first position of the arms, to second position of the arms, then back down to bras bas. A full port de bras moves from bras bas to first to fifth, down through second and back to bras bas.

Positions of the arms

Arms in fourth position

* Bras bas; fingers of both arms are almost touching to form an oval shape, with both hands just in front of the dancer's hips.
* First position; maintaining this curved oval shape, the arms are brought up so that the tips of the fingers are in line with the navel.
* Second position; the arms are stretched out to the side, however there is an angle of the arms down and forward, and the palms are facing forward.
* Fifth position; this is a famous position of the arms - this curved position is brought up just above and slightly forward of the dancer's head.
* Third position is a combination of first and second positions, with one arm in second and the other in first.
* Fourth position is a combination of first and fifth positions, with one arm in first and the other in fifth.
* Demi bras is formed by lifting both arms to the side at about 45 degrees, palms still facing the ground.
* Demi seconde is formed by first forming demi bras and then rotating the palms to face the ceiling.

Positions of the feet

*First
*Second
*Third
*Fourth
*Fifth

R

Relevé

Relevé

(pronounced: reh-luh-VAY) When you raise your heels off the ground with the help of a plié and balance on the ball of your foot or en pointe.

See Elevé

Retiré position

Position of the working leg where the toe is pointed next to the supporting knee.

Rond de jambe

(Literally: circles of the leg).

Rond de jambe a terre is a rond de jambe on the ground. The moving leg describes a semicircle on the floor, either from front to back (rond de jambe en dehors) or from back to front (rond de jambe en dedans), between degage positions front and back, passing through first position as the foot comes to through the centre of the circle.

Rond de jambe en l'air is rond de jambe in the air. It can also be en dedans and en dehors. The movement is only below the knee of the working leg. It can be done in two positions of the working leg at 90° and at 45°. If the thigh of the working leg is horizontal, the toe of the working leg draws an oval approximately between the knee of the support leg and the second position in the air. If the thigh of the working leg is semi-elevated (demi-position), then the working oval is to the calf of the support knee.

Grand rond de jambe is a rond de jambe where the leg is sustained at grand battement height.

Demi grand rond de jambe is a rond de jambe where the leg is sustained at a lower height than a grand battement, usually 90°.

S

Sauté

This is the French word for a jump. Sautés include:
*Petits sautés - these are small jumps where the feet don't change positions mid-air.
*Echappés sautés - (literally a ripping jump) these are jumps where the legs jump up together, but split apart mid-air and land in second position.
*Changements - these are sautés where the feet change position, i.e. front and back feet swap, whilst still very close together, mid air.
*Entrechats quatres - this is like a changement but involves a rapid beating of the feet, where the front leg moves to the back and then moves back to the front, creating a rapid, blurring effect of the feet mid-air.

Second position

Legs are apart (more than shoulder width), toes turned out, at 180 degrees or slightly less. Scematicallly it may look like as follows ("0" marks heels, "---" marks feet).

___0 . . . . 0___

T

Third position

This is similar to fifth position, however the legs are allowed more room; i.e. they do not overlap totally. It is sometimes regarded as an introductory fifth position for beginners before they develop the turn-out required for a proper fifth position. Instead of the heel being placed at the toe of the other foot, the heel is placed at the arch of the other foot.

Tours en l'air

This is where the dancer jumps into the air, and whilst in the air, performs a rotation. A single tour normally involves a 360°, a double 720°, and professional dancers can often do more. This is a grand movement, normally performed only by male dancers. It can finish on one leg with the other extended in attitude or arabesque.

See also

* Dance basic topics
* Ballet
* Glossary of ballroom dance terms

References

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