Ballet Vocabulary

Alignment Proper body placement; posture with neck over shoulder girdle, shoulders over hips, hips over knees, knees over feet

Demi-Plie’ Half bend of the knees Ballet Notes 1

Grand Plie’ Big full bend; heels come off the floor (except in 2 nd position) Ballet Notes 1

Tendu Stretched; Slide toes along the floor until toes reach out to a pointe Ballet Notes 1

Degage’ - Jete Tendu with the foot off the ground. Means “To disengage” Ballet Notes 2

Grand Battement Big kick Example-working leg rises from the hip into the air and is brought down again with both knees straight. Ballet Notes 2

Port de Bras Carriage of the arms Ballet Notes 3

Rond de Jambe’ Circling of the leg. Example-point foot front, side, and back, then through 1st and reverse. Ballet Notes 3

En Dehors To the outside En Dedans To the inside Ballet Notes 3

En L’Air * in the air A’Terre * on the floor _________________________________________________________________

En Croix In the shape of a cross Example-Four tendues in each direction front/side/back/side Ballet Notes 2

Devant To the front Ballet Notes 2

A la seconde To the side Ballet Notes 2

Derriere To the back Ballet Notes 2

Passe’ Means “passed”. Toe passes along supporting leg & stops below or at supporting knee. Ballet Notes 4

Developpe’ Develop the leg to an extended position Ballet Notes 4

Eleve’ To rise onto the ball of the foot/feet without a plie first. Releve’ Eleve’ with a plie’

Sous-sus “Over / Under” From 5th, plie’ then rise to releve with no space in legs and heels

Pas de Bourree’ Step of the flowing. Step back, side, then front.

Glissade “To glide” From 5th position in demi-plie’, degage front leg, slide and transfer weight, degage second leg into 5th position plie’.

Assamble To assemble or put together the legs

Cambre Bending at the torso

Soutenu A turn that begins with a deep plie with the leading leg extended in a tendue position. Turning underneath yourself

Spotting The movement of the head and focusing of the eyes in turns to keep from getting dizzy

Pirouette A Turn

Chasse’ Means “to chase”. One foot literally chases the other foot out of its position. Step, together, step.

Chaine’ Chain like turns

Grand Jete’ A Big leap

26. Pique To prick or lightly tap as if dotting an “i”

Pique Turns Stepping onto a straight knee and turning on passe

Changement A jump to change feet from front to back or vise versa

Saute’ A jump that begins and ends in a demi-plie’. Both feet to both feet.

30. Arabesque A famous pose in ballet where one leg is extended to the back and the opposite leg is standing straight on the ground.

Temps Leve “Raised time” A hop on one leg Echappe “Escape” Changing from a closed position to an open position

Balancoire Degage front and back brushing through 1st

Balance’ Shifting the weight from one foot to the other. 1, 2, 3 even tempo (brush, ball change, brush, ball change)

Reverence A bow or curtsy at the end of class to show appreciation to the teacher and other dancers

Attitude A pose on one leg, the other leg lifted, well turned out and bent at the knee with the lower leg and foot opened away from the body

Pas de Chat Means “step of the cat”. Jump sideways, and while in mid-air, bends both legs up bringing the feet up as high as possible, with knees apart. Land in plie’

Bourree Rippling movement in sous-sus position. Rapid steps where front knee is slightly bent.

Plie’ A bending of the knees Ballet Notes 1

Battement “Beating” Three kinds of battement: tendue, jete/degage, & grand battement Ballet Notes 1