1. Dance Terms

2. Dance Genre
A particular category or style of dance such as ballet, jazz, tap, folk…

3. Plié- the bending of the knee
Grande plié
Demi plié
a full bend of the knees
half bend of the knees (bending the knees as far as you can while keeping your heels on the floor)
all steps of elevation begin and end with a demi plie

4. Chaines
to turn (a series of turns)
Pirouette
a complete turn of the body on one foot

5. Saute
Jete
to jump (toes-sole of foot-heel on the way down and reverse on way up)
to jump from one foot to the other (split jump)

6. Chassez
a gallop step or a gliding step in which one foot literally chases the other foot out of its position

7. Battement
Developpe
High or low kick: grande battement or petit battement
the unfolding of the leg- the working leg is drawn up to the knee of the supporting leg and slowly extended off the floor

8. Choreographer Choreography
a term applied to one who composes or invents a dance
a term used to describe the actual steps of a dance

9. Releve
a snatch to demi-pointe position (rise)

10. Tendue
to stretch your foot

11. Tempo
the speed of the music

12. Pas de bourree
A triple step (behind, side, front)

13. Technique
physical skills of a dancer that enables him or her to execute movements properly

14. Canon
movement done in overlapping sequence

15. Ports des bras
movements made by the arms through various positions

16. Ball Change
A weight transfer from one foot to the other (done on the balls of your feet)

17. Spotting
using a particular spot in a room to attain constant orientation while turning
to prevent a dancer from getting dizzy

18. Supporting Leg Working Leg
the leg that is still while the other is executing movement
The leg that is executing the movement

19. Retire
A position in which the thigh is lifted and the knee bent so that the toe is placed at the supporting knee

20. Sickling
fault in which the dancer turns his or her foot in from the ankle, thereby breaking the straight line of the leg

21. Directions Devant- to the front Derriere- to the back
A la seconde- to the side

22. Positions of feet & arms