Ballet and Modern Flashcards
En Dedans
Inward execution of the step
Balancoire
swinging the leg from front to back, upper body slightly leans forward or backward, opposite to the direction the leg is moving.
What are the 5 parts of a Grand Pas de Deux?
an entrée (introduction), an adagio, two variations (a solo for each dancer), and a coda (conclusion).
Soubresauts
a quick jump from two feet and lands on two feet in fifth position
Failli
to give away, a fleeting step,
Temps leve
A Jump from one leg, land on the same leg
Detourne
to turn aside. a turn in which the dancer takes a pile in 5th position springs up to a sous-sus to do a 360-degree rotation before coming back to a pile having switched the foot in front.
Elance
a quick darting movement
Retire
Withdrawn. A position in which the thigh is raised to the second position en l’air with the knee bent so that the pointed toe rests in front of, behind or to the side of the supporting knee.
Batterie
a ballet movement consisting of beating together the feet or calves of the legs during a leap.
En Avant
forward execution of the step
en l’air
in the air
Attitude
a position on one leg with the other lifted in back, the knee bent at an angle of 90 degrees
Grand assemblé en tournant
Big assemblé, turning / grande turning jump
Assemble
Assembled or joined together. A step in which the working foot slides well along the ground before being swept into the air
En arriére
Backward execution of the step
Glissade Devant
A glide. Front foot stays in front
Glissade Derriere
A glide back foot stays in back
Arabesque
it is a position of the body, in profile, supported on one leg, which can be straight or demi-plié, with the other leg extended behind and at right angles to it, and the arms held in various harmonious positions creating the longest possible line from the fingertips to the toes
Balance
Rocking step. 3/4 time.
Ballon
Bounce
pas ballonné
Ball like or bouncing step
ballotté
Tossed
battement
Beating. A beating action of the extended or bent leg
battement dégagé
Disengaged Battement. done at twice the speed as a battement tendu
grand battement en cloche
Large battement like a bell. swinging of the leg from back to front en l’air.
battement fondu développé
developed melted kick.
battement frappé
Struck battement
petit battement sur le cou-de-pied
Small battement on the ankle
battement tendu
Stretched battement
grand battement
large battement
bras bas
arms low or down
positions de bras
positions of the arms
por de bras
carriage of the arms. a passage of arms from one movement to another
brisé
breaking, broken. A small beating step in which the movement is broken.
brisé volé
Flying brisé. In this brisé the dancer finishes on one foot after the beat, the other leg crossed either front or back.
Cabriole
Caper. An allegro step in which the extended legs are beaten in the air.
double cabriole
Double cabriole. This is a cabriole in which one leg strikes the other in the air two or more times before landing.
chaînés
chain, or linking step.
changement de pieds
Changing of the feet.
chassé
to chase. A step in which one foot literally chases the other foot out of its position; done in a series.
en cloche
Like a bell. Refers to grands battements executed continuously devant and derrire through the first position.
de côté
sideways
sur le cou-de-pied
On the cou-de-pied. The working foot is placed on the part of the leg between the base of the calf and the beginning of the ankle.
coupé jeté en tournant
A compound step consisting of a coupé dessous making a three-quarter turn and a grand jeté en avant to complete the turn. The step is usually done in a series either en manège or en diagonale.
couru
running
croisé, croisée
Crossed. One of the directions of épaulement. The crossing of the legs with the body placed at an oblique angle to the audience. The disengaged leg may be crossed in the front or in the back.
en croix
performed in all directions/ In the shape of a cross. This indicates that an exercise is to be executed to the fourth position front, to the second position, and to the fourth position back, or vice versa.
en dehors
outward step, “out the door”
demi-plié
half bend of the knees
sur les demi-pointes
on the half points
Derrière
behind, to the back
dessous
under. This indicates that the working foot passes behind the supporting foot.
dessus
Over. This indicates that the working foot passes in front of the supporting foot.
devant
In front.
temps développé
time developed, developing movement
en diagonale
In a diagonal
écarté
separated, to be thrown wide apart
échappé
escaping or slipping movement. An échappé is a level opening of both feet from a closed to an open position.
échappé sur les pointes
Échappé on the points or toes.
effacé, effacée
shaded
entrechat
Interweaving or braiding. A step of beating in which the dancer jumps into the air and rapidly crosses the legs before and behind each other.
entrechat six
six crossings
épaulement
shouldering, the placing of the shoulders
en face
Opposite (the audience); facing the audience.
fondu, fondue
to melt. Sinking down. A term used to describe a lowering of the body made by bending the knee of the supporting leg.
fouetté
whipped. a whipping moment
fouetté en tournant
Large fouetté, turning. This fouetté may be done on demi-pointe, on point or with a jump.
fouetté rond de jambe en tournant
whipped circle of the leg turning.
jeté
Throwing step. A jump from one foot to the other in which the working leg is brushed into the air and appears to have been thrown
jeté battu
jete beaten.
grand jeté en avant
Large jeté forward. A big leap forward preceded by a preliminary movement such as a pas couru or a glissade, which gives the necessary push-off.
jeté entrelacé
interlaced jump This jeté is done in all directions and in a circle
grand jeté
a large jump/leap
petit jeté
a small jump/leap
Manèges
Circular. A term applied to steps or enchaînements executed in a circle.
Mazurka (mazurek)
A Polish folk dance in 3/4 time which has been introduced into a number of ballets as a character dance.
Mime
The art of using the face and body to express emotion and dramatic action.
ouvert, ouverte
Open, opened. This may refer to positions (the second and fourth positions of the feet are positions ouvertes), limbs, directions, or certain exercises or steps.
tour de promenade
turn in a walk
porté, portée
Carried. Refers either to a step which is traveled in the air from one spot to another (such as assemblé dessus porté) or to the carrying of a danseuse by a danseur.
pas de bourrée
a walking or running ballet step usually executed on the points of the toes. This is a progression on the points or demi-pointes by a series of small, even steps with the feet close together.
pas de chat
Cat’s-step. The step owes its name to the likeness of the movement to a cat’s leap.
pas de deux
a dance for two
pas marché
Marching step. This is the dignified, classical walk of the ballerina and the premier danseur.
penché, penchée
leaning, inclining
cinq positions des peids
five positions of the feet. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th,
piqué
to prick, pricking step
pirouette
whirl or spin
Polonaise
A processional dance in 3/4 time with which the court ballets of the seventeenth century were opened. It may be seen today in such ballets as The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake.
sur le pointes
on the points. The raising of the body on the tips of the toes.
plié
bent, bending. the bending of the knee or knees
pirouette piquée
pricked turn.
grande pirouette à la second
Large pirouette in the second position. This pirouette is usually performed by male dancers.
relevé
Raised. A raising of the body on the points or demi-pointes, point or demi-pointe.
Rond de jambe à terre
Rond de jambe on the ground. An exercise at the barre or in the centre in which one leg is made to describe a series of circular movements on the ground
royale
Royal. A changement in which the calves are beaten together before the feet change position.
Rond de jambe en l’air
Ronds de jambe en l’air are done at the bar and in centre practice and may be single, or double, en dehors or en dedans. The toe of the working foot describes an oval, the extreme ends of which are the second position en l’air and the supporting leg.
saut de basque
Basque jump. A traveling step in which the dancer turns in the air with one foot drawn up to the knee of the other leg.
sauté, sautée
to jump. jumping step
sissone
It is a jump from both feet onto one foot with the exception of sissonne fermée, sissonne tombée and sissonne fondue, which finish on two feet.
sissonne fermée
Closed sissonne. A step of low elevation performed to a quick tempo.
grand sissonne ouverte
Big open sissonne.
tour en l’air
turn in the air
en tournant
turning, to turn
cecchetti 8 ballet body positions.
Croisé Devant Quatrième Devant Effacé Devant à la Seconde Croisé Derriere Ecarté Epaulé
When a frappé is performed, the accent is typically on the
extension of the working leg
It would be most appropriate for a teacher to ask students to perform an exercise incorporating a grand jeté at which point in a ballet class?
At the end of class during an exercise in which the dancers move across the floor.
A dancer would be likely to use a technique called spotting
during a pirouette
Which of the following movements can be performed en dedans?
A Pirouette
en pointe
to balance on the tip of the toe
por de corps
the carriage of the body
adagio
slow controlled movements
allegro
brisk lively movements
compass turn
Like an arabesque turn, but the toes stay in contact with the floor.
ball change
Two quick changes of weight from one ball of the foot to the other.
Russian
a toe touch jump in the second position
Spiral
Rotation of the torso around the pelvis. (graham technique)
Canon
a choreographic device or structure in which movements introduced by one dancer are repeated exactly by subsequent dancers in turn
Which of the following is true about a basic sissonne in ballet?
It is a jump in which the dancer takes off from both feet and splits the legs in the air before landing.
In a beginning ballet class, an instructor teaches three ballet movements at the barre—tendu, dégagé, and grand battement—as a progression. In all three movements, which of the following must be true for the nonsupporting (working) leg?
The foot brushes against the floor
In a traditionally structured ballet barre, degage generally follows
a tendu
Which of the following is a primary function of the clothing worn in ballet and modern dance classes?
displaying the lines of dancers bodies
Early practitioners of modern dance were united by a philosophy that embraced what elements?
the development of personal choreographic styles
in ballet, turnout commonly refers to
the rotation of the legs
the correct term for a battement executed to the front is a battement
en Avant
A primary function of cool-down exercises as used in a modern or jazz class is
allowing for muscle relaxation
A student is having trouble maintaining balance while doing an arabesque. What advice could you give?
to engage abdominal muscles.
While executing a Fouette turn the dancer’s working leg is engaged in
Flexion and extenstion
If a Ballet Class lasts 90 minutes, what would be an appropriate way to structure the class?
30 min barre, 40 min in the center, 20 min across the floor.
Ballet uses the French language because ____
Many ballet steps were introduced and named in the french court by Louis XIV
A Repertoire is
the complete list of dance compositions that a group or company is prepared to perform
Romantic Ballets reached their peak in
the 19th century
Romantic Ballets are characterized by an emphasis of what?
emphasis on the appearance of defying gravity
Romantic Ballets introduced what?
The Ballerina, as opposed to the male dancer, as a central part of the performance.
What is the point of view in modern dance?
As the world changes so will modern dance?
What is a ballet d’action?
It was started in the 18th century and it is a ballet that tells a story.
tombe
to fall
Renverse
upset reversed
Why do ballet dancers use a turned out position of the legs and feet?
For balance, easier for movement, and opens the body to the audience.
What is considered to be the first ballet?
Le Ballet Comique De La Reine
Modern dance evolved as a what?
Direct revolt against ballet
