Ballet Terminology Flashcards
A Terre
On the ground/floor
Adage
Slow, soft, sustained, and controlled movement
Arabesque
A position on one leg with the other behind either á terre, or en l’air (up to 90 degrees)
Assemblé
To assemble, to join
Attitude
A position standing on one leg with the other bent at an angle behind, en l’air
Ballonné
To bounce (with a closing action of the working leg)
Battement
To beat (a movement with a closing action)
Chaseé
To slide
Coupé
To cut
Croisé
Crossed to the audience (front)
De coté
To the side
Demi
Half
Demi-detourné
Half turn (towards the back foot)
Derriére
To the back
Devant
To the front
Developpé
To develop or to unfold
Echappé
To escape (a jump or relevé from 1st, 3rd or 5th to 2nd or 4th and returning)
En arriére
Travelling backwards
En avant
Travelling forwards
En croix
In the shape of a cross (front, side, back or back, side, front)
En dedans
Inwards (towards the supporting leg)
En dehors
Outwards (away from the supporting leg)
En face
Facing the audience (opposite)
En l’air
In the air
Enchainment
A combination of steps (a linked phrase of movement)
Épaulement
Use of the shoulder, neck and upper back (looking over the shoulder)
Fondu
To melt (a melting action)
Frappé
To strike (like lighting a match on the floor)
Glissade
To glide (a sliding movement from 5th to 5th)
Grand
Large
Jeté
To throw
Ouvert
Open to the audience
Pas de basque
A movement from 5th incorporating a rond de jambe a terre and closing to a 5th
Pas de bourrée
Small/tight running steps (5th to 2nd/or 4th back to 5th)
Pas de chat
Step of the cat (A jump from 5th to 5th with overlapping action with each leg bending and unfurling, one after the other)
Passé
To pass (retire passé: the working leg’s toes supported just under the supporting knee)
Petit
Small
Pirouette
To turn
Plié
To bend
Port de bras
Carriage of the arms (a controlled movement of the arms)
Posé
To step (onto a straight leg)
Relevé
To rise with a small rising action starting with a pile (bent knees)
Retiré
To draw up (the supporting leg)
Rond de jambe
Round of the leg (circle the leg like a protractor on the floor from 0 degrees to either 90 or 180)
Sauté
To spring
Sissonne
A scissor step - a jump from two feet to two feet
Soubresaunt
A single jump (without changing the feet)
Soutenu
To sustain (a turning action revolving the feet, either travelling or on the spot)
Sur le cou-de-pied
On the neck of the foot
Temps levé
To hop (a jump taking off and landing on the same foot)
Tendu
To stretch (an extending action of the leg, a terre with a return closing action)
What position is this?
Croise devant
What position is this?
Quatrieme devant
What position is this?
Efface (devant)
What position is this?
A la seconde
What position is this?
Croise derriere
What position is this?
Ecarte
What position is this?
Epaule
What position is this?
Quatrieme derriere
What position is this?
Efface derriere
