BALLET: TERMINOLOGY\STEPS
K. L. JENSEN
Info from: Ballet Basics by Sandra Noll Hammond.
1) Plie': A plie' is a bending movement of the knees. A half bend is called a demi-plie'.
A deep bend is called a grand plie'.
2) Releve': ' A releve' is a rise to the ball of the foot, or as often termed, to the demi-point. The rise is sometimes called eleve' when it is made without the benefit of a preceding plie'. Literally, releve' means "relifted".
3) Battement Tendu: Literally Battement means "beating". I ballet the terms refers to almost every leg movement at the barre. Tendu literally means "stretched".
4) Battement De'gage': A de'gage' is a battement "disengaged" from the floor..
5) Grand Battement: A grand battement is a large beating action of the leg, a continuation of the basic battement tendu. A forceful "throw" of the leg into the air.
6) Battement Frappe': A strong brush of the ball of the foot from a position at the ankle of the supporting leg.. Often called simply frappe' which means "struck".
7) Petit Battement Sur Le Cou-De-Pied: Literally, "small beat on the neck of the foot".
8) Rond De Jambe `A Terre: Literally, "Circle or round of the leg" . `A terre describing the working leg creating a semicircle on the ground. When the foot travels in an arc from front to back, it is called "outward" or en dehors. When it travels from back to front it is called an "inward" (en dedans) rond de jambe.
9) Battement Retire': The battement retire' is a "withdrawing" of the working foot from the floor until it touches the front, side, or back of the supporting knee. The term passe' is sometimes used when the foot passes from fifth position front to fifth position back or vice versa.
10) De'veloppe': The working foot is drawn up to the supporting knee and then the leg is "developed" (unfolded) to an open position at fourty-five or ninety degrees in the air in any given direction.
11) Battement Fondu: "sinking down" is a compound exercise consisting of bending and straightening of the supporting leg and a de'veloppe' of the other leg.
12) Port De Bras Au Corps Cambre": Means, literally, "carriage of the arms with an arched body". Usually the term is used to describe the bending of body backward or sideward from the waist. The forward bend from the hips is sometimes termed penche', or simply a port de bras forward.
13) Attitude: Is a pose on one leg, while the other leg is lifted, well turned out and bent at the knee with the foot opened away from the body. In today's technique the bent knee is lifted, well turned out and level with or higher that the raised foot.
14) Arabesque: A pose in which the body is balanced over one foot with the other leg fully extended behind. The arms are also extended, palms down, creating a long, symmetrical line from fingertips to toe tips. Arabesques are learned `a terre and then gradually raised to ninety degrees.
15) Soutenu En Tournant: Meaning "sustained turning", this movement most commonly is executed en dedans, or "inward".
16) Chaine`s: "Chains, links" are a succession of rapid, traveling turns.
BALLET: TERMINOLOGY\STEPS
K. L. JENSEN
17) Pirouettes: A pirouette ("whirl, spin") is a complete turn of the body and is usually
executed on the ball of the foot. The direction of the spin can be en dehors (turning out ward in the direction of the raised leg) or en dedans (turning inward in the direction of the supporting leg).
18) Adage, Adagio: Always an important feature of center work, the adage is a series of movements combining port de bras, exercises from barre work, center exercises, the line poses of arabesque and attitude, and turns. These movements are done slowly and as though without effort, reflecting the Italian term adagio ("at ease" or "leisure").
19) Allegro: In ballet means the brisk often rapid , action steps that include jumps, and the connecting auxiliary movements.
20) Jumps: A dancer may spring
A) from both feet to both feet - basis of temps leve' saute'.
literally "raised jumped movements"
B) from both feet to one foot - basis of sissonne.
C) from one foot to both feet - basis of assemble'.
"assembled" refers to bring the feet together in the air so that the landing is
is done on both feet.
D) (or leap) from one foot to the other foot - basis of jete'.
means "thrown".
E) (or hop) on one foot - basis of temps leve'.
21) Soubreaut: soubre "sudden" saut "jump" or "jumping". It is like a temps leve' sauate'
performed in fifth position.
22) Changement De Pieds: Meaning "change of feet" this term is usually shortened to changement. It is a spring from fifth position to firth position, landing with the feet that
was in front now in the back.
23) `Echappe' Saute': The feet escape from a closed position to an open one - "escaped movement jumping".
24) Pas De Chat: The term means "step of the cat" and implies the steps quick catlike
springing movement from one foot to the other.
25) Glissade: Meaning "to glide", glissade is done close to the ground, with a brush of one foot along the floor, a shift of weight to that foot, and a slide into fifth position by
the other foot.
26) Coupe': Means to "cut". As a step it as many forms, all involving one foot "cutting away" the other in order to replace it. Usually this occurs as a preparation for another step, but
can be performed as a series from one foot to another.
27) Pas De Bourre'e: From a French folk dance, court dance and musical form it involves three movements - either 3 shifts of weight or 2 shifts of weight and a closing position.
28 Chasse': When performed in a series, chasse's ("chased") give the appearance of one foot chasing the other from its position.
29) Balance': The verb balancer can mean "to swing or rock to and fro". The step balance' has shifts of weight from one foot to the other and may involve movement from side to
side or forward or backward.
BALLET: TERMINOLOGY\STEPS
K. L. JENSEN
30) Pas De Basque: The "Basque step" commonly found in folk dances of almost every country, it takes its name from the Basques, a people of the Pyrenees region of southern
France and northern Spain. In its simplest form it is similar to the balance', except that
after the first step to the side, the movement is always forward or backward.
31) Re've'rence: A bow of a curtsey taken by the teacher and class in appreciation of their mutual effort.
32) The Five Positions of the Feet:
A) First Position: Legs turned out from the heels, heels and knees touching, the
feet forming a straight line.
B) Second Position: Turned out from the hips as in first, but the heels about 12 inches apart.
C) Third Position: Turned out from the hips, one foot directly in front of the other, with the heel of each foot touching the middle of the other foot.
D) Fourth Position: Turned out from the hips. One foot is either directly in front of the other and a short step apart (Crossed) or forward from first position (open).
E) Fifth Position: The legs are turned out from the hips, one foot directly in front of the other ( the hell can go to the joint of the opposite toe or line up withe the end of the toe).
33) Directions of the Studio / Stage:
Downstage left
Downstage (audience)
Downstage right
Upstage Left
Upstage
Upstage right
34) Positions of the Head:
A) Erect B) Raised C) Lowered D) Turned E) Inclined
35) E'paulements: Positions of the shoulders.
36) En Tournant: or turning.
37: Spotting: For a turn in place the gaze stays momentarily on a fixed point straight in front of the body as it begins to turn. The head leads the turn, arriving back at the fixed focal
point before the rest of the body.