Ballet%20Vocabulary

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Ballet Vocabulary
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Alignment
Alignment
Proper body placement posture with neck over
shoulder girdle, shoulders over hips, hips over
knees, knees over feet
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Demi-Plie
Ballet Notes 1

• Half bend of the knees

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Grande Plie
Ballet Notes 1

• Big full bend heels come off the floor (except
  in 2nd position)

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Tendu
Ballet Notes 1

• Stretched Slide toes along the floor until toes
  reach out to a pointe

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Degage - Jete
Ballet Notes 2

• Tendu with the foot off the ground. Means To
  disengage

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Grand Battement
Ballet Notes 2

• Big kick
• Example-working leg rises from the hip into the
  air and is brought down again with both knees
  straight.

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Port de Bras
Ballet Notes 3

• Carriage of the arms

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Rond de Jambe
Ballet Notes 3

• Circling of the leg.
• Example-point foot front, side, and back, then
  through 1st and reverse.

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En Dehors
Ballet Notes 3

• To the outside

En Dedans
To the inside
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En LAir in the air
__________________________________________________
_______________

• ATerre
• on the floor

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En Croix
Ballet Notes 2

• In the shape of a cross
• Example-Four tendues in each direction
  front/side/back/side

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Devant
Ballet Notes 2

• To the front

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A la seconde
Ballet Notes 2

• To the side

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Derriere
Ballet Notes 2

• To the back

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Passe
Ballet Notes 4

• Means passed. Toe passes along supporting leg
  stops below or at supporting knee.

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Developpe
Ballet Notes 4

• Develop the leg to an extended position

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Eleve

• To rise onto the ball of the foot/feet without a
  plie first.

Releve
Eleve with a plie
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Sous-sus

• Over / Under
• From 5th, plie then rise to releve with no space
  in legs and heels

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Pas de Bourree

• Step of the flowing. Step back, side, then front.

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Glissade

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

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Assamble

• To assemble or put together the legs

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Cambre

• Bending at the torso

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Soutenu

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

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Spotting

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

SPOT
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Pirouette

• A Turn

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Chasse

• Means to chase. One foot literally chases the
  other foot out of its position. Step, together,
  step.

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Chaine

• Chain like turns

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Grand Jete

• A Big leap

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26. Pique

• To prick or lightly tap as if dotting an i

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Pique Turns

• Stepping onto a straight knee and turning on passe

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Changement

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

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Saute

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

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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.

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Temps Leve

• Raised time
• A hop on one leg

Echappe
Escape Changing from a closed position to an
open position
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Balancoire

• Degage front and back brushing through 1st

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Balance

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

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Reverence

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

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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

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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

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Bourree

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

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Plie
Ballet Notes 1

• A bending of the knees

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Battement
Ballet Notes 1

• Beating
• Three kinds of battement tendue, jete/degage,
  grand battement