Anatomy of Ballet

Anatomy of BalletAnatomy of BalletAnatomy of Ballet

Anatomy of Ballet

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BALLET TERMINOLOGY

Ballet terminology translation or origin from the

"Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet" by Gail Grant

TERMINOLOGY CATEGORIES

BASIC BARRE WORK

Tendu to it

CONNECTING STEPS

Glissade to it

TURNS

Pirouette to it

JUMPS

Sauté to it

DIRECTIONS & POSITIONS

Allongé to it

ADDITIONAL TERMS

Penché to it

BASIC BARRE WORK

The following barre exercises may be done in a different order depending on the school and additional exercises may be added.

Plié (Demi & Grand)

Bend, bending. (Half & Big, large).

Tendu

Stretch, stretching.

Dégagé

Disengaged, disengaging. 

Rond de jambe

Round of the leg.

Fondu

Sinking down.

Frappé

Struck.

Grand battement

Big, large. Beating.

CONNECTING STEPS

The following connecting steps may take place in a variety of exercises during class.

Balancé

Rocking step.

Chassé

Chased.

Contretemps

Beating against time.

Failli

Giving way.

Glissade

Glide.

Mazurka

Polish folk dance in ¾ time which has been in a number of ballets as character dance. 

Pas de bourrée

Bourrée step.

Pas de polka

Polka step.

Polonaise

Processional dance in ¾ time which court ballets of the 17th century were opened. 

Temps lié

Connected movement.

Tombé

Falling.

TURNS

The following might involve a half, one, or multiple revolutions.

Chaînés

Chains, links.

Détourné

Turned aside.

Fouetté rond de jambe en tournant

Whipped circle of the leg turning. 

Grand fouetté relevé en tournant

Big, large. Whipped. Raised. Turning. 

Pirouette

Whirl or spin.

Piqué tour en dedans

Pricked, pricking. Turning inward. 

Soutenu en tournant

Sustained in turning.

JUMPS

The following includes petit, medium and grand allegro steps. Some of these steps may be done a terre, in relevé or en tournant.

Assemblé

Assembled or joined together. 

Brisé volé

Broken, breaking. Flown, flying. 

Ballonné

Ball-like or bouncing step.

Ballotté

Tossed.

Cabriole

Caper.

Changement de pieds

Change of the feet.

Chassé en tournant

Chased. Turning. 

Coupé jeté en tournant

Cut, cutting. Throwing. Turning. 

Échappé sauté

Escaping or slipping movement. Jumping or springing. 

Emboîté

Fitted together, “boxed.”  

Entrechat trois

Interweaving or braiding. Three. 

Entrechat quatre

Interweaving or braiding. Four. 

Entrechat cinq

Interweaving or braiding. Five. 

Entrechat six

Interweaving or braiding. Six. 

Grand jeté

Big, large. Throwing.

Grand jeté with développé

Big, large. Throwing. Developed, developing. 

Pas de chat

Cat's step.

Pas de ciseaux

Scissors step. 

Pas de papillon

Butterfly step.

Pas de poisson

Fish step.

Royale

Royal

Saut de basque

Basque jump. 

Saut de biche

Step of the deer.

Saut de chat

Cat's jump.

Sauté

Jumped, jumping.

Sautillé

Hopped, hopping.

Single or Double Tour en l’air

Single or Double Turn. In the air. 

Sissonne

Named after the originator of the step.

Soubresaut

Sudden spring or bound.

Temps de cuisse

Thigh movement.

Temps de flèche

Arrow movement.

Temps levé

Time raised, or raising movement.

DIRECTIONS & POSITIONS

The following terms may be directions for where or how movements can be done, in addition to positions of the body.

Allongé

Extended, outstretched.

À la seconde

To the second.

À la quatrième derrière

To the fourth position back. 

À la quatrième devant

To the fourth position front. 

A terre

On the ground.

Croisé devant

Crossed in front.

Croisé derrière

Crossed in back.

De côté (Côté Jardin & Côté Cour)

Sideways (Garden side & Court side).

Dessous

Under.

Dessus

Over.

Écarté derrière

Separated, thrown wide apart back. 

Écarté devant

Separated, thrown wide apart front. 

Effacé derrière

Shaded in back. 

Effacé devant

Shaded in front.

En diagonale

In a diagonal. 

En manège

As at a riding school or in a circus ring. 

En l'air

In the air.

En avant

Forward.

En arrière

Backward.

En croix

In the shape of a cross.

En dedans

Inward.

En dehors

Outward.

Épaulé derrière

Shouldered back. 

Épaulé devant

Shouldered front. 

Fermé

Closed.

Ouvert

Open, opened.

Porté

Carried.

ADDITIONAL TERMS

Additional movements and positions.

Adagio

At ease or leisure.  

Allegro

Brisk, lively.  

Arabesque

One of the basic poses and takes its name from the form of Moorish ornament. 

Attitude

A pose derived by Carlo Blasis from the statue of Mercury by Giovanni da Bologna. 

Cambré

Arched.

Coupé

Cut, cutting.

Développé

Developed, developing. 

En bas

Low.

En cloche

Like a bell. 

En haut

High.

Épaulement

Shouldering. 

Flic-flac

A crack, as of a whip.

Pas de cheval

Horse’s-step. 

Passé

Passed.

Penché

Leaning, inclining. 

Petit

Little, small.

Port de bras

Carriage of the arms. 

Promenade

In a walk.

Retiré

Withdrawn.

Relevé

Raised.

Sous-sus

Under-over.

Sur le cou-de-pied

On the “neck” of the foot. 

Renversé

Upset, reversed. 

Révérence

Reverence or curtsey. 

Ballet terminology translation or origin from the "Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet" by Gail Grant

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