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A significant part of Ballet terminology is in the French Language . ''Unless there is much to say about a specific term, there is no reason to put each and every of them into a separate article.'' A Abbreviations À la seconde To the side. For example you would do a battment tendu à la seconde, to the side. Adagio ADAGE (French), ADAGIO (Italian) Adagio is meaning at ease or leisure. English ballet teachers use "adage", the French adaptation, while Americans prefer the original Italian. Adagio is the opening section of the conventional "Pas de deux". http://www.dancemelody.com/ballet-dictionary/ Avant Normally used in conjunction with "en"; "en avant" means a step that moves forwards. Arrière Normally used in conjunction with "en"; "en arrière" means a step that moves backwards. Assemblé Literally meaning to assemble, a movement where the first foot performs a battement glissé/degagé, "swishing" out. The second foot then swishes under the first foot, thereby launching the dancer into a jump. The feet meet together in mid-air and the dancer lands with both feet on the floor at the same time. Arabesque (Literally: 'in Arabic fashion') The position of the body supported on one leg with the opposite leg (with the knee straight) extended behind the body. The back leg may either touch the floor (in tendu) or be raised in the air at an angle.upper back up and not fallen forward See also: Attitude . Attitude A pose in which the dancer stands on one leg, with the other leg lifted behind(derriere) or in front(en avant) of the body with the knee bent at approximately 120-degree angle. See also: Arabesque . B Ballerina Ballerina is a principal female dancer of a ballet company. Technically, the word for a male dancer would be "ballerino" however this is not in common usage. Ballon Battement This is a kicking movement of the working leg (i.e. the leg that is performing a technique)
Batterie A whole family of techniques involving jumps, where the feet cross quickly in front and behind each other, creating a flapping or "beating" effect mid-air. 'Also called beats in ARDA syllabus.' Usually start to do these in grade 4. Brisé A movement similar to an assemblé. The leg that kicks forward, backward, or to the side beats and the movement travels. C Changement Literal meaning: changing, or, to change. A jump in which the feet change positions in the air. For example, beginning in the fifth position with the right foot front, plié and jump, switching the left foot into the front and the right to the back, landing with the left foot in front, fifth position. Chassé Chassé , literal meaning - to chase. A slide with both legs bent either forwards, backwards or sideways. Chaînés This is a common abbreviation for "tours chaînés déboulés", which is a series of quick turns on alternating feet with progression along a straight line or circle. In classical ballet it is done on the pointes or Demi-pointes (on the balls of the feet). D Derrière The French word for the back(side). For example, a battement tendu derrière means a battement tendu taken to the back. Devant The French word for the front(side). Dessous The French word "under". This is where the back leg is brought to the front in techniques such as the assemblé and pas de bourrée. Dessus The French word meaning "over". This is where the front leg is brought to the back, in techniques such as the assemblé and pas de bourrée. Usually follows a plié or an arabesque. E Elevé (pronounced: ay-luh-VAY) A relevé without the plié, where you go to demi or pointe from flat feet. Also called "rise" in other schools. See Relevé Epaulement (literally, "shouldering") Rotation of the shoulders and head relative to the hips in a pose or a step. En dedans Term in ballet used to refer to the movement of in a circle. En dedans is when the leg starts at the back (or the side) and moves towards the front. When the right leg is the working leg, this is an anti-clockwise circle. When the left leg is the working leg, this is a clockwise circle. En dehors is the opposite to en dedans. En dehors En dehors is the opposite movement of ''en dedans'', that is a cirular movement of the leg, like rond de jambe, towards the back. F First position When one stands with the feet heel to heel in the shape of a "V", arms should be out like your holding a beachball with your hands about even to your belly button. Fourth position Position where the feet are separated by one foot's distance, parallel to each other and in line with the heels at separate ends. ; 0 ;0 Fifth position Similar to Fourth position above, however the feet are touching toe to heel, legs overlapping at about the knees hands are up in a big circle Fouetté French: "To whip"; pronounced 'fweh-TAY'. A movement on one leg that requires the dancer to change the hip and torso direction, usually with a whiplike sharpness, while maintaining the leg direction and position. Fouetté en tournant The famous 32 Fouettés that mark a virtuosic high point in '' Swan Lake '' and other ballets are actually fouettés en tournant (turning), where it is the working leg, not the torso, that does the whipping movement. Each fouetté involves the dancer standing momentarily on flat foot with the supporting knee bent as the other ('working') leg is extended in front then whipped round to the side, creating the impetus to spin one turn as the working foot is then pulled in to touch the supporting knee and the dancer executes a relevé, jumping onto pointe. Done 32 times in sequence without touching the working leg to the ground (or falling over, 'travelling' off the stage, etc.) is a bravura performance designed to express the strength, triumph and indomitability of the character. And, of course, show of the technical brilliance of the ballerina. Male dancers do a variant usually keeping the leg out - they're not en pointe. G Glissade Literally, to glide. This is a traveling step starting in a fifth position demi-plie, in which the working foot moves out to a point, both legs briefly straighten as weight is shifted toward the pointed foot, and the other foot moves in to meet the first. The movement may also be done sur les pointes. Grand jeté A grand jeté is a long horizontal jump, starting from one leg and landing on the other. It is most often done forward and usually involves a split in mid-air (also called ''grand écart en l'air''). P Pas Literally, movement or a step. A pas d'une is a dance for one, a pas de deux is a dance for two.
Passe A position where the knee is bent and the toe is place under the knee of the opposite leg. Partnering For a male dancer, this includes lifting, catching and carrying a partner, and assisting with leaps. This largely replaces pointwork at moderately advanced levels for male dancers. For a female dancer, it includes being lifted, carried, and being assisted with or caught after leaps. Pointe Work Port de bras "Carriage of the arms." Movement of the arms in a motion around the body. The basic port de bras moves from bras bas to first position of the arms, to second position of the arms, then back down to bras bas. A full port de bras moves from bras bas to first to fifth, down through second and back to bras bas. Plié A basic bending movement of the knees; in French, it means "bent". This can be taken to demi-plié (a comfortable, natural bend) or grand-plié, where the dancer bends all the way down until their buttocks reach their feet, whilst maintaining classical turn-out. Pirouette One of the most famous ballet movements; this is where the dancer spins around on demi-pointe or pointe on one leg. The other leg can be in various different positions; the standard one being Retiré . Others include the leg in attitude, and grand battement level, second position. They can also finish in arabesque or attitude positions. A pirouette can be En Dehors - turning outwards, starting with both legs in plie, or En Dedans - turning inwards. Positions of the feet Positions of the arms
R Relevé (pronounced: ruh-luh-VAY) When you raise your heels off the ground with the help of a plié and balance on the ball of your foot or en pointe. See Elevé Ronds de jambe (Literally: ''circles of the leg''). Rond de jambe a terre is a rond de jambe on the ground. The moving leg describes a semicircle on the floor, either from front to back ('''rond de jambe en dehors''') or from back to front ('''rond de jambe en dedans'''), between Degage positions front and back, passing through first position as the foot comes to through the centre of the circle. Rond de jambe en l'air is rond de jambe in the air. It can also be en dedans and en dehors. The movement is only below the knee of the working leg. It can be done in two positions of the working leg at 90° and at 45°. If the thigh of the working leg is horizontal, the toe of the working leg draws an oval approximately between the knee of the support leg and the second position in the air. If the thigh of the working leg is semi-elevated (demi-position), then the working oval is to the calf of the support knee. Grand rond de jambe is a rond de jambe where the leg is sustained at grand battement height. Demi grand rond de jambe is a rond de jambe where the leg is sustained at a lower height than a grand battement, usually 90°. Retiré position Position of the working leg where the toe is pointed next to the supporting knee. S Second position Legs are apart (more than shoulder width), toes turned out, at 180 degrees or slightly less. Scematicallly it may look like as follows ("0" marks heels, "---" marks feet). :___0 . . . . 0___ Sauté This is the French word for a jump. Sautés include:
T Third position This is similar to Fifth position, however the legs are allowed more room; i.e. they do not overlap totally. It is sometimes regarded as an ''introductory'' fifth position for beginners before they develop the turn-out required for a proper fifth position. Instead of the heel being placed at the toe of the other foot, the heel is placed at the arch of the other foot. Tours en l'air This is where the dancer jumps into the air, and whilst in the air, performs a rotation. A single tour normally involves a 360°, a double 720°, and professional dancers can often do more. This is a grand movement, normally performed only by male dancers. It can finish on one leg with the other extended in attitude or arabesque. Z SEE ALSO REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINK |
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