Ballet

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adagio - slow, sustained movement stressing grace, balance; ballerina’s lyrical performance in second part of grand pas de deux
allegro - rapid movements accompanied by jumps, turns, and batteries
allongé - extension of arms in arabesque
arabesque - standing on one leg with raised leg extended in straight line to rear and foot pointed
assemblé - rising off floor, straightening both legs in air, and returning to fifth position
assoluta - (adj) extraordinary
attitude - standing on one leg with raised leg behind body and knee bent; same position with raised leg in front of body
balance - light, rocking waltz step in which weight is shifted from side to side
ballerina - female dancer, esp. company’s principal ballerina
ballet d’action - ballet that tells a story, often tragic
ballet master - ballet company’s principal instructor, often also choreographer
balletomane - enthusiastic and knowledgeable follower of ballet
ballon - dancer’s spring and lightness in leaps
ballonné - broad leap with battement kick
barre - horizontal bar opposite mirrors and along wall in studio for class exercises
battement - high or low kick: grand battement or petit battement
batterie - beating together of feet or legs, esp. in midair
bourrée - traveling movement with feet moving in tiny steps from tight fifth position
brisé - jump in which one leg beats against the other in midair
cabriole - man’s batterie with one leg kicked high and the other leg rising to beat against it one or more times
cambré - bending back or to one side
Cecchetti method - classic Italian style of ballet, as distinguished from French and Russian schools
chaîné - series of short, usu. rapid turns made while moving across the floor
changement de pied - jump begun in fifth position, ending in fifth position with opposite foot forward
character dance - comic, semiserious dance, often a folk dance step or part performed with classical technique
chassé - traveling movement in which one foot follows and displaces the other
choreographer - creator of steps and patterns for ballet set to specific piece of music
choreography - art of devising form, sequence, and purpose of ballet movements
ciseaux - scissorslike leap with legs wide apart in midair
closed positions - first, third, and fifth positions, in which feet are in contact with each other
coda - final section of classical grand pas de deux
combination - several movements in succession
contretemps - step taken in counter time
corps de ballet - ensemble or chorus of company dancers who perform together, not solo, usu. the junior members of a company
coryphée - performer dancing in small group instead of solo or in corps de ballet
count - measure of beats on which movements take place
coupé - linking movement between steps, in which one foot replaces the other on a spot
couru - (adj) running
croisé - movement with body at oblique angle to audience and working leg crossing behind or in front of body
danseur - male ballet dancer
danseur noble - principal male dancer, equal to prima ballerina
dégagé - freeing of foot prior to taking step, with working leg brushed out so that toes rise a few inches off the floor
demi-plié - movement in which knee or knees are half-bent with heels on floor
demi-pointe - dancing with weight of body on toes and ball of foot
developpé - slowly bending and then straightening knee as leg is raised in extension from floor
divertissement - dance or series of short dances without plot
écarté - separated body position; position with perfectly square head and body leaning away from raised leg turned out to extreme
échappé - jump with feet moving from a closed fifth to an open second position
effacé - position with torso and hips at oblique angle to audience, working leg extended to front or back, and opposite arm raised above head
elevation - apparent ability to remain suspended in midair while performing movements
emboîtés - little hopping steps from leg to leg with working leg lifted in low front attitude
en arrière - (adj) to the back; backward
en avant - (adj) to the front; forward
enchaînement - linking together of two or more movements to fit phrase of music; combination
en dedans - (adj) moving arms or legs inward, toward body
en dehors - (adj) moving arms or legs outward, away from body
en face - (adj) facing body directly forward
en l’air - (adj) performed off the ground
en seconde - (adj) performed in second position
entr’acte - interlude between main parts of a ballet
entrechat - directly upward jump with body straight and feet reversing position several times in midair, named by number of reversals, as in entrechat quatre or entrechat six
épaulement - bringing one shoulder forward in presenting step to audience with head turned over forward shoulder
extension - dancer’s ability to lift leg above head in nearly straight line from hip
failli - linking movement between steps in which dancer jumps into quarter-turn
fifth position - closed position with feet fully turned out and crossed one in front of the other, so that the heel of each touches the big toe of the other
figure - step, leap, small combination
first position - closed position in which feet form straight line perpendicular to body with heels touching
fish dive - forward dive in which ballerina is caught by partner with her head and shoulders just above the floor
fondu - lowering of body by slowly bending the knee of supporting leg with working foot pointing frontward
fouetté - spin on one leg in which body is propelled by whipping motion of raised leg, performed by ballerina, usu. in series
fourth position - open position with feet turned out from hip and placed horizontally, one in front of the other, a foot apart
frappé - movement beginning with small beat with foot extended out strongly from knee
glissade - gliding step from fifth to second to fifth position, performed on floor in low leap or prior to leap
grand battement - high kick in any direction
grand jeté - high leap covering a long distance in air
grand pas de deux - formal, five-part pas de deux: entrée, ballerina’s partnered adagio, male solo, female solo, coda
grand plié - knees bending as deeply as possible with heels rising off floor
jeté - leap made by pushing off on one leg and landing on the other
Labanotation - standard choreographic notation technique, devised by Rudolf von Laban
open positions - second and fourth positions, in which feet are placed apart
par terre - (adj) performed on the ground
partnering - strength, grace, rhythm, and certainty with which danseur assists and supports ballerina
pas - formalized step; designation for type of dance
pas de basque - linking movement between steps
pas de bourrée - traveling step in any direction on pointe or demi-pointe
pas de chat - leap from plié in fifth position
pas de cheval - movement from fourth position that resembles a horse pawing the ground
pas de deux - dance for two dancers, esp. grand pas de deux
pas de quatre - dance for four dancers
pas de trois - dance for three dancers
passé - movement with working leg raised to side and knee bent, in which foot is pointed downward and brushed against standing leg
pas seul - solo dance
penché - (adj) leaning forward
petits battements - small, quick movements with foot beating from front to back of ankle
petit tours - short, fast turns made while progressing in straight line or circle
piqué - stepping out onto pointe; little hop preparatory to traveling movement
pirouette - turn of body while standing on one leg with raised leg held in position, performed on pointe for female, demi-pointe for male
placement - good posture, turnout, and proper leg alignment
plié - bending of knees while back is held straight with hips, legs, and feet turned out
pointe - dancing on tips of toes; ballerina’s dancing while maintaining continuous straight line from tips of toes to hip
pointe shoes - ballerina’s slippers with hard block in toes, used for standing on pointe
port de bras - carriage and movement of arms
posé tours - series of turns executed diagonally, around, or straight across floor
positions - five basic positions of feet and arms
premier danseur - principal male dancer
première danseuse - principal ballerina
prima ballerina - ballet company’s principal ballerina
principals - prima ballerinas and premier danseurs of ballet company
promenade - slow turn of body on planted foot in adagio
régisseur - stage manager who supervises performances
relevé - rising onto pointe or demi-pointe
répétiteur - rehearsal coach
révérence - deep bow or curtsy
rond de jamb - rotary movement of leg on floor or in air
rosin - translucent, brittle turpentine resin used on shoes to prevent slipping on floor
royale - changement de pied in which calves are beaten together before feet change position
saut de basque - jump straight up, made with one leg bent at knee
saut de chat - jump similar to grande jeté but with front leg passing through attitude
second position - open position in which feet form straight line perpendicular to body while a foot apart
sissonne - jump with legs straight and one leg extended to side
soloist - dancer who performs occasional solos, ranked above corps de ballet and below principals in company hierarchy
soubresant - leap from both feet to landing on both feet in fifth position
sous-sous - rising from fifth position on flat feet to fifth position on pointe
soutenu - (adj) sustained, esp. of battement rising into fifth position demi-pointe with equal weight on both legs
stulchak - move in which male dancer holds ballerina above his head on one straight arm
sur le coup de pied - position of pointed foot lightly wrapped around front of ankle or touching back of calf near floor
temps - step in which weight is not transferred from foot to foot
temps de flèche - sharp, hitch-kick jump in which legs pass in the air
temps levé - hop taken from one foot starting in any of various positions
temps lié - connected movement that combines leg and arm movements on second, fourth, and fifth positions of feet
tendu - (adj) stretched and extended straight, esp. a leg
third position - closed position with feet placed horizontally, one in front of the other, each heel at midpoint of the other foot
tour - turn
tour à la seconde - turn in second position
tour en l’air - complete turn or turns executed in the air, begun and ended in fifth position
tour jeté - high jump combining fast turn in the air and whiplike change of leg positions, ending in arabesque demi-plié
turnout - outward rotation of legs at as close to 180-degree angle from hips as possible
tutu - ballerina’s short, flaring, fluffy skirt
variation - solo dance, esp. third and fourth solo parts of classical grand pas de deux
vole - traveling movements