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Ballet Vocab 2 Simplified

Terms in this set (25)

Balancé
Rocking step. alternation of balance, shifting the weight from one foot to the other.
Barre
The horizontal wooden bar fastened to the walls
petit battement
Small beating. aka battement tendu. any small beating action
Chaînés
Chains, links. Series of rapid turns on the points or demi-pointes don in straight line or in a circle.
Attitude
from statue of Mercury. It is a position on one leg with the other lifted in back, the knee bent at a 90 degree angle and well turned out so that knee is higher than the foot.
Coupé
Cut, cutting. A small intermediary step done as a preparation
En cloche
Like a bell. grande battements executed continuously front and back through the first position.
Pas de cheval
Step of the horse. From the fourth position
Entrechat
Interweaving or braiding. Beating in which the dancer jumps into the air and rapidly crosses the legs before and behind each other.
Entrechat quatre
Four crossings. Fifth position right foot front. Demi-plié and with a small jump slightly open the legs and beat the calves together, right leg in back. Slightly open the legs and finish in demi-plié in the fifth position right foot front.
Fermé
Closed. Indicates that both feet are in a closed position or that the feet at the end of a step are brought to a closed position.
Ouverte
Open, opened. Refers to positions (the second and fourth positions of the feet are positions), limbs, directions, or certain exercises or steps.
Arabesque
It is a position of the body, in profile, supported on one leg, which can be straight or demi-plié, with the other leg extended behind and at a right-angle to it, and the arms held in various harmonious positions creating the longest possible line from the finger tips to the toes.
Demi
Half
Développé
Developing movement. The working leg is drawn up to the knee of the supporting leg and slowly extended to an open position en l'air and held there with perfect control.
En Diagonale
In a diagonal. a step travels in a diagonal direction.
en tournant
Turning. Indicates that the body is to turn while executing a given step.
Échappé
Escaping or slipping movement. Level opening of both feet from a closed to an open position.
Frappé
Struck battement. forcefully extends the working leg from a cou-de-pied
temps lié
Connected movement. based on the fourth, fifth and second positions.
Passé
Passed. the foot of the working leg passes the knee of the supporting leg or one leg passes the other in the air or one foot is picked up and passes in back or in front of the supporting leg.
Piqué
Pricked, pricking. stepping directly on the point or demi-pointe of the working foot in any direction or position with the other foot raised in the air.
Pirouette
Whirl or spin. A complete turn of the body on one foot, on point or demi-pointe.
Tombé
Falling. With the working leg raised in the air, falls forward, backward, or sideways into a fondu on the working leg
Waltz
A ballroom dance in 3/4 time. first introduced in a ballet by Pierre Gardel in La Dansomanie of 1800.
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