Ballet Vocab

Practice for Ms. Elena's Ballet Test

en l’air (ahn lehr)

in the air

arabesque (a-ra-BESK)

a position on one leg with the other behind either á terre, or en l’air (4 different types)

assemblé (a-sahn-BLAY)

to assemble/ to join

attitude (a-tee-TEWD)

a position standing on one leg with the other bent at an angle, en l’air

balancé (ba-lahn-SAY)

rocking step

ballonné (bah-low-NAY)

bounced/ ball like

ballotté (ba-law-TAY)

tossed

battement (bat-MAHN)

beating/ to beat

brisé (bree-ZAY)

broken/ breaking

cabriole (ka-bree-AWL)

caper. an allegro step in which the extended legs are beaten in the air.

cambré (com-BRAY)

arched

chaînés (sheh-NAY)

chains/ links

changement/ changment de pieds (shahnzh-MAHN duh pyay)

change of the feet

chassé (sha-SAY)

chased

en cloche (ahn klawsh)

like a bell

sur le cou-de-pied (sewr luh koo-duh-PYAY)

at the neck of the foot, sometimes wrapped

coupé (koo-PAY)

to cut

coupè jeté en tournant (koo-PAY zhuh-TAY ahn toor-NAHN)

a compound step consisting of a coupé dessous making a three-quarter turn and a grand jeté en avant to complete the turn. the step is usually done in a series either en manège or en diagonale.

couru (koo-REW)

running

croisé, croisée (kmJah-ZAY)

crossed

en croix (ahn krwah)

in the shape of a cross

en dedans (ahn duh-DAHN)

inward

en dehors (ahn duh-AWR)

outward

demi-plié (duh-MEE-plee-AY)

half bend on the knees keeping the heels on the ground

sur la demi-pointe (sewr la duh-mee-PWENT)

on the half point

derrière (deh-RYEHR)

behind/ back

dessous (duh-SOO)

under

dessus (duh-SEW)

over

devant (duh-VAHN)

in front

temps développé (tahn dayv-law-PAY)

time developed/ developing movement

en diagonale (ahn dya-gaw-NAL)

in a diagonal

échappé (ay-sha-PAY)

to escape

entrechat (ahn-truh-SHAH)

interweaving/ braiding

épaulement (ay-pohl-MAHN)

shouldering/ the placing of the shoulders

failli (fy-E)

failing/ giving away

fondu/ fondue (fawn-DEW)

to melt/ sinking down

fouetté (fweh-TAY)

whipped/ to whip

frappé (frah-PAY)

to strike

glissade (glee-SAD)

to glide

jeté (zhuh-TAY)

throwing step/ to throw

jeté battu (zhuh-TAY ba-TEW)

a beaten jeté

grand jeté en avant (grahn zhuh-TAY ah na-VAHN)

large jeté forward

grand jeté (grahn zhuh-TAY)

large jeté

petit jeté (puh-TEE zhuh-TAY)

small jeté

manèges (ma-nezh)

circular/ done in a circle

ouvert/ ouverte (oo-VEHR/ oo-VEHRT)

open/ opened

pas de bourée (pah day boo-RAY)

bourée step

pas de bourrée couru (pah duh boo-RAY koo-REW)

pas de bourrée running

pas de chat (pah duh shah)

step of the cat

pas de cheval (pah duh she-vall)

step of the horse

pas de deux (pah duh duh)

dance for two

passé (pah-SAY)

to pass

penché/ penchée (pahn-SHAY)

leaning/ inclining

cinq positions des pieds (sen paw-zee-SYAWN day pyay)

five positions of the feet

piqué (pee-KAY)

to prick

pirouette (peer-WET)

to whirl/ to spin

grande pirouette à la second (grahrul peer-WET a lah suh-GAWND)

large pirouette in second position

pirouette piquée (peer-WET pee-KAY)

pricked pirouette

plié (plee-AY)

to bend

port de bras (pawr duh brah)

carriage of the arms

tour de promenade (toor duh prawn-NAD)

turn in a walk, or on one leg

relevé (ruhl-VAY)

raised/ to raise

retiré (ruh-tee-RAY)

withdrawn

rond de jambe (rawn duh zhahnb)

circle of the leg

rond de jambe à terre (rawn duh zhahnb a tehr)

rond de jambe on the ground

rond de jambe en l’air (rawn duh zhahnb ahn lehr)

rond de jambe where the working leg in in the air

royale (ruah-YAL)

royal; changement with a beat

saut de basque (soh duh bask)

basque jump

sauté/ sautée (soh-TAY)

jumped/ jumping

sissonne (see-SAWN)

jump from both feet onto one foot

sissonne fermée (see-SAWN fehr-MAY)

jump from both feet onto both feet

grand sissonne ouverte (grahnd see-SAWN oo-VEHRT)

big open sissonne

sous-sus (soo-soo)

under over

soutenu (soo-ten-OO)

sustained

temps lié (tahn lee-AY)

connecting movement

en tournant (ahn toor-NAHN)

turning

croisé devant (kmJah-ZAY duh-VAHN)

crossed to the front- one of the 8 positions of the body

à la quatrième devant/ en face (a lah cwa-TREE-em duh-VAHN/ ahn fahss)

to the fourth position to the front/ facing the audience- one of the 8 positions of the body

effacé devant/ effacée devant (eh-fa-SAY duh-VAHN)

shaded to the front- one of the 8 positions of the body

écarté (ay-har-TAY)

separated/ thrown wide apart- one of the 8 positions of the body (can be derrière or devant)

à la seconde (a lah suh-GAWND)

to second position- one of the 8 positions of the body

épaulé/ éffacé derrière (ay-paul-ay/ eh-fa-SAY deh-RYEHR)

shouldered/ open to the back- one of the 8 positions of the body

à la quatrième derrière (a lah cwa-TREE-em deh-RYEHR)

to the fourth position to the back- one of the 8 positions of the body

croisé derrière (kmJah-ZAY deh-RYEHR)

crossed to the back