Comprehensive Ballet Terminology with Visual Illustrations

arabesque

body is balanced over one foot with the other leg fully extended

barre (bar)

a horizontal wooden bar used for warm up

degage (dey-gah-zhey)

to disengage (from the floor)

battement (bat-muh nt)

beating of the leg. A large brushing kick.

tendu (tahn-doo)

to stretch/point (the working foot)

Chaînés [sheh-NAY]

chains or links; series of rapid turns done on demi point

Chasse (sha-sey)

to chase

glissade (gli-sahd)

To glide

Jete (zhuh-tey)

throwing step/thrown. A type of jump/leap

pas de bourre (pahduh boo-rey)

a bourree step (back, side, front)

plie (plee-ey)

to bend (half bend is called a demi-plié; a deep bend, a grand-plié)

pique (peek)

to prick; a traveling turn with one leg in passe

releve (rel-uh-vey)

to rise (to the ball of the foot)

rond de jambe (rawn duh zhahnb)

rounding of the leg (literally means "circle or round of the leg")

pirouette (pir-oo-et)

a whirl or spin; turn in place on the ball of the foot

pas de chat (pahduh sha)

Step of the cat. Jumping into the air and passing both legs through pause. It gets its name because the step resembles how a cat jumps.

demi

small movement/half

grande

large movement/big

passe (pa-ˈsā)

to pass; foot meets the knee of the supporting leg

spotting

Focus is placed on a fixed point/whipping the head (to prevent dizziness)

tombe (täm¦bā)

to fall; fallen down —used of a ballet movement with accent on the descent

tour jeté (toor zhuh-tey)

leap from one foot, make a half turn in the air, and land on the other foot

sickle

improper placement of the foot

Balancé (balanssay)

to swing or rock to and fro

Bras bas (bra BAH)

resting position of the arms (both arms are down & rounded with both hands just in front of the hips, fingers almost touching); bras means arms in french