Ballet Vocabulary

Ballet movement

• Plie - to bend
• Releve - to rise
• Tendu - to stretch
• Degage - to disengage
• Rond de jambe - circle of the leg
• Developpe - to develop
• Saute - to jump
• Soutenu - to sustain
• Fondu - to melt
• Passe - to pass
• Adagio - slow and sustain movement
• Allegro - fast quick movement
• Grand battement - large kicks
• Pas de Chat - step of the cat
• Chaine - chained
• Pirouette - to turn
• Port de Bras - carriage of the arms
• Reverence - curtsy or bow
• Echappe - to escape
• Frappe - to strike

Directions

• Devant - to the front
• A la seconde - to the second (side)
• Derriere - to the back
• A terre - on the floor
• En l’air - in the air

Position of the Feet

• First position - my heels are kissing
• Second position - right foot a little farther than the last position (open up heels)
• Third position - cover up arch of left foot with heel of right foot (cover mousehole)
• Fourth position - open the mousehole
• Fifth position - cover big toe with heel
• Sixth position - feet are parallel