How many ballet terms are there

The extended leg is raised behind the body but bent at the knee at an angle of 90 degrees. The disengaged leg may be crossed in the front or in the back. Turn-out - The dancer turns his or her feet and legs out from the hip joints to a degree position. Classical Ballet - a traditional style of ballet which stresses the academic technique developed through the centuries of the existence of ballet. Modern Ballet - a type of ballet from the twentieth century.

To this day, modern ballet looks to re-invent itself and reach out in an ever-increasing facet of creation and movement. The toes of each foot should be directly in front of the heel of the other foot, and make sure your legs are turned out and straight. It also refers to the opening sequence of a two-person dance that includes one partner lifting the other. An arabesque is when the dancer stands on one leg with the other leg extended behind the body.

The arms can be held in a variety of positions. Regardless, the goal of the arabesque is to create as smooth seamless a line as possible with the body, from the shoulders through the arms and down to the toes of the extended leg.

This is the wooden bar attached to the walls of the classroom, though some barres stand on their own. The dancer holds onto the barre for support, and a sequence of barre exercises is part of every ballet class. A dancer with ballon will push off from the floor, stop for a second in the air in a static position, and then come back down very lightly. This quality of movement allows the dancer to execute various jumps in a row, and to look very light and graceful when doing so.

Literally: bouncing step. Both legs will be extended at the same time, with the leg that was in cou de pied towards the front, the back or the side. After this the dancer will return to the initial position. Refers to a beating action performed by the working leg, it can start from a flexed or extended position. Battements can be divided into two main categories: petits battements and grands battements. Petitis battements are where the leg is extended at 45 degrees or less and grands battements are where the leg is extended at 90 degrees or more.

It is a step similar to battement tendu, but it is done faster. The working leg must be completely straight and the foot fully-pointed. After this, the leg is brought back in brushing the floor and returned to first or fifth position. This steps strengthens the muscles that are used to jump and gives flexibility to the feet.

To develop the leg outwards. Then the leg will be extended to the front, to the side or to the back, being careful to keep it turned out. Once the leg is fully extended at an angle of 90 degrees or more, it is lowered to the floor and returned to the fifth position. To perform this step the dancer will start from fifth position.

Then both legs will be straightened at the same time, and the pointed foot of the leg that was in front will be gently placed on the floor. It is a step where the dancer starts from a cou de pied and then extends the leg to the front, to the back or to the side, while keeping the supporting leg completely straight.

The foot of the working leg is fully pointed and the step must be done with force, in order to develop the strength and agility to jump. The shift is done continuously and as many times as the music allows. Literally: stretched battement. This is the basic step of ballet and is normally the first exercise of the barre. Then the foot will return to the initial position by brushing the floor again. Battement, grand [grahn bat-MAHN].

Literally: large battement. It is a step where the working leg is raised above the hip and brought back down in a fast, controlled movement. In grand battement both legs remain completely straight and the torso must not be affected in any way by the movement of the leg. Term used to describe the beating or striking together of the legs in the air.

Literally; low arms. The elbows are slightly bent and should not touch the torso. Unlike the foot positions, the arms positions in ballet are not standard and can vary depending on the method or school. However, they all follow a similar line in which the elbows are slightly bent and the hands are positioned in a gentle manner, continuing the line of the body.

It is a jumping step. It is also a beaten jump, and can be performed from one or two feet and land in one or two feet. It is a jump where one leg is thrust into the air while the other pushes off the floor and follows the first leg. Both legs are extended as the second leg beats against the first one. Cabriole can be done petite at 45 degrees or grande at 90 degrees , and can be executed in any direction. It is the second part of a ballet class, normally following the exercises done at the barre.

It is composed by a series of movement sequences that aim to put together what the dancer worked on in the barre; including coordination, strength, control, agility and flexibility, among others. Normally, the exercises done in the center are longer and more complex than the ones that are done in the barre, and they make the dancer travel through the classroom with the execution of the steps. Literally: chains or links. Changement de pieds [shahnzh-MAHN duh pyay].

Literally: change of feet. Changements are jumps from the fifth position in which the legs change in the air; meaning that if the right foot starts in front, it will end behind the left foot after the jump.

Both legs are completely straight during a changement. This jump can be done petite or grand, depending on the elevation that the dancer gives to the jump. They are done with straight legs and pointed feet. The person who is in charge of creating the movement sequences choreographies for recitals and ballets.

This term is used to refer to grand battements that are executed continuously. To execute a grand battement en cloche, the dancer will swing his leg to the front and the back in a bell-like movement.

Literally, tail. This term refers to the last part of a ballet where, normally, the dancers perform the most complex steps and variations. Coda can also be used to describe the last part of a pas de deux. Generally, codas are the most memorable part of a performance, and are associated with a great amount of energy and strength.

Corps de ballet [kawr duh ba-LAY]. This term refers to a group of dancers that performs together on stage in a ballet; as opposed to the soloists and principal dancers. This term is also understood as a rank inside a ballet company. This term is used to describe that a movement or step will be done to the side. Join our mailing list today to receive exclusive offers and all the latest performing arts news and features, as well as information about creative courses starting soon across London.

Sign in. Read our privacy policy. Sign up for our Exclusive Offers Join our mailing list today to receive exclusive offers and all the latest performing arts news and features as well as information about creative courses starting soon across London. You may also like. Previous article What is exposure? Next article How to Remember your Choreography. Slow, soft, sustained, and controlled movement. To bounce with a closing action of the working leg. To beat a movement with a closing action.