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Pre-Ballet Terms Strong Dance Studios Pre-Ballet terminology noted in the color purple must be known by the dancer to ​ ​ earn a promotion into Ballet Level 1 at the Strong Dance Studios Ballet Academy DIRECTIONS & PLACEMENT ● Port de bras: carriage of the arms ​ ● Adagio: slow ​ ● Allegro: fast ​ ● En croix (ahn krwah): shape of a cross; pattern “front, side, back, side” & vice versa ​ ● Devant (duh-VAHn): front (directional) ​ ● A la seconde (ah la suh-GOHnD): side (or 2nd position; directional) ​ ● Derriére (deh-reeAIR): back (directional); inter-changeable with the arabesque position ​ ● Bras bas (enbas): arms low or down AT THE BARRE ​ ● Plie ́(plee-AY): to bend ● élevé (el-e-VAY) & relevé (ruhl-e-VAY): to raise; lifted; élevé is from straight legs to a rise, relevé ​ has a preceding demi-plié to a rise ● Tendu (tahn-DIU): to stretch - Dégagé (day-gah-ZHAY): to disengage ​ ● Rond de Jambe (rohn duh zhahnb): circle or round of the leg ​ ● á Terre (ah TAIR): on the ground; as in, Rond de Jambe á Terre ​ ● en l’air: in the air; as in, Rond de Jambe en l’air ​ ● en dehors: circle away from the supporting leg; “open the door” ​ ● en dedahns: circle towards the supporting leg ​ ● Retiré (ruh-tih-RAY): withdrawing: gesture of foot from the floor to the front, side, or back of the ​ knee ● Passe (pah-say): to pass: gesture of foot from 5th position front to 5th position back & vice ​ ​ ​ versa ● Développé (day-vloh-PAY): to develop: unfold - Fondu: (fohn-DIU): to melt - Frappé (frah-PAY): ​ to strike -Petit Battement sur le Cou-de- Pied (baht-MAHn suir l’koo-duh-pee-AY): small beat on the neck of the foot - Grand Battement (grahn baht-MAHn): large beat/kick CENTER WORK ● ADAGIO: slow tempo; to move with ease ● Croisé (krawh-ZAY): crossed (directional) ● Effacé (eh-fah-SAY): shaded (directional) ● Écarte (ay-kar-TAY): separated (directional) 1 Strong Dance Studios Pre-Ballet terminology noted in the color purple must be known by the dancer to ​ ​ earn a promotion into Ballet Level 1 at the Strong Dance Studios Ballet Academy TRANSITIONAL STEPS & TURNS ● Glissé (glee-SAY)/Glissade (glee-sad): glided; to glide ● Tombé (tohn-BAY): falling/fallen ​ ● Piqué (pee-KAY): prick, pricking - Pas de Bourrée (pah duh boo-RAY): 2-3 shifts of weight into a ​ closing position (there are several variations) ● Soutenu en Tournant (soo-teh-NEW ahn toor- NANn): sustained turing ​ ● Chainés (shah-NAY): chains; links; series of rapid traveling turns ​ ● Pirouettes (peer-oo-ET): whirl, spin ​ JUMPS ● Ballon (ba-Lawn): bounce; the light elastic quality in jumping ​ ● Temps Levé Sauté (tahn leh-vay soh-TAY): raised jump movement; jumps in 1st position ​ ● Soubresaut (soo-bruh-SOH): jump in 5th position without changing the landing position ​ ● Changement (shahnzh-mahn): change of feet: jump in 5th position with a change in the ​ landing positon ● Échappé (ay-shah-PAY): escaped movement; done in a jump and to relevé ​ ● Sauté: (so-tay): jump; jumping. When this term is added to the name of a step, the movement ​ is performed while jumping ● Sissonne (see-SAWN): springing from 2 feet, landing on 1 foot ● Petit Battement sur le Cou-de- Pied (baht-MAHn suir l’koo-duh-pee-AY): small beat on the neck of the foot ● Assemblé (ah-sahn-BLAY): to assemble (in the air) ● Brisé: broken; breaking ● Temps Levé (tahn luh-VAY): a hop on one foot while the other is raised and held in any given position ● Jeté (zhuh-TAY): thrown; a leap from one foot to the other; done with a brush of the foot ● Pas de Chat (pah duh SHAH): step of the cat TRAVELING STEPS/ACROSS THE FLOOR ● Balancé (bal-lahn-SAY): balancer: to swing to and from ● Pas de Basque (pah duh BAHSK): fok step; performed to change a direction ● Chassé (shah-SAY): chased - Grand Allegro: fast tempo & large leaps ​ 2 Strong Dance Studios Pre-Ballet terminology noted in the color purple must be known by the dancer to ​ ​ earn a promotion into Ballet Level 1 at the Strong Dance Studios Ballet Academy ● Révérence (ray-vay-RAHns): bow or curtsy; traditionally done at the end of class or a performance (during applause) GROUPS OF PERFORMERS/BALLET RELATED TERMS ● Ballerina: A principal dancer in a ballet company, usually female ● Balletomane: a ballet fan or enthusiast ● Cavalier: the male partner of the ballerina ● Pas de deux, grand: grand dance for two ● Corp de ballet: the dancers in a ballet who do not appear as soloists ● Danse de caractére: dance of character; represents movements associated with a ● particular profession, trade, personality or mode of living ● Mime: the art of using the face & body to express emotion and dramatic action ● Romantic Ballet: a style of ballet produced during the early 19th century in which themes of fantasy, tragedy, etherial characters & exotic places 3 .
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