8/29/2013

ACU Ballet
Kei Tsuruharatani

Ballet Terminology

a terre on the floor

adagio - at ease, leisure
allegro brisk, lively
allonge to stretch, to make longer
arabesque
assemble [a-sahn-BLAY] assembled, joined together
attitude
balance rocking step
ballonne ball-like, bouncing step
ballotte - tossed
battment beating (grand battments, petis battments)
battu - beaten
cabriole - caper
camber like arrow
chaine to link
changemant change of feet
chasse to chase
cou-de-pied, sur le [swer luh koo-duh-PYAY] on the neck of the foot
coupe to cut
croise - crossed
detourne - around
degaje to disengage
develope time developed
demi - small
derri`ere in the back
devant in front
double [Doo-bluh] - double
ecarte separated
echappe to escape
epaulement [ay-pohl-MAHN] - shouldering
efface - shaded
en avant [ah na- VAHN] - forward
en bas downward
en haut - upward
en cloche like a bell
en dedans - inward
en dehors - outward
en face [ahn fahss] opposite, facing audience

en lair [ahn lehr] in the air

envelope to envelope
fondu sinking down, to melt
fouette - whipped
frappe to strike
glissade to glide
grand big, large
jete to disenge, throw
panche - incline
pas de basque step of Basque
pas de bourree bourree step
pas de cheval step of the hourses
pas de chat chats step
pas de couru - running
passe to pass
pique to prick
pirouette whirl, spin
plie - to bend
port de bras carriage of the arms
promenade turn in a walk
releve - raised
retire - withdrawn
reverence to bow
ront de jambe round of the leg
saut de basque jump of Basque
saut de chat
saute jump
sissone fermee
sissone ouverte big open sissonne
sous-sus over under
soutenu to support
temps leve
temps lie to thicken
tendu - stretched
tombe to fall
waltz

Reference: American Ballet Theatre Ballet Dictionary

http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/index.html