Ballet Terminology
What is "plié"?
She was the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre's 75-year history.
Who is Misty Copeland?
An 1892 two-act classical ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set on Christmas Eve
What is the Nutcracker Ballet?
What is going en pointe?
What are à la seconde turns?
Means "step of the cat"
What is "pas de chat"?
This style of street dance was created in the South Bronx of New York City in the 1970s.
What is Hip Hop? OR What is breakdancing?
An 1870 comic ballet featuring a toymaker, protagonist Swanilda, and her fiance Franz
What is Coppelia?
What is falling (and getting back up)?
Like a rock step, but executed with heels slightly lifted off the floor, stepping back and forward.
What is a ball change?
Means "in the shape of a cross." Steps executed front, side, back, and side.
What is "en croix"?
This dancer and filmmaker choreographed iconic musicals such as Chicago, Cabaret, and Pippin.
Who is Bob Fosse?
This 1877 ballet was a critical disaster upon its opening. It inspired a 2010 Academy Award-winning thriller film.
What is Swan Lake?
What are foutte turns?
This refers to a position in which a dancer rises up onto demi pointe and plies out over their toes, common in jazz dance.
What is forced arch?
Means "on the neck of the foot."
What is "sur la cou de pied"?
She is one of the founders of American modern dance and a primary artistic force of the 20th century. TIME magazine named her “Dancer of the Century.”
Who is Martha Graham?
An upbeat, lively ballet based on the classic novel by Miguel de Cervantes.
What is Don Quixote?
Dancers might say this French curse word to one another before a performance.
What is "merde"?
This step refers to two different movements depending on whether you're in tap dance or hip hop. In tap dance, this step makes two successive beats.
What is "shuffle"?
A petite allegro step meaning "interweaving" or "braiding," performed in even-numbered beats.
What is "entrechat"?
This mid-century Hollywood star and tap dancer's publicists claimed she could hit 500 taps a minute.
Who is Ann Miller?
This is a vibrant, patriotic neoclassical ballet set to rousing John Philip Sousa marches and choreographed by George Balanchine.
What is Stars and Stripes?
This term refers to how a stage might slope upward away from the audience to provide a better view. Stages were commonly built this way throughout early dance and theatre history.
What is a raked stage?
A spinning jump where the dancer executes a knee bend (plié), kicks one leg in the air, tucks the other, and lands on the ground.
What is an axle turn?