Barre
Degage
Disengage
Allonge
In classical ballet, allongé is an adjective that describes a position that is stretched or made longer. Allongé is usually used with arabesque, such as extending your arm and leg further before closing into another position
Sauté
Sauté is a classical ballet term that can be used alone or with another term to mean the step is performed while jumping
pirouette en dehors
A pirouette en dehors is a classical ballet term meaning “a spin, turning outward” and describes when a dancer turns toward the direction of the leg they lift into the turning position.
Piqué
Piqué is a classical ballet term meaning “pricking” and is a descriptive word to be used with other ballet terms.
En cloche
En cloche is a ballet term that means “like a bell.” It is usually used as “battement en cloche“ which has the dancer going back and forth between battement front and back, passing through first position. En cloche gets the term because as the leg goes back and forth between front and back positions, it...
Échappé
Échappé is a classical ballet term meaning “slipping movement” or “escaping.” A dancer does an échappé with their legs and feet. Starting in a closed position, usually fifth position with the feet, the dancer slides both feet out equally into either second or fourth position. A standard échappé is done without the dancer’s feet never...
Épaulment
Épaulment is a classical ballet term meaning “shouldering” and describes the placement of a dancer’s shoulders in relation to the lower half of the body.
Emboîté
Emboîté is a classical ballet term meaning “fitted together.” An emboîté is a type of jeté where the dancer moves and alternates their legs in a bent position, springing from the floor into front attitudes.
Glissade
Glissade is a classical ballet term meaning “glide.”
Rond de Jambe
Rond de Jambe is a classical ballet term meaning “round of the leg” or “circular movements of the leg.”
Cambré
Cambré is a classical ballet term meaning “arched.” When a dancer is doing cambré, their body is bent from the waist and stretching backward or sideways with the head following the movement of the upper body and arms.
Sissonne
Sissonne is a classical ballet term that describes a dancer jumping from two feet and splitting their legs “like scissors” in the air before landing
Pas de bourrée
Pas de bourrée is a classical ballet term meaning “beating steps.” A Pas de bourrée has many forms that mostly relate to the direction the dancer is moving or if the legs are bending or staying straight
Jeté entrelacé
Jeté entrelacé is a classical ballet term meaning “interlaced throw.” It describes a step where the dancer throws one leg in the air, jumps and brings the other leg up to meet the first leg, while switching their body position half way around, then landing in an arabesque.
Port de bras
Port de bras is a classical ballet term meaning “movement of the arms.”
Penché
Penché is a classical ballet term meaning “leaning.” When a dancer is doing or in a penché they are usually bent forward over one leg with the other in arabesque well above 90 degrees.
Failli
Failli is a classical ballet term describing a step where the dancer seems to degage each leg to the front immediately after the other with a small jump. A failli is usually done as a preperation step for jumps and is considered an in-between step.
Saut de basque
Saut de basque is a classical ballet term that describes a traveling jump in which the dancer jumps and turns in the air with one leg placed in a retire position
Fouetté
Fouetté is a classical ballet term meaning “whipped.”
En Haut
En Haut is a classical ballet term meaning “high.
Promenade
Promenade is a classical ballet term meaning “a walk.” A promenade is when a dancer turns around on one leg with the standing leg’s heel on the floor, while the other leg is in a position such as an arabesque or attitude derriere.
Brisé
Brisé is a classical ballet term meaning “broken” or “breaking.” A brisé is when a dancer takes off from one or two feet, jumps and beat their legs and ends on one or two feet. Brisé is either done from fifth or fourth position and can travel forwards or backwards.
sotasha
A grand jete, but with flicked legs.
Chaînés
Chaînés is a classical ballet term that means “chains” or “links.”