Dance Terms Flashcards
À la seconde:
“To the second position” or “to the side,” as in plié à la seconde or grand battement à la seconde.
À terre:
“On the ground,” indicates a movement.
Adagio:
“Slow tempo.”
Allegro:
“Brisk tempo.”
Allongé:
“Elongated.” An adjective used to describe poses that are stretched and elongated, like an arabesque.
Arabesque:
A pose in which the dancer stands on one leg—either straight or demi-plié, and either flat-footed or en pointe—while extending the other leg straight behind at a right angle. The shoulders are square with the arms held to create a long line from fingertips to toes.
Battu:
“Beaten.” A step in which one foot is beaten against the other foot or leg.
Arriére:
“Backwards.” A move that indicates backwards movement or motion.
Brisé:
“Broken.” Indicates a step where the dancer’s legs are moving one right after the other, not simultaneously but in succession. Usually paired with another term, i.e. brisé volé.
Assemblé:
“Joined together.” A move in which a dancer brushes the toes of one foot along the ground, then brings both legs together in the air.
Attitude:
A pose in which the dancer stands straight on one leg with the other leg lifted in back or front and bent at 90 degrees. The arm on the side of the raised leg is curved over the head, and the other arm is held to the side.
Battement dégagé:
“Disengaged battlement.” A rapid back-and-forth movement of the non-supporting leg with the toes hovering just off the ground.
Ballon:
“To bounce.” A light jump. Used to indicate the delicacy of the movement or jump.
Chassé:
“To chase.” A triple-step pattern in which the feet glide together step-by-step.
Cabriole:
“Caper.” A jump in which the dancer extends their legs out from their body and beats their calves together before landing.
Chaînés:
“Chain” or “link.” A popular movement in which the dancer turns on both feet, bringing each foot up and back down in rapid succession that allows for quick movement.
Changement:
The changing of the foot position mid-jump en l’air, or “in the air”.
Coupé:
“To cut.” Used to describe a step in which the foot replaces or “cuts” the opposite foot.
Croisé:
“Crossed.” The dancer’s body is diagonal to the audience, and their legs appear crossed.
Derrière:
“Back” or “behind.” Typically paired with another pose or move to indicate a backwards movement.
Dégagé:
“Disengage.” Pointing the foot in any direction with a fully arched instep while the dancer’s weight remains on the straight supporting leg.
Devant:
“In front.” Indicates a move or position where the leg or arm is placed in front of the body.
Effacé:
“Shaded.” Indicates an open position for the legs.
Écarté:
“Separated.” A position in which the dancer faces one of the two front corners of the room. The leg nearer the audience is pointed in the second position or raised to the second position in the air. With the arm on the same side as the extended leg raised, the dancer turns their head up toward it and looks into the palm of the hand. The other arm remains in demi-seconde position.
Developpe:
“To develop.” Moving one leg up to the knee of the standing leg and slowly extending it in the air, holding the hips square according to the direction the dancer is facing.
Elevé:
“Elevated.” Rising up on the balls of the foot (demi-pointe) or en pointe; a relevé without a demi-plié.
Échappé:
“Escaped.” When the feet move from a closed position (first, third, or fifth position) to an opening position (second or fourth position).
En l’air:
“In the air.” Indicates a movement or leg position that is held in the air.
En avant:
“Forward.” A term used with a movement or step to indicate a forward direction.
En croix:
“Cross.” Indicates a leg movement or step that is completed to the front, side, and back in succession, with the leg moving in the shape of a cross.
En dedans:
“Inward.” A move when the leg moves circularly counter-clockwise, or “inward.” This can be done on the floor (à terre) or in the air (en l’air).
En seconde:
“In second.” A movement in the second position.
Entrechat:
“Interweaving” or “braiding.” Indicates a jump where the feet cross in front and behind each other in quick succession. The term is typically followed by a number that indicates the number of crosses the feet should complete, i.e. “entrechat quatres.”
En dehors:
“Outside.” A move when the leg moves circularly clockwise, or “outward.” This can be done on the floor (à terre) or in the air (en l’air).
Fifth position:
The feet turn outward, one foot directly in front of the other with the first joint of each big toe extending past each heel.
First position:
The heels stay together, and the feet turn outward in a straight line.
Fondu:
“Sinking down.” A one-legged version of a plié.
Fouetté:
“Whipped.” A whipping movement. It can refer to one foot whipping in front of or behind the other foot, or when the body whips around from one direction to another.
Fourth position
The feet turn outward with one foot in front of the other, parallel and separated by about a foot. The big toe of each foot should align with the heel of the other.
