Ballet Vocab

Front 1

e'chappe'

Back 1

escaping or slipping movement

Front 2

e'chappe' saute'

Back 2

a jumping or springing echappe

Front 3

sus-sous

Back 3

over-under

Front 4

soubresaut

Back 4

sudden spring or bound

Front 5

changement

Back 5

to change

Front 6

tombe'

Back 6

falling

Front 7

glissade and glissade chang'ee

Back 7

glide and changing glissade

Front 8

en avant

Back 8

forward

Front 9

en arri'ere

Back 9

backward

Front 10

en diagonale

Back 10

in a diagonal

Front 11

pas de cheval

Back 11

the horse's step

Front 12

Assemble'

Back 12

assembled or joined together

Front 13

d'eveloppe'

Back 13

developed or developing movement

Front 14

pique' de'tourne' (soutenu de'tourne' or soutenu en tournant)

Back 14

pique' turned aside/ Sustained in turning

Front 15

pas de bourr'ee (dessous)

Back 15

bourr'ee step under

Front 16

grand battement

Back 16

large battement or large beating

Front 17

chaine's

Back 17

chains or links

Front 18

jete' petit

Back 18

small jete'

Front 19

pique' tour

Back 19

pique' turning or a turning prick

Front 20

arabesque

Back 20

basic pose in balletand its name comes from a form of moorish ornament

Front 21

cambre'

Back 21

arched

Front 22

temps leve'

Back 22

time raised or raising movement

Front 23

battement en cloche

Back 23

a small battement like a bell

Front 24

detourne'

Back 24

turned aside

Front 25

grand jete

Back 25

large jete

Front 26

allonge'

Back 26

extended or outstretched

Front 27

assemble'

Back 27

assembled or joined together

Front 28

attitude

Back 28

a pose in dancing derived by Carlo Blasis from the statue of Mercury by Giovanni da Bologna

Front 29

balance'

Back 29

rocking step

Front 30

ballon

Back 30

bounce

Front 31

ballone' simple

Back 31

a simple ballone'

Front 32

battement,petit

Back 32

small battement

Front 33

battement,fondu

Back 33

battement sinking down

Front 34

battement, fondu de'veloppe'

Back 34

battement fondu developed

Front 35

batterie

Back 35

french techinical term for beaten steps

Front 36

cambre'

Back 36

arched

Front 37

croise'

Back 37

crossed

Front 38

demi-tour

Back 38

half-turn

Front 39

e'carte'

Back 39

separted or thrown wide apart

Front 40

efface'

Back 40

shaded

Front 41

entrechat

Back 41

interweaving or braiding

Front 42

enchainement

Back 42

linking

Front 43

e'paule'

Back 43

shouldered

Front 44

ferme'

Back 44

closed

Front 45

fouette'

Back 45

whipped

Front 46

ouvert

Back 46

open or opened

Front 47

pirouette

Back 47

whirl or spin

Front 48

promenade, tour de

Back 48

turn in a walk

Front 49

re've'rence, grande

Back 49

big reverence or curtsey

Front 50

sissonne simple

Back 50

simple sissone and it was named after the originator of the step

Front 51

sissonne tomb'ee

Back 51

sissonne falling

Front 52

soubresaut

Back 52

sudden spring or bound

Front 53

temps leve'

Back 53

time raised or raising movement

Front 54

tombe'

Back 54

falling

Front 55

1st arabesque

Back 55

body and head are forward. arm raised is the arm on the same side of the supporting leg

Front 56

2nd arabesque

Back 56

arms are reversed of 1st so that the forward arm is opposite of the supporting leg. The head is slightly inclined and turned toward the audience.

Front 57

3rd arabesque

Back 57

both arms are extended forward to the side of the supporting leg. fingertips of the arm farther away from the audience is in a line with center space between the eyes and the arm nearer to the audience is in a line with the shoulder