Ballet Terms & Positions

À la seconde

Meaning “to the second position” or “to the side”. You may hear this used when a leg or movement is performed out to the side, such as grand battement à la seconde.

À terre

Meaning “on the ground”. This describes a movement performed with the foot or feet remaining on the floor.

Adagio

A slow, controlled section of ballet. Adagio movements are usually performed with an emphasis on balance, control, strength and graceful expression.

Allegro

A lively or brisk section of ballet, usually involving quick movements and often jumps.

Allongé

Meaning “lengthened” or “elongated”. It describes an extended, lengthened line, often seen in positions such as arabesque.

Arabesque

A position in which the dancer balances on one leg while the other leg is extended behind the body. The supporting leg may be straight or bent, and the arms can be arranged in different positions to create a long, balanced line.

Arrière

Meaning “back” or “backwards”. It is used with other ballet terms to indicate movement towards the back.

Assemblé

Meaning “assembled” or “joined together”. A jumping movement in which one leg brushes away from the floor before the legs come together during the jump and the dancer lands with the feet together.

Attitude

A position where one leg supports the body while the other is lifted and bent. The raised leg can be positioned in front or behind, with the knee turned out. The arms and body position can vary according to the style of the exercise.

B

Ballon

A dancer's ability to appear light and springy when jumping. Good ballon gives jumps a feeling of elevation, control and softness.

Battement dégagé

A quick extension of the working leg, similar to a tendu, but with the foot lifting slightly from the floor. It helps develop strength, speed and precision.

Battu

A movement or jump involving a beat of the legs or feet against each other.

Brisé

Meaning “broken”. A jumping movement in which the legs beat or change position in quick succession. There are several forms of brisé.

C

Cabriole

A jumping movement in which the legs beat together in the air. The movement can be performed at different heights and in different directions.

Chaînés

Meaning “chains” or “links”. A series of quick turns in which the dancer takes small steps, allowing them to travel smoothly across the floor.

Changement

Meaning “change”. A jump in which the dancer changes the position of the feet in the air, usually from one fifth position to the opposite fifth position.

Chassé

Meaning “chased”. A travelling movement where one foot appears to chase the other, with the feet coming together during the movement.

Coupé

Meaning “cut”. A movement in which one foot replaces or cuts underneath the other foot.

Croisé

Meaning “crossed”. A body position in which the dancer is placed diagonally to the audience, with the legs appearing crossed from the audience's viewpoint.

D

Dégagé

Meaning “disengaged”. The working foot brushes away from the supporting foot and lifts slightly from the floor before returning. The movement is performed with a stretched foot and straight legs.

Derrière

Meaning “behind”. Used to describe a leg, arm or movement positioned towards the back of the body.

Devant

Meaning “in front”. Used when a movement or position is performed towards the front of the body.

Développé

Meaning “developed”. The working leg is drawn up, usually through passé or retiré, before slowly unfolding to an extended position.

E

Effacé

Meaning “shaded”. A position in which the dancer's body is open rather than appearing crossed to the audience.

Écarté

Meaning “separated” or “placed apart”. A diagonal position in which the dancer faces one of the front corners, with one leg extended or raised to the side.

Échappé

Meaning “escaped”. A movement in which the feet travel from a closed position, such as fifth, into an open position such as second, and then return or continue into another position.

Élevé

Meaning “raised”. Rising onto demi-pointe or pointe from straight legs, without first performing a plié.

En avant

Meaning “forward”. Used to show that a movement or step travels towards the front.

En l'air

Meaning “in the air”. Used when a leg, foot or movement is performed away from the floor.

En croix

Meaning “in the shape of a cross”. A leg exercise performed to the front, side and back, usually returning through the centre between each direction.

En seconde

Meaning “in second”. Describes a movement or position performed with the leg extended to the side.

En dedans

Meaning “inwards”. Describes the direction of a turn or circular movement travelling towards the inside.

En dehors

Meaning “outwards”. Describes the direction of a turn or circular movement travelling towards the outside.

Entrechat

A jumping movement in which the legs beat or cross rapidly in the air. The number following the term indicates the number of beats or crossings.

F

First Position

The heels are together and the feet are turned out, creating a straight line with the feet.

Fondu

Meaning “sinking” or “melting”. The supporting leg bends while the working leg bends or lowers with it, creating a smooth, controlled movement.

Fouetté

Meaning “whipped”. A whipping action of the leg or body. The term is often associated with fouetté turns, where the working leg helps create the whipping action as the dancer turns.

Fourth Position

One foot is placed in front of the other with space between the feet. Both legs are turned out and the feet remain parallel to each other.

Frappé

Meaning “struck”. A sharp movement in which the working foot brushes or strikes against the floor before extending away from the supporting leg.

Grand battement

Meaning “large battement”. The working leg is thrown or lifted high from the hip while remaining straight, before returning with control.

Grand jeté

Meaning “large throw”. A large travelling jump in which the legs extend outwards in the air, creating a long, split-like shape.

O

Ouvert

Meaning “open”. Used to describe a position or movement that is open rather than crossed.

P

Pas de basque

A travelling step with a characteristic circular action of the leg. It can be performed in different directions and forms part of classical ballet vocabulary.

Pas de bourrée

A small, quick travelling step made up of several weight changes, usually performed with the feet closely placed together.

Pas de chat

Meaning “step of the cat”. A sideways travelling jump in which the legs bend and pass through the air one after the other, giving the movement its characteristic cat-like quality.

Pas de cheval

Meaning “step of the horse”. A small step involving the working foot moving through a pointed or cou-de-pied position before extending away.

Pas de deux

Meaning “dance for two”. A duet performed by two dancers, usually as part of a ballet or as a separate piece.

Passé

Meaning “passed”. A passing action where the working foot travels past the supporting leg, commonly through retiré.

Penché

Meaning “leaning”. Often used with arabesque, as in arabesque penché, where the body tilts forward while the raised leg extends high behind.

Petit saut

Meaning “small jump”. A small jump performed from both feet, commonly used in ballet exercises and combinations.

Piqué

Meaning “pricked” or “stepped onto”. A movement in which the dancer steps directly onto a straight supporting leg, often onto demi-pointe or pointe.

Piqué en arabesque

A piqué action that finishes with the working leg supporting the body while the other leg extends behind in arabesque.

Piqué turn

A turn where the dancer steps onto demi-pointe or pointe on one leg while the other leg is raised, allowing the body to turn around the supporting leg.

Pirouette

A turn performed on one supporting leg. The dancer maintains a centred position while using the arms and spotting technique to help control the turn.

Plié

Meaning “bent”. A bending of the knees performed with the legs turned out. A demi-plié is a smaller bend, while a grand plié is a deeper bend.

Port de bras

Meaning “carriage of the arms”. The controlled movement of the arms from one position to another, coordinated with the rest of the body.

R

Relevé

Meaning “raised”. A movement in which the dancer rises onto demi-pointe or pointe, usually beginning with a plié.

Renversé

Meaning “reversed”. A movement involving a change of the body's position and balance, usually combined with a turn and a controlled curve of the torso.

Retiré

Meaning “withdrawn”. A position where the working leg is lifted with the knee turned out and the pointed foot placed beside the supporting knee.

Rond de jambe

Meaning “circle of the leg”. A circular movement of the working leg, performed either with the foot on the floor or with the leg raised.

S

Sauté

Meaning “jumped”. A general term used for movements or steps performed with a jump.

Second Position

The feet are turned out and placed apart, with the legs straight and the weight distributed between both feet.

Sissonne

A jump that takes off from two feet and usually lands on one foot. There are several different types of sissonne, each with its own ending position.

Soubresaut

A small, quick jump that takes off from two feet and lands on two feet, usually keeping the legs together.

Soutenu

Meaning “sustained”. A turning movement where the dancer maintains a close, controlled fifth position while turning.

T

Temps lié

Meaning “connected movement”. A sequence of movements that connects different positions while transferring the dancer's weight from one leg to another.

Tendu

Meaning “stretched”. The working foot slides along the floor away from the supporting leg until the leg is fully extended, before returning to the starting position.

Third Position

A closed position in which one foot is placed in front of the other, with the heel of the front foot positioned around the middle of the back foot. This position is less commonly used in many modern ballet classes than first and fifth.

Tournant

Meaning “turning”. Used alongside another ballet term to indicate that the movement includes a turn.

V

Variation

A solo section of a classical ballet, usually performed by one dancer and often showing a particular character or role.