Entertainment / Ballet Glossary

A La Seconde: To the side or in the second position. a la seconde usually means a step that moves sideways or a movement done to the side such as grand battement a la seconde. A technically challenging ty . . . View Full Definition

Adagio: ADAGE (French), ADAGIO (Italian) In song,Adagio means 'slowly', and in ballet it means slow, enfolding movements. In a classical ballet class, the Adagio portion of the lesson concentrates o . . . View Full Definition

Aplomb: Aplomb refers to stability of the position.

Arabesque: The position of the body supported on one leg, with the other leg extended behind the body with the knee straight.

Arriere: French for 'back' or 'backwards'. A step en arriere moves backwards, away from the audience. A movement done to the back of the dancer would be termed for instance grand battement en arriere . . . View Full Definition

Assemble: (ah sem blay) Sometimes also pas assemble. Literally 'assembled'. A movement where the first foot performs a battement glisse/degage, 'swishing' out. With the dancer launching into a jump, t . . . View Full Definition

Attitude: A position in which the dancer stands on one leg (known as the supporting leg) while the other leg (working leg) is lifted and well turned out with the knee bent at approximately 90-degree a . . . View Full Definition

Avant: (ah vong) Forwards, Front. A step travelling en avant moves forwards, towards the audience, e.g. sissonne en avant.

Balance: It is usually executed in three counts The dancer typically begins in fifth position, in plie. Before the first count, one foot extends in a degage, typically to second position (though you . . . View Full Definition

Ballabile: Ballabile (from the Italian Ballabile meaning 'danceable') In ballet the term refers to a dance performed by the corps de ballet. The term Grand ballabile is used if nearly all participants . . . View Full Definition

Ballerina: Italian for 'female dancer'. Ballerina is a principal female dancer of a ballet company. The male version of this term is danseur (French) or ballerino (Italian).

Ballerino: Italian for 'male dancer'. A Ballerino is a principal male dancer of a ballet company and is also referred to as a 'danseur', a loan term from French.

Ballet: A theatrical work or entertainment in which a choreographer has expressed his ideas in group and solo dancing to a musical accompaniment with appropriate costumes, scenery and lighting.

Balletomane: A ballet fan or enthusiast. The word was invented in Russia in the early nineteenth century.

Ballon: Ballon means to bounce, where the dancer can show the lightness of the movement. It describes a quality, not the elevation or height, of the jump. Even in small, quick jumps (petite allegro) . . . View Full Definition

Barre: A horizontal bar, approximately waist height, used for warm-up of various parts of the body that will later be used in the centre and exercises for ballet techniques. Warm up exercises may s . . . View Full Definition

Battement: It is a kicking movement of the working leg (i.e. the leg that is performing a technique). Battements are usually executed in front (en avant or a la quatrieme devant), to the side (a la sec . . . View Full Definition

Battement Developpe: is usually a slow battement in which the leg is first lifted to retire position, then fully extended passing through attitude position.

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