DDC Terminology - Deane Dance Center

Deane Dance Center Ballet Terminology
Founding School of the Sacramento Ballet
Adage, Adagio
at ease or leisure
Air, en l’
in the air
Allegro
brisk, lively
Arabesque
basic pose, taken form moorish ornament
Assemblé
assembled or joined together
Attitude
basic pose, taken from statue of mercury
Avant, en
forward
Balancé
rocking step
Balancoire, en
like a seesaw
Ballon
bounce
Ballonné
bounced, ball-like
Ballotté
tossed
Brisé
broken, beating
Brisé volé
flying brisé
Battement
beating
Cambré
arched
Changement
change
Chaîné Tour
chain of turns
Chassé
chased
Cloche, en
like a bell
Contretemps
counter beating
Cou-de-pied
neck of the foot
Coupé
cut, cutting
Croisé
crossed
Croix, en
in the shape of a cross
Deboulé
rollings like a ball
Dedans, en
inward
Dé gagé
disengaged
Dehors, en
outward
Demi-position
half position
Derrière
behind, back
Detourné
turned aside
Devant
in front
Dé veloppé
developed
Ecarté
separated, thrown wide apart
É chappé
escaping or slipping movement
Effacé
shaded
Emboîté
É paulé
Failli
Fermé , Fermé e
Fondu, Fondue
Frappé
Glissade
Grand, Grande
Jeté
Ouvert, Ouverte
Pas
Pas de basque
Pas de bourrée
Pas de chat
Pas de cheval
Passé
Piqué
Pirouette
Plié
Port de bras
Promenade, en
Relevé
Retiré
Reverence
Rond de jambe
Sauté
Sissone
Soubresaut
Sous-sus
Soutenu
Temps
Temps levé
Temps lié
Tendu, Tendue
Terre, á
Temps de cuisse
Tombé
fitted together, “boxed”
shouldered
giving way
closed
sinking down
struck
glide
big, large
thrown
open, opened
step
basque step
bourree step
cat’s step
horse’s step
passed
pricked, pricking
whirl or spin
bent, bending
carriage of the arms
in a walk
raised
withdrawn
reverence, curtsey
round of the leg
jumped, jumping
named for originator of step
sudden spring or bound
under-over
sustained
time, step, movement
time raised, raising movement
connected movement
stretched
on the ground
thigh movement
falling down