Ballet Glossary
You've seen the moves — but what are they called?
Welcome to the balletclass.com glossary of ballet terminology
A short history of ballet
The language of classical ballet is movement, spoken with the body to convey emotion from elegantly pointed feet to gracefully extended fingertips. The dancer’s artistry breathes life into these movements, evoking both tears and joy from the audience. In the ballet studio, dancers rely on specific terminology to communicate and master these ethereal motions. For newcomers, this vocabulary can seem daunting and unfamiliar. To help you feel more confident as you train, we have compiled a basic glossary of commonly used ballet terms. We hope this resource supports your progress and encourages you to improve with leaps and bounds.
To begin, a short history lesson is required to explain why ballet terminology used today is in French. The French word “ballet” stems from the Italian word balletto, a diminutive of ballo which comes from the Latin ballo, ballare which means "to dance". The history of ballet began in Italy in the fifteenth century during the Italian Renaissance but then later developed into a form of concert dance in France primarily thanks to Catherine de' Medici (1509-1589), an Italian noblewoman who became the queen of France in 1547. She introduced her homeland's court dances to the French court, funding lavish productions that became known as ballet de cour.
Fast forward to King Louis XIV in the 17th century and we find that ballet took a major step forward toward professionalisation. The Académie Royale de Danse was established in 1661, creating the foundation for professional training. Ballet performances also transitioned from the courts to the stage, and a new dance academy was opened in Paris, which would eventually become the home of the Paris Opera Ballet. The choreographer Pierre Beauchamp (1631-1705) helped to standardise ballet technique, developing the five foot positions which we still use today.
Initially, ballet was often performed as part of operas. However, by the mid-1700s, figures like the French ballet master Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810) advocated for ballet as a standalone art form, laying the groundwork for the narrative ballets of the 19th century such as Giselle.
In the early 1700s, Peter the Great brought French ballet masters to his court in order to westernise Russian culture. He was impressed by the art form at the French court and wanted to elevate Russia's status through new cultural contributions. This influx of foreign talent and the subsequent establishment of a dedicated Imperial Ballet School laid the foundation for Russia's own classical ballet tradition. Marius Petipa (1818–1910) was a French-born dancer and choreographer who became the chief choreographer of the Russian Imperial Ballet, transforming ballet into a world-renowned art form. His work established the standard for classical ballet, creating enduring masterpieces like The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake, and his choreography continues to be performed globally today.
So, to summarise, Ballet terminology is in French because the art form was formalised and codified in France under King Louis XIV and as the king was a passionate dancer and established the first official ballet academy, French became the universal language of ballet, allowing for standardised communication among dancers worldwide.
Our guide to ballet terminology
Ballet speaks its own language — and learning it is part of learning the art. This glossary covers the terms and phrases you are most likely to encounter in class, explained in a way that we hope is genuinely useful rather than merely technical. Usage does vary between teachers and traditions, so if something doesn't quite fit what you're hearing, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
French: première position · 'first position'
1st position is the most fundamental position in ballet and the foundation upon which all other positions are built. In 1st position of the feet, the heels are placed together and the feet are turned outward, creating a shape often compared — affectionately, if imprecisely — to a penguin's stance. This turnout originates from the hips, with the legs rotating outward from the top of the thigh. Ideally, the feet form a continuous straight line with the toes pointing in opposite directions, achieving a full 180-degree turnout.
In 1st position of the arms, the arms are held in a soft, rounded shape in front of the body at approximately the level of the navel, with the elbows gently lifted to the side. Picture yourself holding a large beach ball against your torso. The middle fingers do not quite touch, maintaining a space of roughly a hand's breadth between the opposite fingertips. This arm position is essential for many movements — including most pirouettes — and establishes the principle of the softly curved, living arm that underpins the entire classical aesthetic.
Watch Anastasia Demidova's Foundations Lesson 1 - Positions of the arms and feet here.
French: deuxième position · 'second position'
2nd position of the feet is identical to 1st position in its turnout but with the heels separated to approximately hip-width apart. The legs remain fully rotated outward from the hips throughout.
In 2nd position of the arms, the arms are extended to the sides of the body, sloping very slightly downward from the shoulder. A useful image: if a drop of water fell from your earlobe, it would follow the gentle slope of your arm and drip from your fingertip. Achieving this position with true beauty is more challenging than it appears, owing to the opposing rotations of the upper and lower arm. The upper arm rotates upward from the shoulder to the elbow — ensuring the elbow is lifted and not drooping (what teachers sometimes call 'chicken wings') — while the lower arm rotates downward from the elbow to the wrist, allowing the palm to face gently forwards rather than towards the floor. This creates the characteristically graceful curve of the classical arm. A common correction is to bring the arms slightly forward of the body line: if the elbows travel behind the shoulders, the position loses its beauty and the dancer loses their sense of space. The elbow should sit just in front of the body's side line, with the wrist and hand further forward still. See also À la seconde.
French: troisième position · 'third position'
3rd position of the feet involves placing one foot in front of the other so that the heel of the front foot is aligned with and touching the middle of the back foot, with both feet turned out. It is rarely used in professional performance but plays an important preparatory role in the training of younger dancers: 3rd position mimics the shape of 5th position but with less crossing, reducing the strain on the knees and allowing the student to build the necessary strength before advancing.
In 3rd position of the arms, one arm is held in 1st position while the other extends to 2nd. This position is particularly important as a preparatory stance for movements such as pirouettes and double tours en l'air, in which the arm held in 1st position opens to the side as the turn begins, followed by both arms closing to 1st at great speed. This coordinated opening and closing of the arms generates much of the rotational force required to initiate these complex movements.
French: quatrième position · 'fourth position'
4th position of the feet shares the crossed alignment of 5th position but with the feet separated by approximately one foot's length, the front foot positioned ahead of the back without touching it. The body weight is distributed evenly between both feet, though specific movements may call for a shift of emphasis: during the preparation for a pirouette en dedans, for example, the weight centres on the front leg in preparation for the relevé.
4th position of the arms features one arm raised overhead in 5th position while the other extends to the side in 2nd. There is also a '4th position croisée' in which one arm is in 5th and the other in 1st position in front of the body — a configuration most often used as a transitional position or to add expressive depth within choreography.
French: cinquième position · 'fifth position'
5th position of the feet is the most frequently used position in classical choreography and serves as the default starting point for nearly every step and combination. To achieve it, one foot is placed in front of the other with both turned out fully: the toes of the front foot point away from the back foot, the heel of the front foot aligns with the toes of the back, and vice versa, so that the two feet interlock as closely as the dancer's turnout allows.
5th position of the arms forms an oval-shaped frame around the head and face, the arms positioned above and slightly in front of the head so that the dancer can see their little fingers in their peripheral vision. The elbows press gently back and to the sides, creating breadth in the frame rather than allowing the arms to narrow into a pinched shape. As in 1st position, the fingertips do not meet.
French: sixième position · 'sixth position'
6th position refers to the placement of the feet standing together in parallel — heels and toes aligned — without any turnout. It departs from the fundamental principle of classical ballet (outward rotation from the hip) and is employed primarily in contemporary dance contexts where a neutral or parallel alignment is required. It serves as a useful reference point for understanding the distinction between classical and non-classical body organisation.
ah la suh-GOND · French: 'to second' — that is, 'to the side'
À la seconde literally translates as 'to second' — meaning, in ballet terminology, directed towards 2nd position: to the side of the body. When a step or position is described as à la seconde, the working leg or arm is extended or placed to the side. The phrase appears constantly throughout the vocabulary: battement à la seconde, rond de jambe à la seconde, and pirouette à la seconde (in which the working leg is held extended to the side at 90° throughout the turn) are among its most common applications.
The quality of the position à la seconde depends on the true alignment of the working leg — directly to the side, in line with the hip, with the turnout maintained from the top of the leg rather than twisted at the knee or ankle. A poorly placed seconde position, in which the leg drifts forward or the foot sickles, undermines every step that depends upon it. See also 2nd Position.
ah TAIR · French: 'to the ground'
À terre is a directional instruction meaning that the working foot remains in contact with the floor, or returns to the floor, rather than being lifted into the air. The term is most commonly used in combination with other steps and positions — for instance, rond de jambe à terre describes the working leg tracing a semicircle along the ground, as distinct from rond de jambe en l'air, in which the lower leg circles in the air. The instruction à terre serves as a useful reminder of where the foot should be at any given moment, grounding the movement in the floor and emphasising the connection between dancer and stage. It is the natural counterpart to en l'air.
ah-DAHZH · From the Italian adagio: 'at ease' or 'slowly'
In ballet class, adage — also written adagio in its Italian form — refers to the slow, sustained section of centre work that follows the barre exercises. Adage emphasises controlled, expansive movement: long, unhurried extensions of the legs (known as développés) to at least 90° in all directions — front, side, and back — combined with deep pliés, slow turns, and sustained balances. It is the section of class in which the dancer's lines, balance, and musicality are most clearly revealed, with nowhere to hide behind speed or momentum.
In the context of classical repertoire, Adage refers specifically to the partnered slow section within a grand pas de deux — the heart of the duet, in which the ballerina and her partner perform extended, lyrical movements together, the danseur supporting and presenting his partner through lifts, promenades, and sustained balances. The Rose Adagio from The Sleeping Beauty Act I is perhaps the most celebrated example in the repertoire, requiring the ballerina to maintain a series of extended balances in attitude as she is presented, in turn, by four different cavaliers.
Watch Céline Gittens as she rehearses The Rose Adagio here.
ah-LAY-groh · Italian: 'lively' or 'cheerful'; in music, a fast and bright tempo
In ballet, allegro almost always refers to jumps and springing movements. The word is borrowed from musical terminology — where it indicates a quick, bright tempo — and applied in class to the jumping section that forms the third and final part of centre work, following the barre and the adage. Dancers are at their most physically warm by this stage of class, which is precisely when the demands of jumping can be met most safely and with the greatest freedom.
Allegro is divided into petit allegro — small, quick jumps that develop speed, precision, and rhythmic acuity — and grand allegro, which encompasses the large, travelling jumps that require power, elevation, and expansive use of space. The contrast between the two reflects the full range of the dancer's dynamic palette: from the rapid, darting footwork of petit allegro to the soaring split leaps and grand tours of grand allegro, the allegro section of class is where the dancer's training finds its most vivid and exhilarating expression.
ah-lon-ZHAY · French: 'elongated'
Allongé describes the stretching and lengthening of the arm — or, less commonly, the leg — away from the characteristically rounded, curved position of classical port de bras. The movement most frequently begins with the arms in 2nd position: the hand rotates so that the palm faces downward, the fingertips extend outward and away, and the elbow rotates downward to lengthen the arm into a long, open line. The head and gaze follow the direction of the allongé, tracing over the fingertips, and the effect is one of reaching — a beautiful opening of the line that creates a striking contrast with the enclosed curves that surround it.
Allongé can be performed with both arms simultaneously or with one alone, and appears in many contexts: from a single position such as 5th (where the arms lengthen from the overhead curve downward and forward), to a specific instruction at the end of an exercise — allongé the working arm before closing to bras bas. The opposite of allongé is arrondi (meaning 'rounded'), which describes the return to the curved arm position, though arrondi is rarely used as a formal instruction in everyday class. The allongé is one of the simplest and most effective tools a dancer has for creating a sense of expansiveness and length beyond the physical boundary of the body.
ah-ra-BESK · French: 'in Arabic fashion'; from the decorative patterns of Arabic art and architecture
In classical ballet, arabesque refers to a position in which the dancer stands on one leg — the supporting leg — while extending the other leg, the working leg, directly behind them with the knee fully straight. The front arm reaches forward in a harmonious line with the extended back leg, and the overall effect is of a long, flowing diagonal from the fingertips of the leading arm to the pointed toe of the working leg: one of the most iconic images in all of classical dance.
The arabesque can be performed with the supporting foot flat, on demi-pointe, or en pointe, and there are numerous variations depending on the position of the arms, the angle of the body to the audience, and the height of the working leg. The most fundamental form is 1st arabesque, in which the arm on the same side as the working leg reaches forward while the other arm extends to the side. If the working leg is bent rather than straight, the position becomes an attitude. Arabesque penchée — in which the body tips forward as the working leg rises higher — is one of the most dramatically charged and technically demanding extensions of the basic position. See also Penché.
Watch Anastasia Demidova's Arabesque Class here.
ah-som-BLAY · French: 'assembled' or 'joined together'
Assemblé is a jump that begins on one foot, draws both feet together in the air, and lands on two feet simultaneously. The name describes the essential action: the feet assemble — join — in the air before the landing. To perform a standard assemblé, the dancer begins in 5th position, executes a plié, and brushes the working leg outward to the side (a dégagé action) while simultaneously springing from the supporting leg. At the height of the jump, both legs extend and the feet draw together into 5th position. The landing returns the dancer to 5th with the working foot now in front.
Assemblé can be performed in any direction — devant, à la seconde, or derrière — and may also be executed in reverse (with the front foot initiating the brush). The beaten version, assemblé battu, adds a beat of the feet in the air before the landing, closing behind before switching to front. The virtuoso double assemblé, primarily a step for male dancers, involves two successive beating actions in the air and is most famously seen in the Shades scene of La Bayadère, where Solor completes a manège of eight double assemblés around the full stage — one of the most extraordinary feats of male classical technique.
at-ee-TOOD · French: 'position' or 'posture'; also echoing the Italian attitudine
Attitude is a position closely related to arabesque but distinguished by a bent working knee. While arabesque demands a fully extended working leg, an attitude allows — indeed requires — the knee to bend to an angle of no less than 90° between the upper and lower leg, with the knee itself remaining lifted and turned out throughout. Attitude can be performed to the back (derrière, the most common), the front (devant), or the side (à la seconde), and the precise angle of the bent knee can vary between schools: Russian training tends to favour a more elongated, open attitude, while some other schools maintain a sharper bend.
The arms in attitude are most commonly held in 4th position, creating a half-frame around the face and reinforcing the sense of dynamic tension that the position conveys. Attitude is said to have been inspired by the famous bronze statue of Mercury by Giambologna, in which the god appears to balance on one foot with the other leg raised behind in a bent position — the same quality of poised, arrested movement that attitude embodies at its best. The position appears throughout the classical and Romantic repertoire, in adage, turns (pirouette en attitude), and as a pose of great expressive power.
ba-lon-SAY · French: 'balanced' or 'rocking'
Balancé is a three-beat rocking step that travels to the side, front, or back, and is one of the most poetic movements in the classical repertoire. It takes its name from the gentle swaying quality that defines it: the dancer steps onto one foot, then closes briefly onto the ball of the other before transferring weight back and stepping again, creating a lilting, waltz-like rhythm. The step is performed in three counts — side, together (demi-pointe), side — with the body inclining softly over the standing leg on the longer beat and lifting lightly on the shorter ones.
What makes balancé so expressive is the interplay between weight and weightlessness. The port de bras and épaulement are inseparable from the step itself: the head inclines, the arms breathe, and the upper body responds to each shift of weight as though moved by a gentle current. It is frequently used in both barre exercises and centre practice, and appears throughout the Romantic and classical repertoire as a lyrical linking step or as a sustained movement in its own right.
ba-lon-SWAH · French: 'a swing' or 'a seesaw'
Balançoire describes a swinging action of the leg — typically the grand battement — in which the working leg sweeps continuously from front to back (or back to front) in a pendulum motion, passing through first position with each transfer. Unlike the controlled, single-directional grand battement, the balançoire quality implies momentum: the leg is not brought fully to rest between each swing, but instead uses the energy of one direction to propel the next. The image evoked by the name is deliberately mechanical in its precision — a swing or seesaw — and the step demands an equivalent evenness of arc on both sides.
Balançoire exercises appear at the barre and in centre work to develop the strength and freedom of the hip joint, to train the controlling muscles of the supporting leg, and to teach the dancer how to harness and redirect momentum rather than suppress it. The core and back must remain stable throughout, providing a calm axis from which the working leg can move with total freedom.
ba-leh-REE-nah · Italian: 'dancing girl'
The word ballerina comes from the Italian, meaning 'dancing girl'. In its most general usage — the one most people will be familiar with — it describes any female ballet dancer, regardless of age, training, or professional standing. However, in the professional world, the term carries additional weight. Historically, 'ballerina' was reserved for the highest-ranking female soloists in a company. Today, most major companies use the title Principal Dancer instead, a designation that includes male dancers as well, though 'ballerina' retains its prestige as an informal honour.
A Prima Ballerina is typically a Principal Dancer who has served a company at the highest level for many years, has developed a devoted following, and occupies a singular place within the institution and its public identity. The rarest of all titles, Prima Ballerina Assoluta, is an honorary designation given only to the most exceptional ballerinas in history — Dame Margot Fonteyn being its most celebrated recipient. In Russia, corps de ballet dancers of either sex are known as artists balleta ('artists of ballet'), while soloists and principals are solisty balleta ('soloists of ballet'), and the greatest female dancers are simply known as Prima. The traditional term for a male ballet dancer is danseur, though in Italy the equivalent is ballerino; in the English-speaking West, male dancers are generally referred to simply as dancers.
ba-lon-AY · French: 'bounced' or 'blown up like a balloon'
Ballonné is a springing step in which the dancer jumps from one foot, extends the working leg to the front, side, or back at 45°, and lands on the supporting foot with the working foot drawing in to sur le cou-de-pied. The name evokes the light, buoyant quality that defines the step: it should feel as though the dancer is briefly inflated into the air, then settles lightly back onto the floor without impact. The working leg extends fully at the height of the jump and folds cleanly on landing, giving the step its characteristic open-close phrasing.
Ballonné can be performed in any direction — devant, à la seconde, or derrière — and may travel or remain in place depending on the choreographic context. The supporting leg must push fully through the floor into a strong jump, while the arms and head contribute the sense of effortless elevation. In petit allegro combinations, ballonnés often appear in sequence, requiring the dancer to maintain consistent height and a clean retiré position on each landing. The step is also performed in a simple (non-jumping) version at the barre, where the same extending-and-folding action of the leg is executed without leaving the floor.
bal-oh-TAY · From the French balloter: 'to toss' or 'to rock'
Ballotté is a travelling step in which the dancer shifts their weight from one foot to the other in a continuous rocking motion, the working leg extending to either the front (en avant) or the back (en arrière) at 45°. Performed in a series, the step moves along a diagonal or straight path, with each transfer of weight accompanied by a gentle rise and fall of the body — an undulating, wave-like quality that gives ballotté its distinctive charm.
The execution demands a careful balance between mobility and control. As the weight transfers onto the supporting leg, the working leg brushes through first position before extending cleanly, while the body inclines slightly in the opposite direction, lending the step its characteristic sense of being gently tossed. The plié on each landing must be soft and unhurried, absorbing the momentum without interrupting the flow of the phrase.
What elevates ballotté from a purely functional travelling step into something truly expressive is the role of the upper body. The épaulement — the subtle inclination and rotation of the head and shoulders — combined with a generous, responsive port de bras, transforms the rocking motion into something lyrical and alive. Like so many steps in the classical vocabulary, ballotté reveals its full beauty only when the effort is concealed: the more naturally it breathes, the more it seems to move of its own accord.
bat-MON · French: 'beating' — though in ballet, more accurately 'to extend' or 'to throw'
In ballet, battement refers broadly to the extension of the working leg to the front, side, or back — either as a single movement or in repetition. The term literally means 'beating' in French, though a more practical translation for ballet purposes would be 'to extend' or 'to throw'. It appears both as a standalone term and as the first word of many compound names — battement tendu, battement frappé, grand battement — and in class, these longer names are routinely abbreviated: tendus, frappés, grands.
There are numerous types of battement, each with a distinct function and character. Battement tendu ('stretched beating') slides the foot along the floor to a full extension with the toes remaining in contact with the ground. Battement jeté ('thrown beating') lifts the foot to approximately 25–45 degrees. Battement dégagé ('disengaged beating') is a quick, flicking brushing movement. Battement frappé ('struck beating') extends from a flexed cou-de-pied with a percussive strike. Grand battement ('large beating') sweeps the whole leg as high as possible in a controlled arc. And petit battement sur le cou-de-pied ('small beating on the instep') executes rapid, small beating movements of the working foot against the ankle. Each type develops a different combination of strength, speed, flexibility, and coordination, and together they form the backbone of the barre.
ba-tree · French: 'battery' or 'beating'
Batterie is the collective term for all beaten steps in ballet — that is, any jump in which the legs beat together in the air before landing. The word comes from the French for battery or percussion, and the image is apt: beaten steps introduce a rapid, crisp striking of the legs that adds brilliance and technical complexity to allegro work. All beaten steps belong to the category of batterie, from the relatively accessible entrechat quatre to the demanding and spectacular cabriole.
Batterie is divided into grande batterie, which encompasses the larger, more dramatic beaten jumps such as cabriole and grand pas de basque battu, and petite batterie, which covers smaller, lower beaten steps such as royale, entrechat, and brisé. Mastery of batterie requires exceptional coordination, quick muscle response, and precise timing: the legs must beat cleanly and symmetrically in the air at the highest point of the jump, with both the ascent and descent remaining controlled. It is a hallmark of virtuosic classical technique and features prominently in the male variations of the grand repertoire.
ba-TOO · French: 'beaten'
Battu is an adjective applied to any step that incorporates a beat — meaning a rapid striking or crossing of the legs in the air. A step described as battu has an additional layer of technical complexity beyond its unbeaten counterpart: for example, an assemblé becomes assemblé battu when the legs beat together before landing, and a glissade becomes glissade battue when a beat is incorporated into the travelling glide. The term is essentially shorthand for the addition of a batterie element to any given step.
The beat in a battu step should be clean, precise, and performed at the height of the movement rather than on the way up or down. The inner thighs initiate the beat, and the legs close tightly before re-opening or landing. In advanced training and performance, battu steps demonstrate the speed, control, and coordination that distinguish a highly trained classical dancer.
boo-RAY · From the French bourrer: 'to stuff' or 'to pad'; also a lively French folk dance
In ballet, bourrée most commonly refers to pas de bourrée, a foundational linking step that appears in virtually every class and throughout the repertoire. However, the term bourrée on its own is often used to describe the continuous series of tiny, rapid steps on pointe or demi-pointe known as bourrée couru (or courus) — a gliding, travelling movement in which the feet flutter in quick succession while the body appears to float across the stage with minimal visible effort.
Bourrée couru is one of the most iconic images in classical ballet: the ballerina en pointe, arms in arabesque or a soft second, seemingly hovering above the floor as her feet perform rapid, even steps beneath her. The illusion of weightlessness depends entirely on the consistency of the steps and the stillness of the upper body — any unevenness or tension in the torso will break the spell. It is a step that demands both technical precision and complete physical ease, which is precisely what makes it so difficult to master. See also Pas de bourrée.
bree-ZAY · French: 'broken'
Brisé is a small travelling beaten jump in which the dancer brushes the working leg to the side, beats it against the supporting leg in the air, and lands — either on one foot or both feet depending on the variation. The name reflects the slight 'breaking' sensation of the step: the legs come together sharply in the air, creating the beat, before the dancer lands in fifth position. Brisé almost always travels — either forward (en avant) or backward (en arrière) — and is therefore both an allegro and a petit batterie step.
Brisé volé, meaning 'flying brisé', is a more advanced and spectacular variation performed in a series, alternating legs, in which the dancer appears to skim across the stage with a quick, darting quality. The arms and upper body play an important role in giving brisé its lightness: a heavy port de bras will anchor the step to the floor, while a free and responsive upper body allows the dancer to achieve the airy, fluttering effect that gives brisé volé its name. It is a demanding step that appears frequently in male variations and in the corps de ballet sequences of the Romantic repertoire.
cab-ree-OLE · French: from cabriole meaning 'a caper' or 'a leap'; related to the Italian capriola, 'a goat's leap'
Cabriole is one of the most spectacular jumps in the classical vocabulary — a grand allegro step in which the dancer jumps into the air, raises one leg to a high extension, and beats the supporting leg up to meet it before landing. The image is vivid: the lower leg strikes upward to meet the raised leg, the two legs beating together at height, and the dancer descends on the original supporting leg. The beat must occur at the highest point of the jump, when both legs are at their greatest extension, and the raised leg should hold its line throughout without dropping to receive the beat from below.
Cabriole can be performed devant (to the front), derrière (to the back), or à la seconde (to the side), and may be executed with the working leg at 45° (petite cabriole) or at full height (grande cabriole). It appears throughout the grand classical and Romantic repertoire — perhaps most memorably in the male solos of Giselle, La Sylphide, and Don Quixote — and requires exceptional strength in the supporting leg, freedom in the hip joint, and the split-second coordination to beat cleanly at the apex of a large jump. It is one of the defining feats of male classical technique.
sheh-NAY · French: 'chains' or 'links'
Chaînés — also known as chaînés déboulés — are a continuous series of rapid, small turns on alternate feet, travelling across the floor in a straight line or along a diagonal. Each turn is half a revolution, so two turns together complete a full rotation. The feet alternate between a tight first position demi-pointe and a closing fifth or first, while the body turns continuously, spotting to maintain direction and prevent dizziness. The effect, when performed well, is of a smooth, accelerating chain of movement — hence the name.
Chaînés are among the most commonly performed turns in ballet class and on stage, and they are used by dancers of all levels as a travelling step in both petit and grand allegro combinations. The arms are typically held in a tight first position or bras bas to keep the body compact and aid the speed of rotation. The challenge lies in maintaining an even pace, a true vertical axis, and a consistent fifth position of the feet throughout — particularly under the pressure of travelling at speed. On stage, chaînés are frequently used to build towards a climactic jump or pose at the end of a diagonal.
shonzh-MON duh PYAY · French: 'change of foot'
Changement de pied — most commonly referred to simply as changement — is a small jump from fifth position to fifth position in which the feet change their relative placement in the air so that the back foot lands in front and vice versa. It is one of the first jumps taught in ballet training and forms the foundation of almost all allegro work: the mechanics of pushing through the floor, achieving a clean pointed foot in the air, and landing softly through the foot and into a plié are identical to those required for every more complex jump that follows.
Despite its apparent simplicity, a well-executed changement requires careful attention. The feet must fully point in the air, crossing cleanly in fifth before the change, and the landing must be controlled and quiet — demi-pointe, then heel, with the knees bending smoothly over the toes. The arms and upper body remain still and poised, avoiding any unnecessary tension. Grand changement de pied is the same step performed with a much higher jump and a broader fifth position in the air, and is used in more advanced combinations and as a preparation for tours en l'air.
sha-SAY · French: 'chased'
Chassé is a travelling step in which one foot chases the other, the first foot sliding or springing in a given direction while the second closes to meet it — only for the first to immediately move away again, as though unwilling to be caught. The step can be performed forwards, backwards, or to the side, either as a smooth gliding action (chassé glissé) or as a springing jump (chassé sauté). In both forms, the legs pass through fifth position momentarily as the feet change, and the body travels continuously in the direction of the leading foot.
Chassé is one of the most versatile and frequently used steps in the classical vocabulary, appearing as a linking movement between more complex steps, as a preparation for jumps and turns, and as a step in its own right within lyrical phrases. The springing chassé — particularly the chassé into grand jeté — is a cornerstone of allegro work and requires the dancer to coordinate the gathering of the legs in the air with a powerful upward impulse from the floor. In its most expansive form, the chassé-jeté is one of the most exhilarating movements in classical ballet.
KOR duh ba-LAY · French: 'body of the ballet'
The corps de ballet refers collectively to the ensemble dancers of a ballet company — those who perform as a group rather than as soloists or principals. It is both a professional rank and a dramatic force: in the grand classical works, the corps de ballet is not merely a backdrop for the principal dancers but an integral element of the artistic whole. The famous white acts — the lakeside scene in Swan Lake, the Kingdom of the Shades in La Bayadère, the Wilis in Giselle — depend entirely on the corps for their haunting, otherworldly power. Thirty or forty dancers moving as one, with absolute precision of line and timing, create an effect that no soloist, however brilliant, could achieve alone.
Membership of the corps de ballet is the entry point for most professional dancers and demands an extraordinary level of technical uniformity, spatial awareness, and musical sensitivity. Corps dancers must be able to replicate exactly the same line, height, and timing as their colleagues while maintaining the illusion of spontaneous, individual expression. It is a discipline that develops a dancer's ensemble skills and stage craft in ways that class alone cannot, and many of the greatest ballerinas and danseurs of history have spoken of their corps years as among the most formative of their careers.
koh-ree-FAY · French, from the Greek koryphaia: 'the leader of the chorus'
Coryphée is a rank within the hierarchy of a professional ballet company, typically positioned between corps de ballet dancer and soloist. In companies that use this designation, coryphées perform both in the corps and in small featured roles — they are dancers who have demonstrated sufficient technical ability and stage presence to be entrusted with minor solos or leading roles within larger group dances, but who have not yet achieved full soloist status.
Not all companies use the title of coryphée; the structure varies between organisations. The Royal Ballet, for example, uses the designation First Artist to occupy a similar intermediate position, while other companies may move directly from corps de ballet to Soloist. Where it exists, the rank of coryphée is an important step on the professional ladder, offering a dancer increased visibility and the opportunity to develop the individual stage presence that will carry them towards principal roles. The word's origin — the leader of the ancient Greek theatrical chorus — reflects the role's position as a bridge between the collective and the individual.
koo-PAY · French: 'cut'
Coupé — from the French meaning 'cut' — is a small, sharp step in which one foot cuts away the other, taking its place on the floor as the displaced foot lifts. The action is precise and definitive: the working foot is placed on the floor, and the original standing foot is simultaneously lifted, as though cut from underneath. Coupé can be performed in any direction and at various heights, and both the preparation and the arrival must be clean and unhesitating.
In class and on stage, coupé most frequently appears as a preparatory action — a brief gathering of the body before a jump, turn, or sequence of steps. Coupé-jeté and coupé-assemblé are common combinations in which the coupé serves as the spring for the subsequent jump. The step also appears on its own as a sharp accent within a phrase, lending a crisp, punctuated quality to the rhythm of a combination. Despite its brevity, the coupé is a moment of real intention and coordination: the weight must transfer completely and instantly, and the lifted foot should arrive in its new position — usually sur le cou-de-pied or retiré — without any ambiguity.
krwah-ZAY · French: 'crossed'
Croisé is one of the fundamental directions of the body in classical ballet — one of the eight body positions of the Cecchetti method and the French school — in which the dancer stands at an angle to the audience with the legs crossed in relation to the line of sight. Standing in croisé devant, for example, the dancer is turned so that both legs appear to cross when viewed from the front: the front leg crosses over the line of the back leg as seen by the audience, creating a sense of depth, torsion, and elegance. The term literally means 'crossed', and the visual effect is precisely that — two lines of the body interweaving rather than standing in parallel.
Croisé is considered one of the most beautiful and flattering positions in ballet, as it creates a diagonal line through the body that is more dynamic and dimensional than a purely frontal presentation. It appears constantly in both choreography and performance — in poses, in adage, and as a qualifier for many travelling steps. Its counterpart is effacé, meaning 'shaded' or 'erased', in which the body is also at an angle but the legs appear open rather than crossed.
day-ga-ZHAY · French: 'disengaged'
Dégagé — meaning disengaged — describes the action of the working foot brushing along the floor and lifting slightly off the ground, to approximately 25–45 degrees, with a fully stretched foot and leg. The foot disengages from the floor rather than remaining in contact with it (as in tendu) or lifting to a full extension (as in grand battement). The term captures the quality of the action precisely: the foot separates from the floor, freeing the leg without throwing it to height.
As an exercise, battement dégagé (also known as battement jeté in some schools) is a standard barre exercise that develops speed, brushing action, and the ability to point the foot quickly and fully. It is performed in quick succession to all three directions — front, side, and back — and builds the fast-twitch responsiveness of the lower leg that underpins all allegro work. In context, the word dégagé also appears as a descriptive term for the quality of a movement: a dégagé port de bras or a dégagé quality in performance implies something loose, unencumbered, and effortlessly free.
duh-mee PWENT · French: 'half-pointe'
Demi-pointe refers to the position in which the dancer rises onto the ball of the foot — the metatarsals — rather than to full pointe (on the tips of the toes in pointe shoes). It is the standard elevated position for male dancers and for female dancers when working in soft shoes, and it is used constantly throughout classical training and performance. Every relevé, every turn, every jump that begins or ends on one foot passes through or arrives at demi-pointe.
The quality of a dancer's demi-pointe is fundamental to their technique: the rise must be full and secure, with the weight centred over the first and second toes, the ankle stable, and the arch engaged without collapsing. A weak or rolling demi-pointe compromises turns, balances, and the general elegance of the line. In class, relevés to demi-pointe are practised exhaustively — at the barre and in the centre, in all positions — because demi-pointe is not merely a position but a state of dynamic readiness from which almost every aspect of classical movement proceeds.
deh-RYAIR · French: 'behind' or 'at the back'
Derrière is one of the core directional terms in ballet, indicating that a movement or position is directed towards the back of the body. A battement tendu derrière slides the working foot to the back; an arabesque position places the working leg behind the body; a step or pose described as derrière will always be oriented away from the front. The term is used constantly in combination with virtually every step and position in the vocabulary.
In common practice, derrière is also used colloquially to refer to the buttocks, and teachers will sometimes use the term when cueing students to engage or adjust that area. In the formal technical sense, however, it remains one of the three principal directions — devant (front), à la seconde (side), and derrière (back) — that define the spatial orientations available to the working leg and arm.
day-toor-NAY · French: 'turned aside' or 'diverted'
Détourné is a turning step in which the dancer rises to demi-pointe or pointe and pivots a full 180 degrees on both feet simultaneously, reversing the position of the feet in fifth. The body turns over the front foot, so that what was the front foot becomes the back and the direction of the body is entirely reversed. It is a neat, compact half-turn that is used both as a connecting step and as a punctuating movement at the end of a phrase, and it can be performed en dehors or en dedans depending on the direction of the turn.
Détourné requires a strong and stable relevé, a controlled pivot without any sinking through the ankles, and a clear finish in fifth position. It often appears at the barre to reverse direction, and in the centre as a transitional step between sequences. On stage, it is used to change the dancer's facing elegantly and efficiently, particularly at the end of a combination or before a new diagonal. Though brief, a well-executed détourné has a crisp, decisive quality that contributes greatly to the overall tidiness of a phrase.
duh-VON · French: 'in front' or 'forwards'
Devant indicates that a movement or position is directed to the front of the body. It is one of the three fundamental spatial directions in ballet — alongside à la seconde (to the side) and derrière (to the back) — and is used as a qualifier for an enormous range of steps and positions. Battement tendu devant, attitude devant, dégagé devant: in each case, the working foot or leg is extended towards the front. In fifth position, the foot described as devant is the one positioned in front.
The front of the body in ballet is always understood relative to the dancer's own facing direction — which may itself change many times within a single phrase — rather than to a fixed point in the room. This relative understanding of direction is fundamental to reading and performing ballet combinations correctly, and the terms devant, à la seconde, and derrière form the spatial grammar through which all barre exercises and many centre combinations are structured.
day-vuh-LOH-pay · French: 'developed' or 'unfolded'
Développé is a controlled unfolding of the working leg from a gathered position — typically retiré or sur le cou-de-pied — to a full extension at 90° or above. The name describes the action precisely: the leg develops, or unfolds, from a compact position into an open one, like a bud opening into bloom. The movement passes through clearly defined stations — the foot draws up the supporting leg to the knee (retiré), the knee then opens to the side before extending in the chosen direction (devant, à la seconde, or derrière), and finally the leg reaches its full extension with a completely stretched knee and pointed foot.
Développé is the defining exercise of adage and one of the most revealing tests of a dancer's technique. The height and quality of the extension matter greatly, but equally important is the manner of the unfolding: each phase must be precise, unhurried, and correctly placed, with the hip remaining stable and the supporting leg fully stretched. A développé that arrives at a high extension through rushing or sickling the foot, or by allowing the hip to rise, is technically compromised regardless of its apparent height. Conversely, a well-placed développé at a moderate height, executed with full control and beautiful line, is far more impressive than a high one achieved through distortion.
ay-kar-TAY · French: 'separated' or 'spread apart'
Écarté is one of the eight positions of the body in classical ballet, in which the dancer stands at an oblique angle to the audience with the working leg extended à la seconde — to the side — so that both the body and the extended leg are visible simultaneously. The word means 'separated' or 'spread apart', and the position creates a wide, open diagonal line through the body, with the arm on the side of the working leg raised and the head inclined towards the raised arm. The overall effect is one of expansive breadth and confident openness.
Écarté derrière positions the body so that the dancer's back is partly visible to the audience; écarté devant faces more towards the front. The position is used both as a static pose — often held in adage — and as a directional qualifier for travelling steps. Its characteristic quality is the feeling of the body spreading outwards in two directions at once: the raised leg drawing away from the centre while the arm and upper body stretch in the opposite direction, creating a dynamic tension that gives écarté its powerful stage presence.
ay-sha-PAY · French: 'escaped'
Échappé — meaning 'escaped' — is a step in which both feet spring or slide apart from a closed position (fifth) to an open one (second or fourth), as though the feet are escaping from each other. There are two main forms: échappé sauté (a springing échappé) and échappé sur les pointes or sur les demi-pointes (a relevé échappé). In échappé sauté, the dancer jumps from fifth, lands simultaneously on both feet in second or fourth, then jumps again to return to fifth — with the feet changing in the process so that the back foot arrives in front. In the relevé version, the feet slide apart to second or fourth as the dancer rises onto pointe or demi-pointe, then close back to fifth on the descent.
Échappé is one of the first steps taught in ballet class and, like many foundational steps, contains within it the mechanics of many more complex movements. It develops the evenness of both legs, the symmetry of the turnout, the ability to land simultaneously and equally, and the coordination of the arms and legs. An échappé sauté should feel like a genuine leap apart — free and bright — rather than a cautious stepping. The return to fifth must be equally decisive, with a clean, soft landing in a deep plié.
om-bwah-TAY · French: 'boxed in' or 'fitted together like a box joint'
Emboîté is a travelling jump in which the dancer springs from one foot to the other in alternation, with the working foot drawing up to a low retiré or cou-de-pied on each landing. The feet fit neatly together — one arriving as the other leaves — hence the name, which evokes the interlocking of a box joint. Emboîté en tournant is performed with a quarter or half turn on each jump, so that a series of four or eight emboîtés completes a full circle, making it one of the most dynamically satisfying turning allegro combinations in the vocabulary.
Emboîté requires a consistent jump height, a clean retiré on each landing, and — in the turning version — a firm, controlled axis through the body. The arms are typically held in a compact position to aid the rotation, and the spot should be crisp and consistent. It appears frequently in both male and female variations, and the turning version in particular — travelling around the stage in a manège — is one of the most visually exciting sequences in classical choreography.
on ah-RYAIR · French: 'backwards'
En arrière indicates that a step or movement is to be performed travelling backwards, or directed towards the back of the body. It is one of the fundamental directional instructions in the ballet vocabulary, used in combination with a wide variety of steps — for example, glissade en arrière (a glide travelling backwards), or arabesque penchée where the body tilts en arrière. The direction is always understood relative to the dancer's own orientation rather than a fixed point in the room. Its counterpart is en avant, meaning forward.
on ah-VON · French: 'forwards'
En avant indicates that a step or movement travels or is directed towards the front of the body. It is among the most frequently used directional qualifiers in classical technique and appears in combination with almost every category of step — battement tendu en avant, glissade en avant, and so on. As with en arrière, the direction is relative to the dancer rather than to an absolute point in space. Together, en avant and en arrière form the primary axis of forward and backward travel in the classical vocabulary.
on KLOSH · French: 'like a bell'
En cloche describes the pendulum-like swinging of the working leg between a forward and backward extension — devant and derrière — passing through first position with each swing, much like the tongue of a bell moving back and forth inside its casing. The image is precise: the working leg sweeps forward to a battement devant, then passes smoothly through the supporting leg and continues to a battement derrière, then returns, establishing a continuous, rhythmic oscillation.
Grand battement en cloche is a common barre exercise and appears in centre and repertoire work. It develops the freedom of the hip joint, the strength of the supporting leg, and the dancer's ability to control a sweeping leg action without disturbing the stability of the pelvis or the uprightness of the spine. As with balançoire, the quality sought is one of ease and momentum rather than effortful repetition — the leg swings as freely as a pendulum, guided but not forced.
on KRWAH · French: 'in the shape of a cross'
En croix describes the execution of a step or exercise in four directions in sequence: to the front (devant), to the side (à la seconde), to the back (derrière), and to the side again — or alternatively front, side, back, and closing — tracing the shape of a cross. The term is used primarily at the barre to describe the order in which an exercise is performed in all directions, ensuring that the working leg develops equally in each plane of movement.
Battement tendu en croix, rond de jambe en croix, and grand battement en croix are among the most common applications of the term. The systematic practice of steps en croix is fundamental to balanced training: the muscles used to extend the leg forward differ significantly from those used to the side or behind, and working in all four directions develops the complete range of strength, flexibility, and neuromuscular coordination required for classical technique. The teacher may specify the order and whether the exercise returns to fifth between each direction.
on duh-DON · French: 'inward'
En dedans indicates a circular motion that travels inward — that is, towards the supporting leg. For the working leg, en dedans means the circle moves from back to side to front (anti-clockwise when viewed from above with the left leg being the supporting leg and the right leg being the working leg). The term is used to describe both the direction of a rond de jambe and the direction of a turn: a pirouette en dedans turns towards the supporting leg, meaning that if the dancer is standing on the right leg, they turn to the right.
En dedans turns are generally considered more natural in feel than en dehors turns, as the body rotates in the direction of the supporting leg, giving the dancer a slightly more stable axis. However, this varies between individuals and depends greatly on the preparation and the specific step. The distinction between en dedans and en dehors is fundamental to understanding the mechanics of turns, and any teacher will use both terms constantly when describing exercises and combinations in class.
on duh-OR · French: 'outward'
En dehors indicates a circular motion that travels outward — away from the supporting leg. For the working leg, en dehors means the circle moves from front to side to back (clockwise when viewed from above with the left leg being the supporting leg and the right leg being the working leg). A pirouette en dehors turns away from the supporting leg: standing on the right, the dancer turns to the left.
En dehors is often described as the 'classic' pirouette direction and is typically the first to be taught, though neither direction is inherently superior. The preparation for an en dehors pirouette — usually from fourth position with the weight forward, or from a demi-plié in fifth — differs from that for en dedans, and developing fluency in both directions is essential for the well-rounded classical dancer. The term applies equally to rond de jambe en dehors, where the leg circles outward from front to side to back.
on FASS · French: 'facing' or 'face-on'
En face describes the position in which the dancer faces directly front — that is, squarely towards the audience — without any rotation, inclination, or diagonal angle through the body. It is one of the most basic orientations in ballet and the natural default position from which other directions (croisé, effacé, écarté, épaulé) depart. In an en face position, both shoulders are presented equally to the audience, the hips are level, and the gaze is directed straight ahead.
While en face may sound simple, it demands its own clarity and discipline: the body must be truly square without any inadvertent twisting or favouring of one side. In class, many barre and centre exercises are begun and ended en face, and the instruction is also used on stage to describe a choreographic choice — a moment in which the dancer confronts the audience directly, with no angle or profile, creating a particular dramatic directness and presence.
on PWENT · French: 'on the point' (of the foot)
En pointe refers to the position in which a dancer stands or moves on the very tips of the toes, supported by a specially constructed pointe shoe with a hardened box and rigid shank. It is one of the most iconic and technically demanding aspects of classical ballet and is almost exclusively the domain of female dancers, though male dancers do occasionally perform en pointe in certain contemporary and character contexts.
The ability to dance en pointe is the result of years of preparatory training: the feet, ankles, and legs must be sufficiently strong, the technique sufficiently grounded, and the pointe shoes correctly fitted before a student is ready to begin pointe work. Premature introduction of pointe can cause lasting injury. En pointe, the dancer must maintain the same alignment, turnout, and dynamic quality as in all other aspects of their technique — the elevation of the foot changes nothing about the fundamental demands of the body. Indeed, the added challenge of working en pointe makes every existing technical weakness more visible, which is precisely why the foundation must be sound before the transition is made.
on-truh-SHA · French, from the Italian intrecciata: 'interweaving'
Entrechat is a family of beaten jumps in which the feet cross and re-cross in the air, weaving past each other before the dancer lands. The number following the name (entrechat deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit) indicates the total number of crossings — or more precisely, the total number of movements of the feet. Entrechat quatre is the most common: from fifth, the dancer jumps, beats the feet so that the back foot crosses to the front and then back again (two crossings each way), and lands in fifth with the same foot in front as at the start. Entrechat six adds two more crossings and lands in fifth with the feet exchanged. Odd-numbered entrechats land on one foot.
The number of the entrechat can be understood by counting the total positions the feet pass through in the air, including the opening and closing. Entrechat deux (royale) involves the feet simply crossing and closing without a full beat; entrechat quatre involves one full beat; six involves two, and so on. Entrechat six is a benchmark of male classical technique; entrechat huit is rare and requires exceptional elevation and speed. The quality of an entrechat depends on the cleanliness of the beat — the inner thighs must strike firmly and separately at the top of the jump — and the softness of the landing, which must absorb the jump fully without any sound or jarring.
ay-poh-LAY / ay-pohl-MON · French: from épaule, 'shoulder'
Épaulé is one of the eight positions of the body in classical ballet, in which the dancer is positioned so that one shoulder is directed towards the audience while the head turns over that same shoulder — creating a deep, three-dimensional quality of torsion through the upper body. The arms, head, and shoulders combine with the angle of the body to produce a distinctive, slightly withdrawn quality: the dancer appears to gaze over one shoulder, drawing the audience into the line rather than presenting outwards. Épaulé derrière — in which the back is partly turned to the audience with the working leg in arabesque — is among the most powerful and dramatically charged positions in the vocabulary.
Épaulement, meanwhile, is the broader principle of shoulder placement and rotation that underpins virtually all of classical ballet. It refers to the coordinated use of the shoulders and head — their inclination, rotation, and relationship to the arms and legs — to animate the body and give movement its artistic dimension. A dancer without épaulement may perform all the correct steps but will appear flat and mechanical; a dancer with refined épaulement transforms the same steps into something vivid and expressive. It is perhaps the single quality most associated with the difference between technically proficient dancing and truly communicative artistry. The development of épaulement is a lifelong pursuit.
fair-MAY · French: 'closed'
Fermé means 'closed' and indicates that a step ends with the feet in a closed position — typically fifth — as opposed to ouvert ('open'), in which the step ends with the feet apart. The distinction between fermé and ouvert is used most commonly to differentiate between two versions of steps such as sissonne and pas de bourrée: sissonne fermée lands with the feet closing to fifth, while sissonne ouverte finishes with the working leg open in an extended position. The term appears as a suffix in these contexts rather than as a standalone instruction.
The concept of fermé and ouvert runs through much of the vocabulary as a paired contrast, with open endings tending to feel expansive and directional — often used to lead into the next phrase — and closed endings feeling contained and resolved. In the naming of exercises and combinations, the distinction between the two is important for clarity, and a teacher's instruction to perform a step ouvert or fermé will significantly change the shape and phrasing of the movement.
fleek-FLAK · French: onomatopoeic, suggesting the sound of a whip or rapid strike
Flic-flac is a preparatory or linking movement in which the working foot whips across the floor in two successive brushing actions — one inward (flic) and one outward (flac) — passing through a cou-de-pied position in the centre before the second brush sends the foot out to the other side. The name is onomatopoeic, evoking the snapping, whiplike quality the movement should have. It is performed quickly and with great precision, the foot travelling close to the floor and the brushing action coming from the ankle and lower leg rather than the whole limb.
Flic-flac appears primarily in barre exercises and centre adage as a preparation for turns, particularly pirouettes. The final position — the foot arriving at cou-de-pied or retiré after the second brush — is often the position from which a pirouette is initiated, and the energy generated by the whipping action can be channelled directly into the turn. The step requires a high degree of ankle and foot articulation, as well as the ability to maintain a stable supporting leg and pelvis throughout the rapid brushing movements.
fon-DOO · French: 'melted'
Fondu describes the slow, smooth bending of the supporting leg — a single-leg plié — characterised by the sense of the body melting gradually downward, like butter dissolving in a warm pan. The name is precise and evocative: where a simple plié can be sharp or mechanical, a fondu implies something yielding and organic, a quality of release rather than effort. Battement fondu is a standard barre and centre exercise in which the supporting leg bends and straightens simultaneously with the unfolding and closing of the working leg, developing the coordination between the two legs and the suppleness of the supporting side.
The fondu quality is not confined to the specific exercise of that name — it is a quality that should permeate landing from jumps, the transitions between positions in adage, and many other moments in classical technique. A dancer who has truly internalised the fondu quality will be visible in their landings, which will seem to absorb the floor rather than resist it, and in their adage, which will move as though suspended in a more resistant medium than air. It is one of those concepts in ballet that is technically specific but artistically limitless.
fweh-TAY · French: 'whipped'
Fouetté — meaning 'whipped' — refers to any movement in which the working leg performs a whipping action to generate or redirect the body's momentum. In its most famous form, the grand fouetté en tournant (commonly known simply as fouettés), the dancer executes a series of turns on one foot, with the working leg whipping outward to the side and then closing into retiré to generate each successive rotation. Thirty-two consecutive fouettés is one of the most celebrated feats in classical ballet, famously required of Odile in the Black Swan pas de deux of Swan Lake, and has become a benchmark of female virtuosity.
The mechanics of the fouetté turn depend on the timed extension and retraction of the working leg: the leg extends à la seconde as the dancer descends through a small demi-plié on the supporting leg, then draws into retiré as the dancer rises onto pointe or demi-pointe and completes the rotation. The whipping action of the working leg supplies the momentum that sustains the turn, meaning that each fouetté, when correctly executed, is self-propelling. Beyond the famous series of thirty-two, fouetté appears in many other forms — grand fouetté sauté, fouetté en tournant en dehors and en dedans — all united by the essential whipping quality of the working leg.
fra-PAY · French: 'struck'
Frappé — meaning 'struck' — describes the action in which the working foot is extended from a flexed cou-de-pied position, striking the floor (or passing close to it) with the ball of the foot in a sharp, percussive action, before extending to a pointed position off the ground. Battement frappé is a standard barre exercise that develops the speed and precision of the foot and lower leg, preparing the dancer for the quick, sharp footwork required in allegro combinations.
The frappé action begins with the working foot wrapped at the ankle — either in front or behind — with the toes slightly off the floor. The foot then strikes outward with a whipping action, the toes brushing the floor briefly before the leg extends. The quality sought is sharpness and speed: the strike should sound (or feel, in silent work) clean and precise, like the striking of a match. Battement frappé is performed to the front, side, and back, and in some schools at the barre in a quick double version as well. The exercise directly trains the kind of rapid foot articulation needed in petit allegro.
glee-SAHD · French: 'a glide' or 'a slide'
Glissade is a smooth, gliding travelling step that moves from fifth position through a dégagé, transfers the weight, and closes to fifth again on the other side. It travels to the side, front, or back, and is one of the most fundamental linking steps in the ballet vocabulary. The step has a clear three-part structure — open, travel, close — but when performed correctly it should feel continuous and seamless, with no sense of the individual components. The name is perfectly descriptive: the feet glide across the floor rather than springing from it.
Glissade appears constantly as a preparatory step for jumps — particularly for assemblé, grand jeté, and cabriole — and as a linking movement between sections of a combination. The most important quality is the smooth, even transfer of weight and the clean closing to fifth: a glissade with a visible pause in second position, or a half-hearted close, will undermine the preparation for whatever follows. In more advanced work, glissade is also performed with a small spring (glissade sauté), increasing its energy and making it a more emphatic preparation for large jumps.
zhuh-TAY · French: 'thrown'
Jeté — from the French for 'thrown' — is a jump from one foot to the other in which the working leg is thrown into the air to initiate the spring. In its simplest form, petit jeté, the dancer springs from one foot, throws the working leg to the side, and lands on it as the original supporting foot comes to cou-de-pied. Like all steps, it can be performed in any direction and combined with beats, turns, and changes of direction.
Watch Anastasia Demidova's Foundations Lesson 5 - Jeté here.
Grand jeté
Grand jeté is the large, split leap in which the dancer springs from one foot, throws the front leg forward into a high extension, and follows it with the back leg — opening into a full split position in the air — before landing on the front foot. It is one of the most spectacular movements in classical ballet and one of the most technically demanding: the leap requires powerful elevation, a fast split in the air, and a landing that is both controlled and absolutely silent. Grand jeté en avant (travelling forward) most often follows a preparation of chassé or glissade, and the combination of chassé-grand jeté is a cornerstone of grand allegro work.
Coupé jeté en tournant
Coupé jeté en tournant — sometimes called tours jetés or, colloquially, 'barrel turns' — is a dynamic turning jump in which a coupé preparation launches a grand jeté that incorporates a full 360-degree rotation. The dancer steps onto one foot (the coupé), throws the working leg up and across the body, and uses the momentum to complete a full turn in the air before landing. The rotation is typically achieved through the combination of the leg's trajectory and the strong engagement of the core and arms. Coupé jeté en tournant appears frequently in male variations and in fast, exciting group sequences, and the ability to perform a sequence of them in a manège — travelling around the stage in a circle — is one of the most thrilling sights in classical ballet.
ma-NEZH · French: from manège meaning 'a riding school' or 'a training circle for horses'
Manège describes a sequence of steps, turns, or jumps performed in a large circle around the stage — typically the full perimeter — creating a sweeping, circular path of movement. The term comes from the French for a riding school or training ring, evoking the image of a horse being worked in circles, and in ballet it describes the same deliberate, circular travelling pattern. Manèges are among the most visually commanding sequences in classical ballet: a dancer travelling in a full circle around the stage with consistent, powerful turns or jumps creates an effect of seemingly boundless energy and control.
Common manège combinations include chaînés, piqué turns, fouettés en tournant, and coupé jetés en tournant. The challenge of a manège is not only the technical demand of the steps themselves but the spatial awareness required to maintain a true circular path, arrive back at the starting point, and keep consistent energy through the final steps — which are often the hardest, coming when the dancer is most fatigued. A well-executed manège is one of the great displays of classical stamina and stage craft.
oo-VAIR · French: 'open'
Ouvert means 'open' and indicates that a step or position ends with the feet or legs in an open, extended position rather than closed together. It is most commonly used to differentiate between two versions of the same step — for example, sissonne ouverte, in which the jump lands on one foot with the working leg held in an open extension, as opposed to sissonne fermée, which closes to fifth. Pas de bourrée ouvert similarly ends with the leg open rather than in fifth.
The concept of ouvert and fermé runs through much of the vocabulary as a paired contrast, with open endings tending to feel expansive and directional — often used to lead into the next phrase — and closed endings feeling contained and resolved. In the naming of exercises and combinations, the distinction between the two is important for clarity, and a teacher's instruction to perform a step ouvert or fermé will significantly change the shape and phrasing of the movement.
pah duh BASK · French: 'step of the Basque' (referring to the Basque people of northern Spain and southwestern France)
Pas de basque is a three-beat step derived from the folk dances of the Basque region and absorbed into the classical vocabulary, where it takes on an elegant, flowing character far removed from its origins. In its most common form, the dancer brushes the working leg to the side in a rond de jambe action — sweeping it from front to side on the first beat — then steps onto it on the second beat, closing the original supporting foot to fifth on the third. The step can travel forwards or backwards, and in the jumping version (grand pas de basque sauté or pas de basque en l'air), the whole phrase is taken off the floor.
Pas de basque has a distinctively lyrical, circular quality, driven by the curved trajectory of the working leg at the beginning of the phrase. It appears frequently in the Romantic and classical repertoire — particularly in Scottish and character-influenced works — and is also a standard exercise in centre practice. Mastering pas de basque requires a smooth transition through the round of the leg, an even transfer of weight, and the ability to maintain the flowing quality regardless of the direction of travel.
pah duh boo-RAY · French: 'bourrée step'
Pas de bourrée is one of the foundational linking steps of classical ballet — a quick three-step sequence that shifts the weight from one foot to the other through a series of small, precise movements. The step takes many forms depending on direction and the position of the feet: it can travel to the side, back, or front, and the feet may pass through a variety of positions on the way. In its most common classroom form, the dancer steps to the back on demi-pointe, then to the side, then closes to fifth — or variations thereof — creating a neat, contained three-beat movement that serves as an ideal bridge between larger steps.
What makes pas de bourrée so indispensable is its versatility: it can appear almost invisibly between other steps, connecting phrases without drawing attention to itself, or it can become a focal point of its own, particularly in the rapid, continuous bourréeing sequences that appear throughout the Romantic repertoire. The step requires consistent demi-pointe, precise footwork, and the ability to travel in any direction with equal ease. A common saying in ballet studios is that the quality of a dancer's pas de bourrée reveals the true level of their training — there is nowhere to hide in a step that is both so simple and so demanding.
pah duh SHA · French: 'step of the cat'
Pas de chat is a springing step in which both feet are drawn up in succession during the jump — one after the other, not simultaneously — creating a fleeting moment in which both legs are bent in the air before the dancer lands. The image is unmistakable and gives the step its name: a cat springing lightly from a surface, drawing its paws up beneath it. The working foot lifts first to retiré, then the supporting foot follows as the dancer springs upward, and the two feet descend in the same sequence — first one, then the other — back to fifth position.
Pas de chat is one of the most delightful steps in the allegro vocabulary: when performed with lightness and speed, it creates an impression of effortless play, the body seeming to hang briefly in the air with both feet tucked beneath it. It appears in combinations across all levels of training, from young students learning their first jumps to principal dancers in the grand repertoire. The Italian and Russian schools differ slightly in execution, with the Russian version drawing both feet to retiré and the Italian tending to a lower, faster action, but the essential character — light, swift, cat-like — is common to all versions.
pah duh DUH / pah duh TRWAH / pah duh KAT-ruh · French: 'step for two / three / four'
Pas de deux literally means 'step for two' and refers to a duet — a dance performed by two partners, almost always a ballerina and a danseur. In the grand classical tradition, the formal pas de deux follows a specific five-part structure: entrée (entrance), adage (the partnered slow section), variation for the male dancer, variation for the female dancer, and coda (a final section in which both dancers perform together, typically building to a brilliant climax). This structure, established in the 19th century, remains the template for some of the most celebrated moments in the repertoire — the Rose Adagio from The Sleeping Beauty, the grand pas de deux from Don Quixote, the Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake.
The adage section of the grand pas de deux is the heart of the partnership: the danseur supports, lifts, and presents his partner, enabling her to achieve extensions, balances, and positions of beauty that the female dancer alone could not sustain. Partnering is a distinct and highly developed discipline, requiring the male dancer to develop strength, sensitivity, and an almost intuitive understanding of his partner's weight, alignment, and impulse.
Pas de trois & Pas de quatre
Pas de trois ('step for three') and pas de quatre ('step for four') follow the same general structural principles as the grand pas de deux, adapted for three or four dancers. The most famous example of the former is the pas de trois in Act I of Swan Lake; of the latter, Jules Perrot's legendary Pas de Quatre of 1845, created for four of the greatest ballerinas of the Romantic era — Marie Taglioni, Carlotta Grisi, Fanny Cerrito, and Lucile Grahn — which remains a celebrated piece of ballet history.
pa-SAY · French: 'passed'
Passé describes the action of the working foot passing along the supporting leg — typically from fifth position on the floor, up through the ankle (sur le cou-de-pied) to the knee (retiré), and then descending back the other way — or the position arrived at when the foot is at the knee. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with retiré, though technically passé describes the action of passing, while retiré describes the held position at the knee. A passé may be performed as a transitional step within a larger movement — the foot passing through on the way to an extension — or it may be used as a pause point, the dancer holding the retiré position briefly before continuing.
Passé is fundamental to pirouettes (in which the foot passes up to retiré as the turn begins), to développé (in which the foot passes through retiré on its way to the full extension), and to many other steps. The quality of the passé — clean, precise, unhurried — is visible from the first moment a student begins pirouette training and remains a focus of refinement throughout a dancer's career. A passé in which the foot grazes the knee sloppily, or skips through the mid-point of the action, will undermine every turn and extension that depends upon it.
pon-SHAY · French: 'tilted' or 'leaning'
Penché indicates a tilting or leaning of the body — most commonly used in the phrase arabesque penchée, in which the dancer, standing in arabesque, tips the torso forward and downward while simultaneously raising the working leg higher behind them. As the body inclines forward, the back leg rises correspondingly, so that the line from fingertip to pointed toe is extended and lengthened: the deeper the penché, the higher the working leg will rise, approaching or even achieving a full vertical split above the supporting leg.
Arabesque penchée is one of the most visually striking positions in classical ballet and requires both exceptional flexibility in the hip joint and back and the core strength to control the movement — particularly the return, which demands a sustained engagement of the back and supporting leg as the body lifts back to vertical. The quality of a penché is determined not only by the depth of the tilt and the height of the raised leg but by the line and elegance maintained throughout: a penché executed with a sickling foot, a collapsing back, or a visible loss of turnout sacrifices artistry for range. See also arabesque.
pee-KAY · French: 'pricked' or 'stung'
Piqué describes the action of stepping directly onto a fully extended leg — on pointe or demi-pointe — with a sharp, pricking quality, rather than rolling through the foot. The weight is transferred with precision and immediacy: the working foot arrives at full height without any intermediate lowering, the toes or ball of the foot touching the floor already at its full extension. The name evokes the sharp, pointed quality of the action — like the prick of a needle.
Piqué turns
Piqué turns (also known as piqué en tournant or, in some schools, tours piqués) are among the most frequently performed turning steps in ballet. The dancer steps directly onto one fully extended leg — on pointe or demi-pointe — and immediately executes a turn, with the other foot drawing to retiré, before stepping onto the next foot and repeating. Performed in a series, they create a continuous chain of pricking, turning steps that can travel in a straight line or in a circle (manège). Piqué turns are found in virtually every ballet from the Romantic era to the present day, and the ability to perform a long sequence with consistent spotting, clean retiré, and even step size is a hallmark of advanced classical training.
peer-oo-ET · French: 'a spin' or 'a whirl'; possibly related to the spinning top
Pirouette is a turn on one leg, typically with the working foot held in retiré (at the knee of the supporting leg), though it may also be performed in other positions such as attitude, arabesque, or à la seconde. The term is the most widely known in the entire ballet vocabulary and has entered common usage beyond dance as a synonym for any graceful spin or rapid rotation. In ballet, however, it is a precise and demanding technical feat that occupies a central place in the training and performance of every classical dancer.
Pirouettes are described as en dehors (turning away from the supporting leg) or en dedans (turning towards the supporting leg), and by the number of revolutions completed: a double pirouette (two full turns) is an early milestone; a triple or quadruple pirouette marks advanced technique; six or more revolutions — sometimes achieved by elite male dancers — represents the outer limits of the form. The preparation is critical: a pirouette is only as good as its setup, and the moment of relevé onto the supporting leg must be swift, fully stretched, and precisely balanced. The working foot must arrive in a clean retiré simultaneously, and the core must engage to maintain the vertical axis as the turn progresses. Spotting — the technique of fixing the gaze on a single point and whipping the head around to return to that point with each rotation — is essential for orientation and for generating the additional momentum needed for multiple turns.
plee-AY · French: 'bent'
Plié — meaning 'bent' — refers to the bending of the knees over the toes, with both legs turning out equally from the hips. It is the first exercise of every ballet class and among the most important elements of the entire technique. Every jump begins and ends in plié; every turn, every balance, every transition between positions passes through or is supported by the plié. If the battement tendu is the foundation of the working leg, the plié is the foundation of the supporting body.
There are two forms: demi-plié ('half-bend'), in which the heels remain on the floor and the knees bend as far as possible without lifting; and grand plié ('full bend'), in which the knees continue to bend until the body descends fully, the heels lifting in first, third, and fifth position (though they remain on the floor in second and fourth). Plié is practised in all five positions of the feet and serves multiple functions simultaneously: it warms and stretches the tendons, develops the suppleness of the knees and hips, trains the coordination of the whole body, and cultivates the quality of absorption — the yielding, melting quality that distinguishes beautiful dancing from merely correct execution. A dancer who has truly understood the plié will use it constantly, invisibly, and instinctively throughout everything they do.
Watch Anastasia Demidova's Foundations Lesson 3 - Plié here.
por duh BRAH · French: 'carriage of the arms'
Port de bras refers both to the general quality of arm movement in ballet — their carriage, placement, and coordination with the rest of the body — and to a specific family of exercises in which the arms move through a sequence of positions while the body may also bend, incline, or stretch. As an exercise, port de bras typically appears near the end of the barre and involves sustained, flowing arm movements accompanied by forward and backward inclines of the torso, coordinated with the legs in various positions. It is one of the few exercises in which the primary focus is the upper body rather than the legs.
As a concept, port de bras is one of the most important qualities in all of classical dancing. The arms must never be inert or mechanical: they breathe, respond, lead, and follow in constant dialogue with the rest of the body. A dancer whose port de bras is genuinely alive — who moves their arms with intention, musicality, and organic connection to the phrase — will communicate more through a simple exercise than a technically brilliant dancer whose arms are disconnected and unresponsive. Port de bras is a lifelong study, and the greatest dancers of every generation have been distinguished as much by the poetry of their arms as by the brilliance of their footwork.
ruh-luh-VAY / ruh-luh-VAY LON · French: 'risen' / 'slowly risen'
Relevé means 'risen' and describes the action of rising onto the balls of the feet (demi-pointe) or, for dancers in pointe shoes, fully onto the tips of the toes (en pointe). It is one of the most fundamental actions in ballet — appearing at the barre, in the centre, in jumps, in turns, and throughout the repertoire — and the quality of a dancer's relevé is a direct expression of the strength, alignment, and control of their entire body. A true relevé is not merely a lifting of the heel: it is a gathering of the whole body upward, with the legs rotating outward, the core engaging, and the weight centring over the first and second toes.
Relevé lent
Relevé lent — 'slow rise' — refers to the controlled, gradual lifting of the working leg to a high extension without the swing or impulse of a battement. The leg rises slowly and continuously from the floor to 90° or above, driven entirely by the strength of the back, hip, and leg without any kick or throw. Relevé lent is a measure of both strength and control: it requires the hip flexors, turnout muscles, and back extensors to sustain the weight of the leg as it rises, while the supporting side remains perfectly stable. It appears in adage and in the slow, sustained sections of class work, and represents one of the clearest demonstrations of the sustained muscle control that classical training seeks to develop.
ron-vair-SAY · French: 'overturned' or 'thrown off balance'
Renversé is a step in which the body sweeps into a deeply inclined position — typically in attitude derrière — as the dancer executes a turn, creating a striking spiral quality as the torso curves and tips away from the vertical axis. The name reflects the sensation of the body being thrown or overturned as the turn progresses: the back arches, the head drops back, and the body tilts away from the direction of rotation, before the dancer recovers and straightens through the supporting leg. It has a distinctly dramatic, abandoned quality that sets it apart from the controlled verticality of most pirouettes.
Renversé appears in the more advanced sections of ballet class and throughout the repertoire — particularly in Romantic and neo-classical works where sweeping, expressive use of the back and torso is prized. The step requires a strong and free back, the ability to maintain balance through a significant lean, and the coordination to recover the vertical axis cleanly at the end. It is not a step for the timid: its beauty lies precisely in the courage of the lean and the confidence of the recovery.
ruh-tee-RAY · French: 'withdrawn' or 'drawn back'
Retiré describes the position in which the working foot is drawn up to the knee of the supporting leg, with the knee turned out and the toes pointed. It is one of the most important positions in classical ballet, serving as the arrival point of the passé action and the position held during pirouettes, many jumps, and the mid-point of développé. The foot in retiré is precisely placed at the side of the knee — not in front, not behind, but directly to the side — with the toes touching the knee and the thigh turned fully outward.
The quality of the retiré directly affects the quality of every step that passes through it. A retiré in which the foot is placed in front of the knee, or in which the turned-out position is incomplete, will compromise the line of the pirouette and the shape of the développé. Conversely, a clean, well-placed retiré gives every turn a clear visual focus and every extension a precise point of departure. Students spend years refining this position, and even experienced dancers return to it constantly as a test of alignment and turnout.
ray-vay-RONSS · French: 'reverence' or 'bow'
Révérence is the formal bow or curtsy performed at the end of a ballet class, addressed to the teacher and — in class contexts — typically to the pianist as well. It is a moment of genuine ritual within the structure of ballet training: the class ends not with the last combination but with this formal acknowledgement of the learning that has taken place and the relationship between student and teacher. For female dancers, the révérence is typically a curtsy; for male dancers, a bow. In more elaborate form, révérence is also a choreographed sequence of steps — a small, graceful phrase incorporating port de bras, inclines of the head and body, and sometimes a bourrée or piqué — performed at the end of a performance as the dancers take their curtain call.
The révérence reflects ballet's deep roots in court ceremony and the protocol of the European aristocracies that first codified the art form. In the 17th century, the bow and curtsy were social necessities before royalty, and the same reverence was carried into the theatrical context as the art evolved. Today, the révérence remains an important transmission of values: gratitude, respect, and the understanding that even the most technically brilliant dancing takes place within a community of art and tradition.
reh-vol-TAHD · French/Italian origin: related to the Italian rivoltata, 'a turning over'
Revoltade is a demanding and spectacular virtuoso jump in which the dancer leaps into the air, lifts one leg to a high position, and executes a complete rotation of the body in the air — essentially a full turn while simultaneously maintaining an open leg position — before landing. It is distinguished from other turning jumps by the combination of the high leg lift and the rotation happening simultaneously, giving it a particular sense of the body revolving around an extended limb. The effect, when executed well, is of a sudden, brilliant overturning in the air — the name's etymology captured precisely in the movement.
Revoltade is one of the rarer and more advanced steps in the classical male repertoire, and its execution varies somewhat between schools. It requires exceptional elevation, fast rotation, and the strength and flexibility to hold the working leg at height throughout the turn. It appears in selected male variations and in contemporary choreography that draws on classical virtuosity, and is most commonly encountered at competition level, where it serves as a demonstration of technical range and athleticism.
ron duh ZHOMB · French: 'circle of the leg'
Rond de jambe — 'circle of the leg' — is an exercise and movement category in which the working leg traces a circular arc. It is one of the most important exercises in the classical vocabulary for developing flexibility in the hip joint, the smooth coordination of the working leg, and the stability of the pelvis and supporting side.
Rond de jambe par terre
Rond de jambe par terre ('circle of the leg on the ground') describes the working foot tracing a semicircle along the floor, passing through first position. En dehors, the foot moves from front to side to back; en dedans, from back to side to front. The toes remain in contact with the floor throughout the arc, and the movement must be continuous and even — neither speeding up through the side nor pausing at the transitions. Rond de jambe par terre is a standard early barre exercise and one of the most effective for opening the hip joint and developing the rotation of the whole leg from the hip.
Watch Anastasia Demidova's Foundations Lesson 6 - Rond de jambe á terre here.
Rond de jambe en l'air
Rond de jambe en l'air ('circle of the leg in the air') is performed with the working leg elevated — typically at 45° or 90° — the upper leg remaining still while the lower leg (from the knee down) traces a small oval or circle in the air, returning to the starting position after each revolution. En dehors, the lower leg circles outward; en dedans, inward. The hip and thigh must remain completely stable while the lower leg moves, which demands considerable muscular independence and control. Grand rond de jambe en l'air extends the working leg to a full, high arc through the air, passing from devant through à la seconde to derrière (or the reverse), and appears in adage and centre work as a lyrical, sweeping movement.
soh-TAY · French: 'jumped' or 'sprung'
Sauté means 'jumped' and, when added to the name of a position or step, indicates that the movement is performed as a jump rather than on the floor. Arabesque sautée, for example, is an arabesque taken into the air; changement sauté is a changement that is jumped rather than stepped. The term is most commonly used in barre exercises — relevé sauté, passé sauté — to distinguish a jumping version from a standing one.
In a broader sense, the quality of a sauté — the lightness, the quiet landing, the full extension of the foot in the air — is a constant aspiration throughout allegro training. A good jump requires a strong plié on the way up and an equally controlled plié on landing, with the foot rolling through demi-pointe before the heel lowers. The word itself, though technically a past participle, functions in ballet as both a descriptor and a stylistic ideal: jumping that is truly sauté — effortless, musical, and light — is the highest expression of allegro work.
SIK-ul · English: named after the curved blade of a sickle
Sickle — or sickling — describes a fault in the alignment of the foot in which the toes curve inward (or, less commonly, outward) at the ankle, breaking the straight line of the leg and foot. A sickling foot hooks the toes towards the inside of the body rather than pointing them in extension of the leg line, creating an angular distortion at the ankle that compromises both the aesthetic and the structural integrity of the movement. The image is precise: the foot curves as a sickle blade does, rather than extending in a clean, continuous arc.
Sickling is one of the most common technical problems in ballet training and one of the most important to address, because the distorted ankle alignment it creates places additional stress on the joint and can contribute to injury over time. Teachers address it through specific exercises that develop awareness of the ankle and metatarsals, encouraging the dancer to reach through the ball of the foot and through each individual toe rather than curling the foot from the ankle. The opposite fault — a 'bevelled' or 'winged' foot, in which the toes drop outward — is less common but equally problematic.
see-SON · Named after the Comte de Sissonne, who is credited with originating the step
Sissonne is a jump from two feet to one — the opposite of assemblé, which travels from one foot to two. The dancer springs from fifth position, travels in any direction, and lands on one foot, with the other foot either closing to the supporting leg (sissonne fermée) or remaining extended in an open position (sissonne ouverte). Sissonne is one of the most versatile jumps in the allegro vocabulary, appearing in countless forms depending on direction, height, and the ending position.
Sissonne fermée
Sissonne fermée ('closed sissonne') lands on one foot and then closes the working foot to fifth position, completing the phrase in a neat, contained manner. It can travel forward, backward, or to the side, and typically remains at a moderate height. The closed ending makes it well-suited to sequences in which the dancer needs to maintain momentum into the next step, as the close to fifth creates a natural preparation for whatever follows.
Sissonne ouverte
Sissonne ouverte ('open sissonne') lands on one foot and holds the working leg open in an extended position — to the front, back, or side, at 45° or above. The open landing requires greater control and strength in the supporting leg, as the body must absorb the jump while the working leg simultaneously arrives in its position. Grande sissonne ouverte — a high sissonne landing in arabesque or attitude — is a cornerstone of allegro work at advanced levels and requires both strong elevation and clean placement on landing.
soo-bruh-SOH · French: 'a sudden leap' or 'a start'
Soubresaut is a jump from both feet to both feet in which the feet remain in a tightly crossed fifth position throughout — including in the air — and the body may incline slightly forward as the dancer travels. Unlike a simple sauté in fifth, the soubresaut has a characteristic quality of compactness and forward impulse: the feet are pressed firmly together in fifth both on the take-off and in the air, and the landing must be equally precise, returning to the same tight fifth from which the jump began. It typically travels slightly forward or on a diagonal.
Soubresaut is a relatively contained jump but demands considerable control of the fifth position in the air — a common error is for the feet to loosen their crossing during the jump, reducing the neatness of the step. The forward inclination of the torso, where present, adds to the sense of momentum and direction. The step appears in both beginner and advanced combinations and is often used as a building block for understanding how to maintain a specific foot position throughout the arc of a jump.
soor luh koo-duh-PYAY · French: 'on the neck of the foot'
Sur le cou-de-pied refers to the position in which the working foot is placed on the ankle or lower calf of the supporting leg — at the 'neck' of the foot, the narrow part of the ankle just above the heel. It is a fundamental position in classical technique and serves as the departure and arrival point for a wide range of steps: coupé, frappé, fondu, petit battement, and many others all involve the foot passing through or arriving at cou-de-pied. There are two forms: cou-de-pied devant, in which the foot wraps to the front of the ankle, and cou-de-pied derrière, in which it wraps to the back.
The precise placement of the foot at cou-de-pied — the exact point on the ankle, the angle of the toes, the degree of wrap — varies between schools and teachers, but in all cases the intention is a clean, specific position that gives the dancer a reliable point from which to initiate and return to. A vague or inconsistently placed cou-de-pied will make frappé imprecise, landings messy, and the overall tidiness of the technique compromised. It is one of those positions that, once truly established, organises a great many other aspects of a dancer's work.
ton luh-VAY · French: 'raised time' or 'lifted beat'
Temps levé is a hop on one foot — a spring from one foot that rises into the air and returns to the same foot — with the working foot held in any given position (most commonly retiré, arabesque, or attitude) throughout. It is one of the simplest jumps in the vocabulary but one of the most important: the ability to hop cleanly and quietly on one leg, with a fully extended working position and a soft landing, demands the same basic mechanics as much more complex allegro work. Temps levé is practised extensively in the early stages of jump training for precisely this reason.
In petit allegro combinations, temps levé most often appears with the working foot in a low cou-de-pied position or in retiré, and requires a light, quick spring from the floor without excessive height. In more advanced work, temps levé arabesque and temps levé attitude appear as components of larger phrases or as hops used to travel across the stage — a series of temps levés in arabesque, for example, propels the dancer forward while maintaining the arabesque line throughout. The quality sought in all forms is the same: a spring that is light, controlled, and musically precise.
ton lee-AY · French: 'linked time' or 'bound time'
Temps lié is a flowing exercise in weight transfer that links positions of the body through smooth, continuous movement of the feet and legs across the floor. It is typically practised in centre as an adage exercise that develops the quality of transfer — the way weight moves from one foot to the other through a sequence of positions, without any break or pause. The standard form moves forward, to the side, and backward, combining elements of tendu, fondu, and arabesque or attitude into a seamless phrase.
Temps lié is a deceptively simple exercise that reveals a great deal about a dancer's sense of legato — the musical quality of smooth, connected movement. Each transfer of weight must be complete and unhurried; the body must follow the leading foot fully rather than lagging behind; and the arms and head must respond to each shift with an equal fluency. It is an exercise in which all the qualities trained separately at the barre — strength, flexibility, balance, coordination — must come together in a single flowing phrase, which is precisely why it is so valuable and so frequently taught.
ton-DOO · French: 'stretched'
Tendu — from battement tendu, 'stretched beating' — is the action of sliding the working foot along the floor to a fully extended position, with the knee and ankle fully stretched and the toes remaining in contact with the floor. It is the first and most fundamental exercise of the barre: every ballet class begins with pliés and proceeds to tendus, because the tendu establishes the foundation of everything that follows. The brushing action through the foot — from fifth through demi-pointe to a full point — trains the articulation of the ankle and metatarsals, develops the awareness of turnout, and strengthens the muscles of the lower leg and foot.
Tendu is performed in all three directions — devant, à la seconde, and derrière — and is practised en croix (in all four directions in sequence). It also appears in the centre as an exercise in its own right, and its action is embedded in virtually every other step: every jump begins with a brush that is essentially a tendu; every extension in adage passes through the tendu position. The word is also used as a shorthand in class — 'take it tendu' means to extend and point the foot — and as a quality descriptor: a tendu foot in any context implies a complete, unambiguous point with no half-measures. The tendu is simple, essential, and inexhaustible.
Watch Anastasia Demidova's focused classes on Tendu:
Foundations Lesson 2 - Tendu from 1st Position here;
Foundations Lesson 4 - Tendu from 5th Position here.
tom-BAY · French: 'fallen'
Tombé — meaning 'fallen' — describes a step in which the dancer falls onto the working foot through a deep plié, transferring weight from one foot to the other with a sense of yielding, of allowing gravity to take the body forward, backward, or to the side. The step begins with the working foot extended — in tendu or en l'air — and the weight then falls onto it, bending the knee deeply as the body arrives on the new supporting leg. The original supporting foot either leaves the floor or adjusts behind.
Tombé appears constantly as a linking and preparatory step in classical combinations: tombé-pas de bourrée-glissade-grand jeté is one of the most common sequences in the allegro vocabulary. The quality of the tombé is vital to the quality of what follows — a tombé that is timid or shallow will fail to generate the momentum required for a strong jump or turn, while one that is full and committed will flow naturally into the next step. The word itself captures something essential about how ballet uses weight and gravity: rather than resisting the fall, the dancer allows it and channels it, finding in the moment of yielding the energy for what comes next.
toor on LAIR · French: 'turns in the air'
Tours en l'air are turns executed in the air — the dancer jumps, completes one, two, or three full rotations while airborne, and lands in fifth position. They are primarily associated with male dancers and are among the most spectacular displays of virtuosity in the male classical repertoire. A single tour en l'air (one full rotation) is the standard; a double (two full rotations) is expected of a competent male dancer; a triple is a mark of exceptional technique and elevation, and is one of the most thrilling moments in classical performance.
Tours en l'air require exceptional elevation — there must be enough height in the jump to complete the rotations cleanly before the descent — as well as fast, tightly controlled rotation, and a completely clean landing. The preparation is typically from a demi-plié in fifth, and the take-off must generate both upward impulse and rotational momentum simultaneously. The arms and head both play crucial roles: the arms are held close to the body to facilitate the turn (like a skater pulling in their arms), and the spot determines orientation through the rotation. The clean, upright landing in fifth — with no staggering and no visible effort — is as important as the number of turns achieved, and the best tours en l'air make the entire feat appear entirely inevitable.
Ballet Class Structure
A ballet class is divided into three parts: barre, centre practice, and allegro. Within each section, exercises follow a specific order, building progressively in complexity and physical demand — allowing the body to warm up safely and methodically before the most challenging work begins.
A full class ranges in length from one to two hours. At vocational ballet schools, two-hour classes are the norm; in professional companies, where morning class precedes a full day of rehearsals, it is typically shorter. The Mariinsky Ballet's morning class runs for one hour, while The Royal Ballet's is one hour and fifteen minutes.
The structure below outlines the standard order of a ballet class. Not every exercise will appear in every class — the selection is always at the discretion of the teacher or ballet master.
Barre work
Warmup facing the barre
Plié
Tendu from 1st
Slow Tendu from 5th
Fast Tendu from 5th
Jeté
Rond de jambe á terre
Fondu
Rond de jambe en l'air
Frappé
Petit battement
Adage
Grand battement
Stretch
Centre Practice
Centre port de bras
Centre adage
Centre tendu
Centre jeté
Centre rond de jambe
Pirouettes
Centre grand battement
Allegro
Petit allegro
Échappé
Assemblé
Jeté
Sissone fermé/ouverte
Grand allegro
Fouettés & grand pirouettes
Manèges
Révérence to end the class