Adage: The second part of a ballet class: slow work
with emphasis on sustained positions and on balance.

Allong�: With the arms stretched out as far as possible.

Arabesque: A pose with one leg stretched straight out to
the back and one arm usually stretched out to the front.
The back leg may be on the floor or at 45, 90, or 135 degrees.
(These angles are measured from the vertical; 90 degrees
means parallel to the floor.)

Assembl�: A jump: pli�, brushing working leg out. Jump.
Bring both legs together ("assemble" them) into fifth
position while in midair; land on both feet. The brush
can be to the front, the side, or the back.

Attitude: A pose. As with the arabesque, the working leg
is raised. But unlike the arabesque, it is bent, not straight,
and, also unlike the arabesque, it can be done to the front,
the side, or the back. In attitude to the front or the back,
if the angle is 90 degrees, the calf should be as nearly
horizontal as possible.

Balanc�: A waltz step. For a balanc� to the right, start in
fifth position. On count of 1-2-3, right foot goes out to
the side and the weight is transferred to it (1). Immediately
bring left foot behind right and and transfer the weight to
the ball of the left foot while rising up on it (2). Put your
weight back on the right foot flat on the floor (not raised up)
(3). A balanc� to one side is almost always followed by a balanc�
to the other side. Balanc�s can also be done to the front and
back or turning.

Balan�oire: Short for battements en balan�oire, ["battements
like a seesaw"]. The dancer swings the working leg vigorously
back and forth between fourth position front and fourth back,
through first position. Unlike grand battements en cloche,
balan�oires do not require that the body be held straight.

Ballon: The appearance of weightlessness and of being airborne.
A dancer is said to have ballon if (s)he seems to be in the air
constantly with only momentary contact with the floor.

Ballonn�: A jump. From 5th position, right foot front, demi-pli�
while the right foot glides to 2nd position at 45 degrees. Jump
with left while travelling in the air towards the right foot. Land
on left foot with the right having come in to the position sur
le cou-de-pied front. Repeat by throwing the right foot out to
the side again from the position sur le cou-de-pied. Can be done
in many different directions.

Ballott�: A jump. Begin in 5th, right leg front. Spring straight
upward with both legs held tightly together, as the body begins
to tilt slightly backward at the apex of the jump. The body lands
on the left foot while the right is thrown open to the front. Repeat
backwards, with a slight tilt to the front at the apex of the jump.
Can also be done with bent knees, as the working leg goes through
r�tir� position front (to go forward). In this case the repeat may
start by the left leg jumping up while the right comes back in to
join it; the left leg then bending to bring the foot through r�tir�
back before thrusting backwards as the body lands on the right leg.

Barre: The railing, about waist high, along the wall of a studio.
Used by dancers as for steadying themselves in the first part of
a class. 2. The first part of ballet class, consisting of exercises
done with the aid of the barre.

Battement: A generic term for various movements in which the leg is
extended and then returned. See grand battement and petit battement.
This is also one of those words (like pas and temps) that are
frequently omitted and understood; thus, for example, frapp� is
short for battement frapp�, etc. In this list, look under the
second word (e.g.,, under frapp�, not under battement frapp�).
The only exception to this is battement tendu.

Battement tendu: Slide the working foot out until only the toes
are touching the floor; then slide it back. An important exercise
for learning to move the foot quickly and gracefully while
maintaining placement. Balanchine considered it the most important
exercise in all of ballet.

Cambr�: A bend from the waist in any direction, but especially
forward or back.

Cha�n� turns: Fast turns on half or full point with the legs
in a tight first position, rotating a half turn on one foot and
the other half on the other foot. Done one after the other so
they're "chained" together.

Changement: A jump, straight up, starting from fifth position
with one foot in front and landing in fifth position with the
other foot in front.

Chass�: A gliding step. The working leg slides out; put weight
on working leg and draw other leg along floor to it.

Ciseaux: Opening the legs, like the blades of a pair of scissors,
to a wide second position; may be jumped. Not to be confused
with sissonne.

Cou-de-pied, sur le: A position. A foot is sur le cou-de-pied
if it is placed on the the calf just above the ankle. In the
Russian school, the foot is actually wrapped around the ankle,
with the heel forward and the toes back. It may be placed on
the front of the calf in this position, at the side, or in back.
The back position is sometimes called, incorrectly, coup�.

Dedans, en: Used to describe motion toward the front of the body.
In a pirouette en dedans, the dancer turns so the raised leg
rotates toward the front. In a rond de jambe en dedans, the working
leg moves in a half-circle from the back toward the front.

D�gag�: A movement or position in which the working leg is
lifted off the floor.

Dehors, en: Used to describe motion away from the front of
the body. In a pirouette en dehors, the dancer turns so the
raised leg rotates away from the front. In a rond de jambe en
dehors, the working leg moves in a half-circle away from the
front toward the back.

Developp�: A movement in which the working leg is drawn up to
the knee of the supporting leg and from there smoothly out to
a position in the air, usually at 90 degrees.

Echapp�: A movement in which the legs move from fifth position
out to second position or, occasionally, to fourth position.

En face: A position on stage facing directly forward, toward the
audience.

En l'air: Used to describe movements in which the working leg is
raised a considerable distance off the ground.

Entrechat: A jump in which the dancer's legs cross each other--
from fifth in front to fifth in back--several times in the air.
The number of crossings is indicated by a number after the word,
and each crossing is counted twice (once for going out from fifth
and once for returning to fifth). In even-numbered entrechats,
the dancer lands on both feet, in fifth. In odd- numbered ones,
the dancer lands with one foot sur le cou-de-pied. For example,
in entrechat quatre the dancer starts in fifth position. If the
right foot is in front, he jumps, changes his feet to left foot
in front and back, and lands with the right foot in front again.

Extension: The ability to raise the working leg high in the air.
Good extension comes from a combination of inborn flexibility
and training.

Fondu: Any movement that lowers the body by bending one leg.
In a pli�, both legs support the body; in a fondu, only one leg
supports the body.

Fouett�: Typically, a movement in which the working leg is
brushed vigorously either forward or backward. You then use the
inertia of the leg to turn the body around, so that the body turns
180 degrees away from the leg, which remains where it was.

Fouett� en tournant: A turn in which a whipping motion of the
working leg makes the body go round. Usually but not always
done en dehors, which is the description that follows. The
working leg opens to 2nd position at 45 degrees. The working
leg whips in behind the calf of the supporting leg, while the
arms come in, the body turns en dehors, and the supporting leg
rises to releve. Quickly, the working foot is brought to the
front of the calf and is opened to 2nd at 45 degrees while the
working foot is lowered into demi-pli�. While in this position,
the arms open to second in preparation for a repeat of the movement.

Frapp�: Working foot rests lightly on the ankle of the supporting
foot. Throw the working leg forcefully out to a d�gag� position so
that it strikes the floor 1/3 of the way out. Hold the leg out as
long as possible, returning it to its initial position at the last
moment. (Russian frapp�s start in tendu, darting to the supporting
leg and back out again.) Can be done to the front, side, or back.

Glissade: A connecting step. Start in pli�; move the right foot
out to pointe tendu; then move onto that leg, closing the left
foot and landing in pli�. Can be done in any direction.

Grand battement: A "kick" in which the working leg is raised
as high as possible while keeping the rest of the body still.
"Kick" is in quotes because the battement should be a
controlled lift, not a throwing of the leg into the air, and
the leg must be controlled while coming down. The kicks one
associates with a chorus line are grands battements.

Grand battement en cloche: Grand battements in which the leg
swings continually between fourth position front and fourth
position in back, the body being held erect.

Grand jet�: A long horizontal jump, usually forward, starting
from one leg and landing on the other. In the middle of the
jump, the dancer may be doing a split in midair. One of the
most memorable of all ballet jumps; the dancer seems to float
in the air, as a result of the shift of his center of gravity
from the split.

Jet�: A jump from one foot to the other foot, throwing the
working leg out.

Pas de Basque: Starts in 5th position; assume right foot front.
On the upbeat, demi-pli�; the right foot glides forward in
crois� and continues with a demi-rond de jambe en dehors to
the side, while the left foot remains in pli�. A small jump
occurs onto the right foot in demi-pli�. The left foot now
glides through 1st position into crois� forward. On the final
count, the weight is transferred to the left foot and a small
jump is made to bring the feet together where the left one was
placed. The movement finishes in 5th crois�.

Pas de bourr�e: One of the simplest connecting steps, used to
link other steps in a combination. The commonest form is
probably the pas de bourr�e dessous. Assume your right foot
is in front: left foot on demi-pointe; step on it and put your
weight on it; move the right foot to the side, transfer your
weight to it (also in relev�); move the left foot to the front
of the right and put your weight on both feet in a pli�.

Pas de chat: A jump. Leap off the left leg, starting from a
pli� and raising the right leg into retir�. In midair, raise
the left leg into retir�, too, so your legs form a diamond shape
in the air. Land on the right leg with the left leg still in retir�;
then bring it down, landing in another pli�.

Pas de cheval: Starting with the working leg in pointe tendu,
draw it along the floor back to the supporting leg; then, without
pausing, move it up to cou-de-pied and back out to pointe tendu
in a small developp�. The step resembles the pawing of a horse.

Pass�: A movement in which the pointed foot of the working leg
is made to pass the knee of the supporting leg.

Pirouette: A complete turn on one leg. The dancer usually
goes round more than once. The raised leg is most commonly
held in r�tir�, but pirouettes with the leg in other positions
are not uncommon. If the direction of the turn rotates the
raised leg away from the front of the body, the pirouette is en
dehors; if it rotates the leg toward the front, it is en dedans.
The dancer spots (see "spotting") in order to avoid becoming
disoriented. Pirouettes are usually fast, but supported
pirouettes, in which a partner steadies the soloist, may be done
very slowly.

Pli�: Knee bends, done with the legs turned out. Normally the
first exercise in a ballet class. Demi-pli� ["half-bent"] is a
shallow bend (in all positions but second, as far down as you can
go without lifting the heels off the floor); grand pli� is a deep
bend, down to where the thighs are almost horizontal. In all
positions except second, the heels release from the floor in a
grand pli�.

Pointe: The point of the foot. Demi-pointe, etc., refer to how
far the heel is raised off the floor in a relev�. Definitions vary,
but this will do for starters: quarter point is with the heel just
off the floor; three-quarter point is a straight line from the knee
to the ball of the foot. Demi pointe is half way between. Sur les
pointes, or "on pointe," is on the tips of the toes--literally.
Children should not be allowed to go on pointe until the bones of
their feet are fully developed--typically about the age of 11 or 12.

Port de bras: 1. How a dancer uses his arms. 2. Specific movements
of the arms, as first port de bras, second port de bras, etc. 3.
Sometimes used instead of cambr�. A grand port de bras is a circular
bend, either toward the barre, then down, then up away from the barre,
and then backward and back toward the barre: or the same thing in the
opposite direction.

Relev�: A movement in which the heels are raised off the floor. The
rise may be smooth or aided by a slight spring, depending on the
school. A dancer in such a position is said to be "in relev�."

Retir�: A position in which the working foot is drawn up to the knee
of the supporting leg. Also frequently (and incorrectly) called pass�.

Rond de jambe: A movement in which the working leg is made to describe
a letter D about the supporting leg. There is two versions rond de jambe:
Rond de jamb par terre and rond de jambe en l'air. In rond de jame par
terre, the working leg moves from first (or fifth) position to pointe
tendu forward, makes a half circle to pointe tendu in back, and then
returns to first, if the rond de jambe is to be repeated, and otherwise
to first or fifth. A wonderful exercise for turnout. In a rond de jambe
en dedans, the direction of movement is reversed. In a demi rond de jambe,
the working leg goes only half-way around, stopping in second position.
A rond de jambe en l'air is done with the working leg raised off the
floor, frequently at an angle of 90 degrees. A grand rond de jambe, is
executed with the supporting leg in pli�.

Seconde, � la: In second position, i.e., to the side.

Sissonne: A type of jump that has several forms, among them: sissonne
simple, sissonne ouverte, sissonne ferm�e, sissonne fondue, and others.
Not to be confused with ciseaux.
In sissonne simple, the most elementary form, the movement begins in
5th position. Jump straight up, with the legs together and the feet
pointed. Land on one foot in demi-pli�, with the other foot sur le
cou-de-pied either in front or back (corresponding to whether the foot
sur le cou-de-pied began in front or back--it does not change).

Soubresaut: A jump from both feet to both feet. Beginning in 5th crois�,
the feet push off the floor so that the body flies forward with feet
pointed and legs together. Before the jump, the body inclines forward,
and then during the jump bends forcefully back, so that the legs remain at
the back. The movement ends in 5th crois�. The arms are free and depend
only on the design of what is being sought after; when studying, they
usually begin in preparatory, come up to first during the jump, and end
in preparatory again.

Sous-sus: A relev� in a tight fifth position with one foot almost on top
of the other.

Soutenu: (a) Performed smoothly and slowly. (b) Also used to indicate a
smooth d�tourn�. For (a), can be: where from 5th position, the working
leg is taken out to the front, 2nd position, or to the back, while the
supporting leg is lowers to demi-pli�. Then the supporting leg rises to
demi or full pointe while the working leg is drawn into it, ending in a
tight sus-sous position.

Spotting. A technique for for keeping oriented and avoiding dizziness
during turns. Pick a spot (some conspicuous object); keep looking at it
as you turn until you can't any longer; then quickly turn your head so
you are looking at it again.

Temps: A movement that forms part of a step. Grant says a part in which
there is no transfer of weight, which raises some interesting questions
about temps li�.

Temps lev�: Temps lev� is the very simplest jump from one foot onto the
same foot with the other foot raised.

Terre-�-terre: Used to describe steps in which the dancer's feet do not
leave the floor.

Turnout: The balletic stance in which the legs are rotated outward so that
the legs (and feet) point in opposite directions.