Ballet Terms



I thought I'd put some ballet terminology up so those people who are curious as to the definitons for the French terms can try to grasp a better understanding of the theories of motion behind the individual moves. Some of the translations are a bit sketchy, but often it is hard to find a few short words to describe a very specific movement. The following is some terminology from a Pre-Elementary ballet level along with my own attempt to describe how to phonetically pronounce them.


  1. Plier (plee-yay) - to bend
  2. Relever (rel-ev-ay) - to rise
  3. Sauter (so-tay) - to jump
  4. Glisser (glee-say) - to glide
  5. Tourner (tour-nay) - to turn
  6. Élancer (ay-lawn-say) - to dart
  7. Étendre (ay-tawn-dreh) - to stretch
  8. Demi (demee) - half
  9. Tendu (ton-doo) - stretched
  10. Rond de Jambe (ron-de-jeuawmbe) - round of the leg
  11. Frapper (frap-ay) - to strike
  12. Adage (add-aw-jeu) - slow movement
  13. Retiré (ray-teer-ay) - withdrawn
  14. Developer (day-vel-oh-pay) - to develop
  15. A Terre (ah-tayre) - on the ground
  16. En L'air (ohn-lair) - in the air
  17. En de hors (ohn-de-hoar) - outwards
  18. En dedans (ohn-de-daw) - inwards
  19. Battement (bat-maw) - beaten movement
  20. Grande (grawnd) - large
  21. Petit (peh-tee) - small
  22. Échapper (ay-shap-pay) - to escape
  23. Port de Bras (pour-de-braw) - carriage of the arms
  24. En Arriére (ohn-air-ee-air) - in back/moving backward
  25. En Avant (ohn-ah-vaw) - in front/moving forward
  26. Croisé (kwa-say) - crossed
  27. Ouverte (oo-vayrt) - opened
  28. Fermée (fair-may) - closed
  29. En Face (ohn-fahse) - facing front
  30. Chasser (sha-say) - to chase
  31. Arabesque (air-a-beske) - a position in dance
  32. Assembler (ass-saum-blae) - to assemble
  33. Soutenu (soo-ten-oo) - sustained/delayed
  34. Dessous (deh-soo) - under
  35. Dessus (deh-suu) - over
  36. Glissade (glee-sawde) - gliding
  37. Pas de Chat (paw-de-sha) - step of a cat
  38. Poser (poh-zay) - to pose
  39. Changement (shaunge-maw) - changed/changing
  40. Couper (coo-pay) - to cut
  41. Reverance (rev-rawnce) - gracious bow
  42. Degager (day-gahjeu-ay) - to disengage
  43. Fondu (fawn-doo) - melted
  44. Temp Lié (Tawm-lee-ay) - linked time
  45. Soubresauts (soo-breh-soh) - sudden leap or bound
  46. Demi-detourné (demee-day-toor-nay) - half turned
  47. Pas de Bourree (paw-de-boor-ay) - stuffed step
  48. Jeter (jeu-et-ay) - to throw
  49. Temp Levé (tawm-lev-ay) - lifted time
  50. Balancé (bah-lohn-say) - balanced
  51. De Suite (de-sweet) - continously
  52. Passer (pass-ay) - to pass
  53. Sans Changer (saw-shawnge-ay) - without change
  54. Coup de Pied (coo-de-pee-ay) - neck of the foot
  55. En Croix (ohn-craww) - in the shaped of a cross
  56. Allegro (al-leg-grow) - fast
  57. Derriére (dere-ee-air) - behind/back
  58. Devant (dev-aww) - front
  59. En Bas (ohn-bah) - low
  60. En Avant (ohn-ave-aww) - in front
  61. En Haut (ohn-ho) - high
  62. De Côté (de-coh-tay) - at the side
  63. Battu (bat-oo) - beaten
  64. Piquer (pee-kay) - to prick
  65. Pirouete (peer-oh-ette) - to whirl
  66. Fouetter (foo-ette-ay) - to whip
  67. Demi-Contretemps (demee-con-tre-tawm) - half against time
  68. Tomber (tawm-bay) - to fall
  69. Sissones (see-sohn) - a step named for Count de Sissone, who invented it
  70. En Tournant (ohn-toorn-aww) - turning
  71. Chaînés (shen-ay) - chained
  72. Pas de Basque (paw-de-bawske) - step of the Basque region
  73. Soussu (soo-suu) - underover
  74. Entrechat (ohn-tra-sha) - braided
  75. Royale (roy-ahl) - royal
  76. Entrechat Quatre (ohn-trey-sha-kat-truh) - braided four times




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