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Here are a few. Words in quotations indicate English translations.
Arabesque- balancing on 1 leg with the other leg stretched out behind you
Attitude- standing on 1 leg while the other leg is lifted & bent
Battements- "beats"
Battements Fondus- "melted beats" lift leg up slowly & stretch it out
Battements Frappés- "struck beats" beat one foot against the leg & extend it out
Battements Tendu- "stretched beats" foot stays on the ground; point it when you extend it out
Grands Battements- "large beats" kick leg up high
Petite Battements- "little beats" beat foot against leg in a quick & small motion
Batterie- beating the legs in the air
Bourrée- quickly switching weight between your 2 feet, on your toes
Changement- a jump from 5th, switching positions of your feet
Chassée- lean on one leg & shift your weight to the other leg, which moves in the direction of the first leg (one foot "chases" the other)
Croisé- "crossed" crossing your legs in 4th or 5th position
Developpés- "to unfold" the leg
En Face- "facing the front"
Glissade- a gliding step; brush your foot out to the side, land on it, & bring your other foot in front of it
Jeté- a leap
Grand Jeté- a large leap
Pirouette- a turn, weight is on 1 foot
En Dedans- a front turn
En Dehors- a back turn
Plié- bending your knees
Demi-Plié- half knee bends w/ heels touching floor
Grand-Plié- complete knee bends w/ heels off floor, except in 2nd position
Port de Bras- movements of the arms
Promenade- turning while in arabesque
Relevé- rising up on your toes
Ronds de Jambe- "circles of the leg"
Ronds de Jambe a Terre- "circles of the leg on the ground"
Ronds de Jambe en l'air- "circles of the leg in the air"
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What are some basic ballet terms and their English meaning?
for example... fondu, to melt developpe, to develop frappe, to whip chasse, to chase
Where can one learn more about ballet terms?
The American Ballet Theatre has an online ballet dictionary, which has listings and definitions for 170 ballet terms. The website includes pictures, and lumps definitions into similar groups.
How many basic positions are there in ballet?
There are five basic positions of the feet in ballet. It has been known to have as many as 10 positions.
Where did the word ballet originate and where?
I am guessing France since all the ballet terms are french.
How many terms do ballet dancers have to know?
lots of different ones. not only English terms, but french aswell. a ballet teacher will usually use only the french terms.
