Dance
Glossary
| term | pronounciation | meaning | technical ballet description |
you should know this from grade:
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| adagio | ah-dazj'-eh-oh | slow | a slow sustained movement |
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| allegro | ah-leh-groh' | fast | jumps performed to a quick tempo |
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| allongé | aa-lohn-jay' | to elongate / stretch |
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| arabesque | ah-rah-besk | a pose on one leg with the other leg extended to the back |
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| arrière, en | ahn ah-rehy'-her | to the back. |
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| assemblé | ah-sahm-blay' | to assemble | a jump from one foot landing on two feet: step, swish, jump |
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| attitude | ah-teh-tewd' | a pose on one leg with the other extended with the knee slightly bent |
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| avant, en | ahn ah-vahn' | to the front. |
2
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| balancé | bah-lahn-say' | to swing / rock |
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| balançoire | bah-lahn-swahr' | see-saw |
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| ballonné | bah-lahn-nay' | from the word meaning 'balloon' | a jump from one foot to the same foot as the other leg is extended outward and then returns to original position |
4?
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| ballotté | bah-luh-tay' | to toss |
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| basque, pas de | pah-duh-bahsk' | Step of the Basque (a country between France & Spain). |
3
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| battement | baht-mahn' | movement of the leg |
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| batterie | baht-tree' | battery; beating |
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| battu | bah-tew' | beaten; beat |
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| bourrée | boo-ray' | To tamp. |
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| bourrée, pas de | pah-duh-boo-ray' | a movement done as a series of three steps. | "behind, side, front" |
2
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| brisé | bree-zay' | to break apart / burst |
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| cabriole | kah-bree'-ohl | caper / leap |
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| chaîné | shah-nay' | to chain | a series of connected movements |
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| changé | shahn-zjay' | to change |
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| changement | shahnzj-mahn' | a jump from 5th position, changing the legs and landing in 5th position. |
1
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| chassé | shah-say' | to glide |
2
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| chat, pas de | pah duh shah | step of the cat |
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| cheval, pas de | pah de shuh-vahl' | step of the horse |
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| cinq | sank | 5 |
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| cinquième | sank'-ee-em | 5th |
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| ciseaux, pas de | pah deh see-zjoh' | scissors |
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| cloche, en | ahn klohsh | bell |
4?
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| contretemps | kahn-trah-than' | contary step |
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| coté, de | deh koh-tay' | to the side |
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| cou-de-pieds, sur le | surh leh koo'-deh-pehay | on the neck of the foot (ankle) |
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| coupé | koo-pay' | to cut | foot is pulled sharply off the floor and placed either in front or back of the ankle. |
2
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| couru, pas | pah koo-rew' | step to travel |
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| croisé | krawh-zay' | to cross | a position facing on the diagonal with one leg crossed in front of the other |
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| croix, en | ahn krawh | in the shape of a cross | a movement that is done to the front, side, back, and side again. |
2
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| d'ici-de là | deh-see'-deh-lah' | from here to there |
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| de | deh | of; to |
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| dedans, en | ahn deh-dahn' | inwards |
2
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| dehors, en | ahn dah-ohr' | outwards |
2
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| demi-plié | deh-mee'-plee-ay' | small bend | knees bend over the toes without causing the heels to lift off the floor |
1
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| demi-pointes | deh-mee'-pwant | small point / rise | a rise on to the ball of the foot |
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| demi-ronds | deh-mee'-rohn | Half-round / circle |
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| derrière | deh-rehy'-her | back |
2
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| dessous | deh-soo' | under |
2
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| dessus | deh-sew' | over |
2
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| deux | duh | 2 |
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| deuxième | duh-zee-em' | 2nd |
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| devant | deh-vahn' | front |
2
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| diagonale | dy-aguh-nahl' | diagonal |
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| divisés en quarts | deh-vee-say' ahn kar | divide in quarters |
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| dix | deess | 10 |
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| ecarté | ay'-kar-tay' | step aside |
2
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| échappé | ay'-shah-pay' | to escape |
1
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| effacé | ay-fah-say' | to draw aside |
2
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| emboîté | ahn-bwah-tay' | to fit in / together |
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| en | ahn | in; to |
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| entrechat | ahn-truh-shah' | to caper / dash against each other | a jump from two feet, beating the legs together and landing either on one or two feet. |
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| entrelacé | ahn-truh-lah-say' | to interlace |
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| épualement | ay-pawhl-mahn' | shoulder |
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| face, en | ahn fahss | to face | face the front |
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| failli | fah-yee' | to nearly fall |
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| fermé | fehr-may' | to close |
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| flic-flac | flehk-flak | slap / pop |
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| fondue | fohn-dew' | to melt |
2
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| fouetté | fweh-tay' | to whip |
4?
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| frappé | frah-pay' | to strike |
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| gargouillade | gahr-gooee-yahd' | water spout |
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| grand | grahn | large |
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| grand jeté | grahn zjuh-tay' | large jump |
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| grand pirouette | grahn peer-whet' | large turn |
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| grand plié | grahn plee-yay' | large bend | knees fully bend |
1
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| grands ronds de jambes | grahn rohn deh zjahmb' | large round movement of the leg |
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| huit | weet | 8 |
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| jambes, ronds de | rohn duh zjahmb | circling of the leg |
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| jeté | zjeh-tay' | to throw / toss | "swish-jump" |
2
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| l'air, en | ahn lahr | in the air |
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| manège | mah-nez' | merry-go-round | steps that travel in a circle around the stage |
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| neuf | nuhph | 9 |
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| ouverte | oh-vehr' | open |
1
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| pas | pah | step |
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| passé | pah-say' | to pass |
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| penché | pahn-shay' | to incline |
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| petite | puh-teet' | small |
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| piqué | pee-kay' | to prick |
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| pirouette | peer-whet' | whirling | to turn |
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| pizzicato | pricked |
2
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| plié | plee-yay' | to bend | bending of the knees |
primary
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| poisson, de | duh pwah-sohn' | of the fish |
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| port de bras | pohr duh brah | carriage of the arms | arm movements |
primary
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| porté | pohr tay' | to carry / travel | a number of jumps travelling smoothly and close to the floor |
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| posé | poh-say' | To pose; a term used to describe a specific position. |
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| préparation | pray-pahr-ah'-zjohn | to prepare |
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| préparation, grand | grahn pray-pahr-ah'-zjohn | large preparation |
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| promenade | prohm-nahd' | a walk |
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| quatre | ka'-trah | 4 |
1
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| quatrième | ka-tree-em' | 4th |
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| relevé | rehl-leh-vay' | to rise | a rise from the whole foot to demi-pointe |
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| relevé lent, battement | baht-mahn' rehl-leh-vay' lehnt | to rise slowly and evenly |
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| renversé | rahn-vehr-say' | reversing |
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| révérence | ray'-vay-rahnss | bow / curtesy |
2
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| revoltade | ruh-vohl-tahd' | to fly back / revolved |
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| rond | rohn | round |
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| Royale | rawh-yal' | royal | a beating jump |
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| sans | sahns | without |
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| sauté | soh-tay' | jump | a jump from two legs |
primary
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| seconde, a la | ah lah sek-ond' | to second |
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| sept | set | 7 |
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| serré | sehr-ay' | close, tight, compact |
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| sissonne | see-sohn | a jump from two feet to one |
4?
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| six | seess | 6 |
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| soubresaut | sew-brah-soh' | a jump from two feet to two feet |
2
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| sous-sus | soo-sew' | below / above | a very tight 5th position on demi-pointe |
3
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| soutenu | soot-new' | to sustain | one leg is drawn evenly to the other |
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| temps | tahn | step, in time (time-step) |
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| temps de cuisse | tahn duh kweess' | step of the thigh |
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| temps de flèche | tahn duh flesh' | step of the arrow |
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| temps levé | tahn lah-vay' | step to lift | hop |
2
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| temps lié | tahn lee-yay' | step to connect | a movement transfering the weight of the body from one leg to the other |
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| temps relevé | tahn rehl-leh-vay' | step to relevé |
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| tendue | tahn -dew' | stretched | leg is extended with foot fully pointed |
1
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| tendue, double | doo-bluh-tahn-dew' | two tendues |
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| terre,à | ah tehr' | on the ground |
2
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| tire-bouchon | teer-boo'-shon | cork-screw |
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| tombé | tahm-bay' | to fall |
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| tour | toor | to turn |
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| tour en l'air | toor ahn lehr | turn in the air |
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| tour lent | toor lehnt | turn evenly / slowly |
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| tournant, en | ahn toor-nahn' | to turn |
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| trios | trwah | 3 |
1
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| troisième | trwah-zee-em' | 3rd |
1
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| un | uh | 1 |
1
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| unième | uh-zee-em' | 1st |
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| volé | voh-lay' | to fly / soar |
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| Zoë Mottaz |
| ANATD Distinction |
| email: zoe@mbdancers.co.uk |
| based in Cambridge UK |
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of Dance ©2003
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Last Updated:
29-Mar-2006
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