Labels:text | black and white | font | document OCR: Adagio. 1. A sequence of exercises in slow tempo, performed in ballet class to develop strength in sustaining extensions and balances. 2. A passage in a pas de deux in which the man supports the woman in turns and balances. 3. The technique of partnering. Air , en 1'. "In the air. " May be used to describe steps performed with the working leg off the floor, for example, rond de jambe en l'air; or jumping steps, for example, tour en l'air. Allegro. Sequences of steps in fast tempo, performed in ballet class to develop speed and clarity of execution. Arabesque. A position in which the dancer stands on one leg, straight or bent, with the other extended to the back, usually at right angles to the body , but higher in arabesque penchee (leaning), when the dancer leans forward and raises the leg higher to follow the line of the torso. Assemble. A jumping step in which the dancer thrusts one leg up and out to the front, side, or back, at the same time springing off the other, and brings the legs together in the air before landing. Attitude. A position originally derived from Giovanni da Bologna's statue of Mercury , in which the dancer stands on one leg with the other extended to the front or back and bent at the knee, which should be held at a higher level than the foot. Ballabile. A group dance, usually for the corps de ballet. Ballerina. Literally , female dancer, but usually used of one who dances leading roles, prima ballerina, first dancer. Ballet master /mistress. Before the word choreographer was used in its contemporary sense, the ballet master was responsible for arranging ballets. Today , the term more usually denotes the person who rehearses ballets created by someone else and also performs certain administrative duties such as drawing up rehearsal schedules; casting of minor roles is often the province of the ballet master. Ballon. Literally , bounce. The quality of smooth, springing ascent and descent in jumping steps, achieved primarily by the pliant use of the feet. Barre. The horizontal wooden bar that runs around the wall of the ballet studio at waist height, and that the dancer holds on to during the first part of class; by extension, this part of ballet class is also usually referred to as the barre. Basque , saut de. A jumping step in which the working leg is raised to the side and the foot of the other is drawn up to the knee of the working leg as the body turns in the air, landing in Battement. A generic term to describe the various movements in which the leg makes a that position. beating motion. They are performed at the barre in a systematic progression to exercise all the leg muscles: Battement tendu, in which the leg is extended to front, side, and back with the toe resting on the floor; battement tendu jete, in which the leg is extended to front, side, and back with the toe leaving the floor very slightly (also called glisse or degage); battement frappe, in which the foot is sharply extended to front, side, and back from the ankle of the supporting leg; petit battement, in which the working foot beats from front to back, or back to front, against the ankle of the supporting leg; battement fondu, in which the working leg is extended to front, side, or back, either to point tendu or in the air, from a position in which the working foot is pointed in front or in back of the supporting ankle; both knees are bent at the beginning and straighten simultaneously; grand battement jete, in which the leg is lifted, straight, to front, side, and back, attaining waist level or higher; grand battement developpe, in which the foot is drawn up to the knee of the standing leg and then extended to front, side, or back, until the leg is straight. Batterie. A generic term referring to steps in which the feet beat together or cross in the air either as an embellishment to add brilliance to jumping steps, or as the essential character- istic of the step, as in entrechats or brises. Bourree , pas de. A linking step in which the weight is transferred from one foot to the other in three small steps. Pas de bourree chaine or couru is a series of small, even steps on pointe which give the impression that the dancer is gliding across the surface of the stage. Brise, pas. Literally , broken step. A small traveling assemble embellished with a beat. Brise vole: a series of brises to front and back alternately , landing on one foot, giving the im pression that the dancer is skimming over the surface of the stage. Cabriole. A jumping step in which the dancer beats straight legs together in the air. Changement de pieds. The dancer jumps straight up in the air with legs together and reverses the position of his feet before landing. Chasse, pas. A linking step in which the dancer slides one foot out to front, side, or back, bringing the other up to it in fifth position before continuing into the next movement. Chat, pas de. Literally, "cat's step. " A light, jumping step in which the knees bend, bringing the feet together beneath the body before landing again in fifth position. Coda. The fast final section of a pas de deux, in which the dancers may have brief solo pas- sages as well as dancing together in a brilliant conclusion, as in the "Bluebird " pas de deux of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty Corps de ballet. The ensemble of dancers in a ballet company , who appear in support of the Coryphee. A dancer (of either sex) who has moved out of the corps de ballet to dance minor soloists. Croise. Literally "crossed ". A position of the body in which the dancer turns obliquely to the solo roles. audience, so that when the working leg is raised, it crosses the supporting leg. Developpe. See grand battement developpe. Divertissement. 1. A section of a ballet comprising dances that have no connection with the plot, for example, the fairy tale dances in The Sleeping Beauty , Act III, or the "Peasant " pas de deux in Giselle, Act 1. 2. A short dance or excerpt from a longer ballet given as a separate item in a program. Efface. A position of the body in which the dancer turns slightly away from the audience; the working leg is the one farther from the audience. Elevation. The ability to jump high in the air and give the impression of remaining suspended there for an instant. Enchainement. A combination of steps into a dance phrase. Entrechat. A vertical jump in fifth position, with the feet changing in the air, twice (entrechat quatre), three times (entrechat six), four times (entrechat huit), and, exceptionally , five times (entrechat dix). The term entrechat deux is not used: when the feet beat once and change this is called changement battu or royale. In all of these the dancer returns to fifth position. In entrechat trois, cinq, and sept the dancer lands on one foot with the other touching the supporting leg after one, two, or three beats. Epaulement. Literally , "shouldering ". The slight turning of the shoulders, croise or efface, in relation to the head and legs, distinguishes the classic style, particularly of the Italian, Russian, and British Schools. In the old French and the Danish Schools it is rarely used. Fouette. Literally , "whipped ". A turning step, usually done in a series, in which the working leg whips out to the side in a rond de jambe and then in to the knee as the dancer turns on the supporting leg, rising on to the pointe at each revolution. The 32 fouettes performed by Odile in Swan Lake, Act III, are a supposed touchstone of female virtuosity. Glissade. Literally , "sliding ". A linking step in which the dancer moves to the side, front, or back from fifth position to fourth or fifth position, with a moment of transition in which the feet should be fully stretched. Jete. Literally , "thrown ". A jump from one foot on to the other. It may be a small jump, or large (grand jete), landing in a position such as arabesque or attitude. The jump may be beaten (battu) or done with a turn (en tournant). Leotard. A one-piece garment covering the whole torso, with or without sleeves, worn with tights for practice or, in many contemporary ballets, as a stage costume. Originally designed by the French acrobat Jules Leotard (1830-70). Maitre or maitresse de ballet. See ballet master/mistress. Pas. Literally , "step ". The technical terms for ballet steps often include the word pas, or sometimes temps (literally "time "), as in pas de chat or temps de poisson. Pas is also used in the sense of "dance ", as in pas de deux/trois/quatre (dance for two, three, four people) or more, or as in pas de l'ombre (dance of the shadow) from Ondine, or pas des patineurs (dance of the skaters). Pas d'action signifies a sequence in a ballet in which the narrative is Sleeping Beauty . carried forward by means of dancing, as in the so-called Rose Adagio in Act I of The Pirouette. A complete turn of the body performed on one leg; the working leg may be placed against the ankle or drawn up to the knee of the supporting leg, or extended to the side or to the back, in arabesque or attitude. Plie. Literally , a "bending ". The first exercises done in every class to loosen the muscles, the foundation of the dancer's technique. The dancer stands erect at the barre and slowly bends the knees, keeping them in line with the turned-out feet. Plies are practiced in all five positions. Nearly every step begins and ends in demi-plie (half-), giving impetus to a jump and cushioning a landing. Pointe. The tip of the toe. Women, and infrequently men, dance sur les pointes in blocked shoes. The introduction of this technique in the early 19th century made possible the development of female virtuosity, with such feats as multiple fouettes and sustained balances on one leg. Demi-pointe is when the dancer stands with the toes spread flat on the floor and the rest of the foot raised (releve) from the metatarsal. Port de bras. Literally , "carriage of the arms ". Used in this general sense, and also to denote exercises designed to develop the graceful and harmonious use of the arms. For instance, when a dancer , at the barre, bends the whole torso forward and back, this exer cise is called port de bras even though its correct execution involves the entire body. There are positions of the arms corresponding to positions of the feet. Positions. There are five basic positions of the feet in which all steps in classic ballet begin and end, with the legs turned out from the pelvis: First position: heels touching, feet in a straight line; Second position: feet wide apart, in a straight line; Third position: one foot in front of the other, and heel against the instep; Fourth position: feet apart, one in front of the other , opposite fifth; Fifth position: one foot in front of the other , the heel against the joint of the big toe. Releve. Literally , "lifted ". The raising of the body on to half or full pointe Rond de jambe. Literally , "circle of the leg ". The working leg describes a circle either on the floor (a terre) or in the air (en l'air). Sissonne. A jump from both feet on to one foot with the working leg opening to the side, front, or back in a scissorlike motion. May be performed with a beat. Tour. A complete turn of the body. See pirouette. Tour en l'air, a turn in the air, executed as the dancer jumps up vertically. Male dancers are expected to perform double tours en l'air , and some are capable of triples. Rarely performed by women. Tournant, en. Literally , "turning ". Many steps may be performed, either singly or in series, while the dancer makes a revolution of the body or describes a circle on the floor. Turn-out (French : en dehors). The turning out of the legs from the pelvis, essential for speed, flexibility , elegance, and the ability to move in any direction. Tutu. Ballet skirt, either calf-length as in romantic ballets (as in Les Sylphides) or projecting straight out at hip level as in classic ballets (as in Swan Lake), with many layers of ruffles underneath. The term tutu is actually a slang word referring to the latter part of the costume, or rather to the part of the anatomy it conceals. Variation. Solo dance.
