Ballet Vocabulary - Survey of Dance

What step is typically the focus of the first exercise done in a ballet class?

• Rond de jambe

• Passe

• Tendu

• Plie

The definition of tendu is to ____________________.

• bend

• stretch

• rise

• point

Plie means to bend. Two types of plie are:

• demi

• half

• grand

• big

Another word that means to bend, but refers to the spine, is:

• Pique

• Battement

• Cambre

• Degage

Which word means to disengage?

• Releve

• Degage

• Rond de jambe

• Balance

What is the difference between eleve and releve?

• An eleve has a plie first and then a rise, a releve is a rise with straight legs.

• A releve has a plie first and then a rise, an eleve is a rise with straight legs.

Movement of the arms is called:

• Parallel

• Bras bas

• Cambre

• Port de bras

This term means "circle of the leg" but is really more like a half circle.

• Port de bras

• Temps lie

• Rond de jambe

• En dehors

Temps lie means:

• Shifting back and forth

• Transfer of weight

• To bend

• A rocking step

To balance in sous-sus you must:

• be in eleve

• squeeze both legs together

• engage your core

• all of the above