Dance Ballet Terms

Plié 

• to bend or bending: bend your knees

• to stretch: stretch your ankles

• to strike : strike toe against the floor

• to rise : raise up on your toes

Relevé

• to bend : bend your knees

• to stretch : stretch your ankles

• to rise or be raised : raise up on your toes

• to disengage : move toe from knee

Tendu

• means to disengage: one leg comes off the floor with a pointed foot and straight leg to the front, side, or back

• means stretched: one leg is stretched away from the body but the tip of the toes are still in contact with the floor

• means to throw: a jump where the dancer springs from one foot to land on the other foot. Both legs of the dancer should be extended and straight in the air.  

• the dancer spins on one foot with with the other foot connected at the knee in passé.

Dégagé

• mean to strike: dancer strikes the ball of the foot to the floor and then extends to a pointed toe.

• means round of the leg: a circular movement of the leg.

• means to the back: a term attached to another movement to show direction.

• means to disengage: one leg comes off the floor with a pointed foot and straight leg to the front, side, or back

Rond de jambe 

• means round of the leg: a circular movement of the leg.

• means to the front: a term attached to another movement to show direction.

• mean escape: dancer slides both feet out from a closed position.

• means to the side without traveling: a term attached to another movement to show direction.

Échappé

• means passed: one leg is bent like a triangle and connected to the other leg at the knee

• means beating steps: a walking or running step performed in relevé or on the toes

• mean escape: dancer slides both feet out from a closed position.

• means falling down; also can mean grave or tomb: the dancer falls from leg to another, landing with all of their weight on one foot while bending the knee in plié

Port de bras

• Rasied

• Movement of the arms

• to whirl about

• round the leg

Which of the following means to bend?

• Degage
• Plie
• Arabesque
• fifth position

Circle of the leg

• Ronde de jambe
• plie
• tendu
• degage

The word meaning to rise...

• degage
• releve
• plie
• port de bra