Tuesday, January 11, 2011
The history of Ballet
The earliest precursors to ballets were lavish entertainments given in the courts of Renaissance Italy. These elaborate spectacles, which united painting, poetry, music, and dancing, took place in large halls that were used also for banquets and balls. A dance performance given in 1489 actually was performed between the courses of a banquet, and the action was closely related to the menu: For instance, the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece preceded the roast lamb. The dancers based their performance on the social dances of the day.
The Italian court ballets were further developed in France. Le Ballet Comique de la Reine (The Queen's Ballet Comedy), the first ballet for which a complete score survived, was performed in Paris in 1581. It was staged by Balthazar de Beaujoyeux, a violinist and dancing master at the court of Queen Catherine de M‚dicis. It was danced by aristocratic amateurs in a hall with the royal family on a dais at one end and spectators in galleries on three sides. Since much of the audience saw the ballet from above, the choreography emphasized the elaborate floor patterns created by lines and groups of dancers. Poetry and songs accompanied the dances.
Most French court ballets consisted of dance scenes linked by a minimum of plot. Because they were designed principally for the entertainment of the aristocracy, rich costumes, scenery, and elaborate stage effects were emphasized. The proscenium stage (see Theater Production) was first adopted in France in the mid-1600s, and professional dancers made their first appearance, although they were not permitted to dance in the grand ballet that concluded the performance; this was still reserved for the king and courtiers.
The court ballet reached its peak during the reign (1643-1715) of Louis XIV, whose title the Sun King was derived from a role he danced in a ballet. Many of the ballets presented at his court were created by the Italian-French composer Jean Baptiste Lully and the French choreographer Pierre Beauchamp, who is said to have defined the five positions of the feet. Also during this time, the playwright MoliŠre invented the com‚die-ballet, in which danced interludes alternated with spoken scenes.
Early Professional Ballet In 1661 Louis XIV established the Acad‚mie Royale de Danse, a professional organization for dancing masters. He himself stopped dancing in 1670, and his courtiers followed his example. By then the court ballet was already giving way to professional dancing. At first all the dancers were men, and men in masks danced women's roles. The first female dancers to perform professionally in a theater production appeared (1681) in a ballet called Le Triomphe de l'Amour (The Triumph of Love).
The dance technique of the period, recorded by the French ballet master Raoul Feuillet in his book Chor‚graphie (1700), included many steps and positions recognizable today. A new theatrical form developed: the op‚ra-ballet, which placed equal emphasis on singing and dancing and generally consisted of a series of dances linked by a common theme. A famous op‚ra-ballet, by the French composer Jean Philippe Rameau, was Les Indes galantes (The Gallant Indies, 1735), which depicted exotic lands and peoples.
Eighteenth-century dancers were encumbered by masks, wigs or large headdresses, and heeled shoes. Women wore panniers, hoopskirts draped at the sides for fullness. Men often wore the tonnelet, a knee-length hoopskirt. The French dancer Marie Camargo, however, shortened her skirts and adopted heelless slippers to display her sparkling jumps and beats. Her rival, Marie Sall‚ also broke with custom when she discarded her corset and put on Greek robes to dance in her own ballet, Pygmalion (1734).
During the second half of the 18th century the Paris Op‚ra was dominated by male dancers such as the Italian-French virtuoso Ga‚tan Vestris and his son Auguste Vestris, famed for his jumps and leaps. But women such as the German-born Anne Heinel, the first female dancer to do double pirouettes, also were gaining in technical proficiency.
Despite the brilliance of the French dancers, choreographers working outside Paris achieved more dramatic expression in ballet. In London the English choreographer John Weaver eliminated words and tried to convey dramatic action through dance and pantomime. In Vienna the Austrian choreographer Franz Hilverding and his Italian pupil Gasparo Angiolini experimented with dramatic themes and gestures.
The most famous 18th-century advocate of the dramatic ballet was the Frenchman Jean Georges Noverre, whose Letters on Dancing and Ballets (1760) influenced many choreographers both during and after his lifetime. He advised using movement that was natural and easily understood and emphasized that all the elements of a ballet should work in harmony to express the ballet'stheme. Noverre found an outlet for his ideas in Stuttgart, Germany, where he first produced his most famous ballet, Medea and Jason (1763).
Noverre's pupils included the Frenchman Jean Dauberval, whose ballet La fille mal gard‚e (The Ill-Guarded Girl, 1789) applied Noverre's ideas to a comic theme. Dauberval's Italian pupil Salvatore Vigan•, who worked at La Scala, a theater in Milan, developed a variety of expressive pantomime performed in strict time to the music. Charles Didelot, a French student of both Noverre and Dauberval, worked mainly in London and Saint Petersburg. In Didelot's ballet Flore et Z‚phire (1796), invisible wires helped the dancers appear to fly.
Toe dancing began to develop at about this time, although the dancers balanced on their toes only for a moment or two. Blocked toe shoes had not yet been invented, and dancers strengthened their light slippers with darning.
The Italian choreographer Carlo Blasis, a pupil of Dauberval and Vigan•, recorded the dance technique of the early 19th century in his Code of Terpsichore (1830). He is credited with inventing the attitude, derived from a famous work by the Flemish sculptor Giambologna, a statue of the god Mercury poised lightly on the toes of the left foot.Romantic Ballet The ballet La Sylphide, first performed in Paris in 1832, introduced the period of the romantic ballet. Marie Taglioni danced the part of the Sylphide, a supernatural creature who is loved and inadvertently destroyed by a mortal man. The choreography, created by her father, Filippo Taglioni, exploited the use of toe dancing to emphasize his daughter's otherworldly lightness and insubstantiality. La Sylphide inspired many changes in the ballets of the time-in theme, style, technique, and costume. Its successor, Giselle (1841), also contrasted the human and supernatural worlds, and in its second act the ghostly spirits called wilis wear the white tutu popularized in La Sylphide.The romantic ballet was not restricted, however, to the subject of otherworldly beings. The Austrian dancer Fanny Elssler popularized a more earthy, sensuous character. Her most famous dance, the cachucha (in Le Diable Boiteux, 1836), was a Spanish-style solo performed with castanets, and she often performed very stylized versions of national dances.
Women dominated the romantic ballet. Although good male dancers such as the Frenchmen Jules Perrot and Arthur Saint-L‚on were performing, they were eclipsed by ballerinas such as Taglioni, Elssler, the Italians Carlotta Grisi and Fanny Cerrito, and others.
Taglioni and Elssler danced in Russia, and Perrot and Saint-L‚on created ballets there. Elssler also danced in the United States, which produced two ballerinas of its own: Augusta Maywood and Mary Ann Lee, both from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In Paris itself, however, ballet began to decline. Poetic qualities gave way to virtuosic displays and spectacle. Male dancing was neglected. Few ballets of note were produced at the Op‚ra during the second half of the 19th century. An exception was Copp‚lia, choreographed by Saint-L‚on in 1870, but even in it the principal male role was danced by a woman.
Denmark, however, maintained the standards of the romantic ballet. The Danish choreographer Bournonville, who had studied in Paris, not only established a system of training but also created a large body of works, including his own version of La Sylphide. Many of these ballets are still performed by the Royal Danish Ballet.
Russia also preserved the integrity of the ballet during the late 19th century. A Frenchman, Marius Petipa, became the chief choreographer of the Imperial Russian Ballet. He perfected the full-length, evening-long story ballet that combined set dances with mimed scenes. His best-known works are The Sleeping Beauty (1890) and Swan Lake (co-choreographed with the Russian Lev Ivanov), both set to commissioned scores by Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky.
20th Century
With time, Petipa's choreographic method settled into a formula. Fokine called for greater expressiveness and more authenticity in choreography, scenery, and costume. He was able to realize his ideas through the Ballets Russes, a new company organized by the Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev.
The Ballets Russes opened in Paris in 1909 and won immediate success. The male dancers, among them the Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, were particularly admired because good male dancers had almost disappeared in Paris. The company presented a broad range of works, including Fokine's compactly knit one-act ballets with colorful themes from Russian or Asian folklore: The Firebird (1910), Sh‚h‚razade (1910), and Petrushka (1911). The Ballets Russes became synonymous with novelty and excitement, a reputation it maintained throughout its 20 years of existence.
Although the most famous members of the company were Russian (among them the designers Leon Bakst and Alexandre Benois, and the composer Igor Stravinsky), Diaghilev commissioned many Western European artists and composers, such as Pablo Picasso and Maurice Ravel, to collaborate on the ballets. Diaghilev's choreographers, Fokine, Polish choreographer Branislava Nijinska, Nijinsky, Russian-born L‚onide Massine, Russian-born American George Balanchine, and the Russian-born French dancer and choreographer Serge Lifar, experimented with new themes and styles of movement.
The offshoots of the Ballets Russes revitalized ballet all over the world. The Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who danced in its early seasons, formed her own company and toured internationally. Fokine worked with many companies, including the future American Ballet Theatre. Massine contributed to the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, a company formed after Diaghilev's death. Two former members of the Ballets Russes, the Polish-born British dancer Dame Marie Rambert and the British dancer Dame Ninette de Valois, became the founders of British ballet. Rambert's students included the British choreographers Sir Frederick Ashton, Antony Tudor, and John Cranko. De Valois founded the company that became Britain's Royal Ballet. Balanchine was invited to work in the United States by Lincoln Kirstein, a wealthy American patron of the arts. Lifar worked at the Paris Op‚ra and dominated French ballet for many years.
In the 1920s and 1930s, modern dance began to be developed in the United States and Germany. The American dancers Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey, the German dancer Mary Wigman, and others broke away from traditional ballet to create their own expressive movement styles and to choreograph dances that were more closely related to actual human life. Ballets also reflected this move toward realism. In 1932 the German choreographer Kurt Jooss created The Green Table, an antiwar ballet. Antony Tudor developed the psychological ballet, which revealed the inner being of the characters. Modern dance also eventually extended the movement vocabulary of ballet, particularly in the use of the torso and in movements done lying or sitting on the floor.
Popular dance forms also enriched the ballet. In 1944 the American choreographer Jerome Robbins created Fancy Free, a ballet based on the jazz-dance style that had developed in musical comedy.
The idea of pure dance also grew in popularity. In the 1930s Massine invented the symphonic ballet, which aimed to express the musical content of symphonies by the German composers Ludwig Van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms. Balanchine also began to create plotless ballets in which the primary motivation was movement to music. His ballet Jewels (1967) is considered the first evening-length ballet of this type.
Two great American ballet companies were founded in New York City in the 1940s, American Ballet Theatre and the New York City Ballet. The latter drew many of its dancers from the School of American Ballet established by Balanchine and Kirstein in 1934. Since the mid-20th century, ballet companies have been founded in many cities throughout the United States and in Canada, among them: the National Ballet of Canada, in Toronto (1951); Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, in Montr‚al (1952); the Pennsylvania Ballet, in Philadelphia (1963); and the Houston Ballet (1963).
Beginning in 1956, Russian ballet companies such as the Bolshoi and Kirov performed in the West for the first time. The intense dramatic feeling and technical virtuosity of the Russians made a great impact. Russian influence on ballet continues today, both through visits from Russian companies and the activities of defecting Soviet dancers such as Rudolf Nureyev, artistic director of the Paris Op‚ra Ballet from 1983 to 1989; Natalia Makarova; and Mikhail Baryshnikov, director of the American Ballet Theatre, New York City, from 1980 to 1989.
Dance in general underwent an enormous upsurge in popularity beginning in the mid-1960s. Ballet began to show the influence of a younger audience, in both themes and style. The athleticism of dancing was enjoyed in much the same way as sports, and virtuosic steps were admired for their challenge and daring. Popular music such as rock and roll and jazz was used to accompany many ballets.
Today's ballet repertoire offers great variety. New ballets and reconstructions and restagings of older ballets coexist with new works created by modern-dance choreographers for ballet companies. Choreographers experiment with both new and traditional forms and styles, and dancers constantly seek to extend their technical and dramatic range. The frequent tours of ballet companies allow audiences throughout the world to experience the full spectrum of today's ballet activity.
Glossary!
Quatrième ["fourth"]: Fourth position. (See feet, positions of and arms, positions of.)
Quatrième, à la ["in the fourth"]: À la quatrième devant is with the working leg stretched out to the front; à la quatrième derrière is with the working leg stretched to the back.
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Relever ["to rise"]: One of Noverre's seven movements (see movements).
Relevé ["raised"]: A movement in which the heels are raised off the floor. The rise may be smooth or aided by a slight spring, depending on the school. A dancer in such a position is said to be "in relevé."
Retiré ["withdrawn"]: A position in which the working foot is drawn up to the knee of the supporting leg. Also frequently (and incorrectly) called passé.
Rond de jambe ["circular movement of the leg"]: A movement in which the working leg is made to describe a letter D about the supporting leg. May be done with the working foot on the floor or in the air. In a rond de jambe en dehors ("outward") on the floor, the working leg moves from first (or fifth) position to pointe tendu forward, makes a half circle to pointe tendu in back, and then returns to first, if the rond de jambe is to be repeated, and otherwise to first or fifth. A wonderful exercise for turnout. In a rond de jambe en dedans ("inward"), the direction of movement is reversed. In a demi rond de jambe, the working leg goes only half-way around, stopping in second position. A grand rond de jambe, is executed with the supporting leg in plié. A rond de jambe en l'air ("in the air") is done with the working leg raised off the floor, frequently at an angle of 90 degrees (parallel to the floor).
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Sauter ["to leap"]: One of Noverre's seven movements (see movements).
Seconde, à la ["in second"]: In second position, i.e., to the side. (See feet, positions of and arms, positions of.)
Sissonne [Named for its inventor]: A type of jump that has several forms, among them: sissonne simple, sissonne ouverte, sissonne fermée, sissonne fondue, and others. Not to be confused with ciseaux.
{ In sissonne simple, the most elementary form, the movement begins in 5th position. Jump straight up, with the legs together and the feet pointed. Land on one foot in demi-plié, with the other foot sur le cou-de-pied either in front or back (corresponding to whether the foot sur le cou-de-pied began in front or back--it does not change). }
Soubresaut ["sudden leap"]: A jump from both feet to both feet. Beginning in 5th croisé, the feet push off the floor so that the body flies forward with feet pointed and legs together. Before the jump, the body inclines forward, and then during the jump bends forcefully back, so that the legs remain at the back. The movement ends in 5th croisé. The arms are free and depend only on the design of what is being sought after; when studying, they usually begin in preparatory, come up to first during the jump, and end in preparatory again.
Sous-sus ["under-over"] (or sus-sous ["over-under"]): A relevé in a tight fifth position with one foot almost on top of the other.
Soutenu ["sustained"]: (a) Performed smoothly and slowly. (b) Also used to indicate a smooth détourné. For (a), can be: where from 5th position, the working leg is taken out to the front, 2nd position, or to the back, while the supporting leg is lowers to demi-plié. Then the supporting leg rises to demi or full pointe while the working leg is drawn into it, ending in a tight sus-sous position.
Spotting: A technique for for keeping oriented and avoiding dizziness during turns. Pick a spot (some conspicuous object); keep looking at it as you turn until you can't any longer; then quickly turn your head so you are looking at it again.
Sur le cou-de-pied: See cou-de-pied, sur le.
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Temps: Literally, "time," but perhaps "moment" would be better. A movement that forms part of a step. Grant says a part in which there is no transfer of weight, which raises some interesting questions about temps lié.
Temps levé ["raised movement"]: Temps levé is the very simplest jump from one foot onto the same foot with the other foot raised.
Temps lié ["joined movement"]: This is a term for a whole series of conventionally connected movements executed in the center of the room, often during an adagio. However, it is also the term for an independent form of a step. In the basic form of the temps lié, stand in 5th position croiseé, arms in preparatory position. The working leg is drawn, without taking the toe off the floor, into croisé devant, while the supporting leg bends into demi-plié; simultaneously, the arms are raised into 1st position with the head slightly inclining towards the shoulder corresponding to the supporting leg. Then, the weight is transferred through demi-plié to croisé derrière onto what was the working leg. Here, both legs are completely stretched with the now working leg stretched toe to the floor in back. At the moment of weight transfer, the arm that corresponds to the now working leg is raised overhead, while the other arm opens sideward; the head turns towards the sideward arm. Finally, the working leg closes in 5th back; arms may remain or stay.
Tendu ["stretched"]: See: battement tendu and pointe tendu.
Terre-à-terre ["ground to ground"]: Used to describe steps in which the dancer's feet do not leave the floor. Antonym: movements).
Travesti, en ["in disguise"]: Of a female dancer: dancing a male role in a man's costume; of a male dancer: dancing a female role in a woman's costume.
Turnout: The balletic stance in which the legs are rotated outward so that the legs (and feet) point in opposite directions. A dancer adopting this position is said to be "turned out." Usage varies, but most people seem to measure the degree of turnout by the angle between the foot and the mid-saggital plane of the body. The ideal, with both feet in a straight line, is thus 90 degrees of turnout. Turnout must begin at the hip. Forcing the feet and letting everything else follow puts severe strain on the joints, especially the knees, and defeats the purpose of turnout, which is to rotate the thigh bone to permit greater extension, especially to the side.
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Sources
1. Parsons, Tom. "100 (more or less) Common Ballet Terms Defined". http://www.home2.planetinternet.be/tor-4084/links.htm released: Aug. 19, 1999. (letters M-Z)
2. Vaganova, Agrippina (as translated by Chujoy, Anatole). "Basic Principles of Classical Ballet". Dover Publications, Inc. New York, 1969. (letters A-H)
3. Charlotte and her experience as a dancer.
Quatrième, à la ["in the fourth"]: À la quatrième devant is with the working leg stretched out to the front; à la quatrième derrière is with the working leg stretched to the back.
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Relever ["to rise"]: One of Noverre's seven movements (see movements).
Relevé ["raised"]: A movement in which the heels are raised off the floor. The rise may be smooth or aided by a slight spring, depending on the school. A dancer in such a position is said to be "in relevé."
Retiré ["withdrawn"]: A position in which the working foot is drawn up to the knee of the supporting leg. Also frequently (and incorrectly) called passé.
Rond de jambe ["circular movement of the leg"]: A movement in which the working leg is made to describe a letter D about the supporting leg. May be done with the working foot on the floor or in the air. In a rond de jambe en dehors ("outward") on the floor, the working leg moves from first (or fifth) position to pointe tendu forward, makes a half circle to pointe tendu in back, and then returns to first, if the rond de jambe is to be repeated, and otherwise to first or fifth. A wonderful exercise for turnout. In a rond de jambe en dedans ("inward"), the direction of movement is reversed. In a demi rond de jambe, the working leg goes only half-way around, stopping in second position. A grand rond de jambe, is executed with the supporting leg in plié. A rond de jambe en l'air ("in the air") is done with the working leg raised off the floor, frequently at an angle of 90 degrees (parallel to the floor).
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Sauter ["to leap"]: One of Noverre's seven movements (see movements).
Seconde, à la ["in second"]: In second position, i.e., to the side. (See feet, positions of and arms, positions of.)
Sissonne [Named for its inventor]: A type of jump that has several forms, among them: sissonne simple, sissonne ouverte, sissonne fermée, sissonne fondue, and others. Not to be confused with ciseaux.
{ In sissonne simple, the most elementary form, the movement begins in 5th position. Jump straight up, with the legs together and the feet pointed. Land on one foot in demi-plié, with the other foot sur le cou-de-pied either in front or back (corresponding to whether the foot sur le cou-de-pied began in front or back--it does not change). }
Soubresaut ["sudden leap"]: A jump from both feet to both feet. Beginning in 5th croisé, the feet push off the floor so that the body flies forward with feet pointed and legs together. Before the jump, the body inclines forward, and then during the jump bends forcefully back, so that the legs remain at the back. The movement ends in 5th croisé. The arms are free and depend only on the design of what is being sought after; when studying, they usually begin in preparatory, come up to first during the jump, and end in preparatory again.
Sous-sus ["under-over"] (or sus-sous ["over-under"]): A relevé in a tight fifth position with one foot almost on top of the other.
Soutenu ["sustained"]: (a) Performed smoothly and slowly. (b) Also used to indicate a smooth détourné. For (a), can be: where from 5th position, the working leg is taken out to the front, 2nd position, or to the back, while the supporting leg is lowers to demi-plié. Then the supporting leg rises to demi or full pointe while the working leg is drawn into it, ending in a tight sus-sous position.
Spotting: A technique for for keeping oriented and avoiding dizziness during turns. Pick a spot (some conspicuous object); keep looking at it as you turn until you can't any longer; then quickly turn your head so you are looking at it again.
Sur le cou-de-pied: See cou-de-pied, sur le.
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Temps: Literally, "time," but perhaps "moment" would be better. A movement that forms part of a step. Grant says a part in which there is no transfer of weight, which raises some interesting questions about temps lié.
Temps levé ["raised movement"]: Temps levé is the very simplest jump from one foot onto the same foot with the other foot raised.
Temps lié ["joined movement"]: This is a term for a whole series of conventionally connected movements executed in the center of the room, often during an adagio. However, it is also the term for an independent form of a step. In the basic form of the temps lié, stand in 5th position croiseé, arms in preparatory position. The working leg is drawn, without taking the toe off the floor, into croisé devant, while the supporting leg bends into demi-plié; simultaneously, the arms are raised into 1st position with the head slightly inclining towards the shoulder corresponding to the supporting leg. Then, the weight is transferred through demi-plié to croisé derrière onto what was the working leg. Here, both legs are completely stretched with the now working leg stretched toe to the floor in back. At the moment of weight transfer, the arm that corresponds to the now working leg is raised overhead, while the other arm opens sideward; the head turns towards the sideward arm. Finally, the working leg closes in 5th back; arms may remain or stay.
Tendu ["stretched"]: See: battement tendu and pointe tendu.
Terre-à-terre ["ground to ground"]: Used to describe steps in which the dancer's feet do not leave the floor. Antonym: movements).
Travesti, en ["in disguise"]: Of a female dancer: dancing a male role in a man's costume; of a male dancer: dancing a female role in a woman's costume.
Turnout: The balletic stance in which the legs are rotated outward so that the legs (and feet) point in opposite directions. A dancer adopting this position is said to be "turned out." Usage varies, but most people seem to measure the degree of turnout by the angle between the foot and the mid-saggital plane of the body. The ideal, with both feet in a straight line, is thus 90 degrees of turnout. Turnout must begin at the hip. Forcing the feet and letting everything else follow puts severe strain on the joints, especially the knees, and defeats the purpose of turnout, which is to rotate the thigh bone to permit greater extension, especially to the side.
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Sources
1. Parsons, Tom. "100 (more or less) Common Ballet Terms Defined". http://www.home2.planetinternet.be/tor-4084/links.htm released: Aug. 19, 1999. (letters M-Z)
2. Vaganova, Agrippina (as translated by Chujoy, Anatole). "Basic Principles of Classical Ballet". Dover Publications, Inc. New York, 1969. (letters A-H)
3. Charlotte and her experience as a dancer.
Ballet glossary!
Degage: similar to tendu, only, the foot is lifted about 3 inches off the floor.
Demi-plie: done in five positions. Demi is the half-movement of the full (grand) plie.
Dessous: means "under" or "back"
Developpe: a movement from adagio which is an extension of the leg. TO EXECUTE (a basic developpe): start in 5th (right foot front), and bring the right foot up to passe. Then extend forward 90 degrees. Execute to the side, then to the back, and then to the side again for a basic exercise. (p. 17, 35, 61)
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Ecarte: facing the corner
Echappe: movement of beginning in 5th jumping to 2nd, and then jumping back to 5th (always pointe toes and stretch the legs)
Efface: a position in which the legs are open and "uncrossed" (opposite of croise)
Elevation: the acquiring of flight, consisting of two elements: elevation proper and ballon
Emboite: a turning jump. TO EXECUTE: start in 5th position (right foot front), demi plie, jump up and turn 180 degrees (right foot up in passe). Land on left foot (right foot still in passe) and repeat one more time to return to the start position.
En dedans: a rotating movement directed inward ("closing the door" is a way to remember it)
En dehors: a rotating movement directed outward ("opening the door" is a way to remember it)
En face: (part of epaulement). It is the natural direction for 1st and 2nd position (head and shoulders remain in the natural position). In other words, just facing front toward where the audience would be. Epaulement: the use of the head and shoulders which helps a dancer master the artistry of classical ballet. After strnght in the body is gained, exercises begin to use the basic body positions.
Extension: stretching body part to its extreme point (example; bent knee to straight leg)
(p. 20, 22-23, 29, 58, 69, 98-99, 103-106, and 127)
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Facial expression (in epaulement): facial expression in epaulement changes depending on the position. If the right foot is tendus forward, the head looks up and out. If the tendus is to the side, the head is up and straight ahead. If the tendus is to the back, the head is inclined or up and straight ahead if arms are in arabesque. This basic positioning of the head is used in almost all steps in ballet.
Failli: a movement done on one count, has a characteristic fleeting air about it. Since I have never done this step before, I will use Agrippina Vaganova's explanation from The Basic Principles of Classical Ballet : "stand in 5th position, right foot front. Demi-plie, jump up vertically, feet close together. During the jump, turn body efface back, and immediately, without a pause, move the extended toe of the left foot on the florr through 1st position forward in croise, and then demi-plie." This movement must be done with the correct arm positions.
Flic-Flac: a movement done in exercises and as a linking movement in adagio. Has a "lashing character". It is simply a touch of the toe to the side, then to the front, then into coupe. It is done in en dedans and en dehors, on half toe, and en turnant (turn).
Fondu: a preparation movement used for more complex steps. The basic execution is: plie in 5th (right foot front), bring the right foot up to cou-de-pied and keep the toes pointed. Fondu can be done in battements, jetes, and sissones.
(p. 21-22, 34, and 97-98)
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Gargouillade: French term (also known as rond de jambe in the Russian school). In en dedans, it is usually used in class, but not done on stage very often. [I have never ever heard this term before so when I finally learn what it actually is, I will be sure to write it here J]
Glissade: as you can see from the name, this is a gliding movement associated with other steps, such as the leap, in ballet. When executed correctly, it appears that the dancer is “gliding” across the floor, without the bouncing of the body that would be seen in an inexperienced dancer or amateur. TO EXECUTE: This step always begins and ends with a plie. Start in 5th position (right foot front) and demi-plie. As you plie, tendu the right foot to the side in 2nd position. As soon as the body weight is transferred to the right leg, immediately bring the left leg into 5th behind the right foot. The finish with a demi-plie. Remember that this is a very graceful “gliding” movement. There should be no excessive movement of the upper body. It is best to remain in plie throughout the entire movement.
Grand: simply means the enlargement or intensifying of a movement normally done in “petit” or “demi” (grand meaning “big). Various grand steps include: the grand adagio, grand assemble, ballonne, battement, changement de pieds, echappe, emboite, fouette, jete, pas de basque, pirouette, plie, port de bras, releve, and ronds de jombe.
(p. 92, 97-97)
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Hands: As unimportant as they may seem, the hands of a dancer are actually very important to their level of technique. When in position, the fingers should be freely grouped and rounded somewhat to continue the curve of the arms. The thumb should touch the middle finger and be held there during exercises. No spread hands or ungrouped thumbs are acceptable.
Head: The head of a dancer is important in every aspect of ballet technique. It symbolizes the true artistry and beauty of ballet and it is necessary for a dancer to learn the correct placement for it. To see examples of this and to gather more detailed information, see “Port de bras” in the Basic Movements section of Arabesque.
(p. 42, 45)
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Jete: comes from the French word, jeter, which means to “throw” or in ballet, “to throw the leg and fall onto it”. This movement is similar to the glissade in that they are both types of “gliding” movements. TO EXECUTE: the most common jete starts in 5th position (right foot front). Demi-plie and tendu the right foot front. Execute a pas de bourree or simple preparation movement and bring the back foot forward in what resembles a leap. The arms are immediately in arabesque position and the front foot lands first, with the back foot following in behind. Finish in 5th position and demi-plie. More complex jetes include: the jete battu, en tounant, en tournant par terre, entrelance, ferme, fondu, grand, in half turns, passé, on pointes, and renverse.
Jumps: the act of swiftly moving into the air in an upward motion. To see a complete list of jumps and information, click here.
(p. 68-69, 77)
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Movements (Noverre's seven): Noverre (1727-1810, a dancer and ballet master whose writings revolutionized ballet) analyzed all balletic movements into seven basic categories. These are: plier, to bend; étendre, to stretch; relever, to rise; sauter, to leap; élancer, to dart; glisser, to glide; and tourner, to turn.
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Opposition: Movement (or position) of the arms in opposite direction to movement (or position) of the legs--as we move our arms when we walk.
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Pas: A step. Many of the common names of steps in ballet are adjectives (or participles) instead of nouns; these names have the word "pas" understood: thus, for example, "coupé" (which everybody says) is actually short for "pas coupé" ["cut step"] (which nobody says). Also used to refer to a dance, as pas de deux, a dance for two; pas de quatre, a dance for four.
Pas de Basque ["Basque step"]: Starts in 5th position; assume right foot front. On the upbeat, demi-plié; the right foot glides forward in croisé and continues with a demi-rond de jambe en dehors to the side, while the left foot remains in plié. A small jump occurs onto the right foot in demi-plié. The left foot now glides through 1st position into croisé forward. On the final count, the weight is transferred to the left foot and a small jump is made to bring the feet together where the left one was placed. The movement finishes in 5th croisé. (Charlotte's FAVORITE!)
Pas de bourrée ["bourrée step," the bourrée being an old folk dance]: This term has at least two meanings.
1. One of the simplest connecting steps, used to link other steps in a combination. The commonest form is probably the pas de bourrée dessous. Assume your right foot is in front: left foot on half pointe; step on it and put your weight on it; move the right foot to the side, transfer your weight to it (also in relevé); move the left foot to the front of the right and put your weight on both feet in a plié.
2. (properly called pas de bourrée couru, "running pas de bourrée" or pas de bourrée suivi, "followed pas de bourrée"). A gliding movement by a dancer on pointe consisting of many very small steps taken with the feet close together. When a dancer uses bourrée as a verb ("Then you bourrée downstage"), she usually means pas de bourrée couru.
Pas de chat ["step of the cat"]: A jump. Leap off the left leg, starting from a plié and raising the right leg into retiré. In midair, raise the left leg into retiré, too, so your legs form a diamond shape in the air. Land on the right leg with the left leg still in retiré; then bring it down, landing in another plié. In the famous dance in Swan Lake in which the four cygnets dance with interlaced arms, they do sixteen pas de chat.
Pas de cheval ["step of the horse"]: Starting with the working leg in pointe tendu, draw it along the floor back to the supporting leg; then, without pausing, move it up to cou-de-pied and back out to pointe tendu in a small developpé. The step resembles the pawing of a horse.
Passé ["passed"]: A movement in which the pointed foot of the working leg is made to pass the knee of the supporting leg. Frequently used--incorrectly--as a synonym for retiré.
Penché ["leaning"]: A tilting of the body to achieve an exteme picture. An example is when the dancer is in an arabesque at 90 degrees. She then pushes her working leg upward and over, pushing the body down towards the supporting leg to achieve a much greater angle between legs, often resulting in a 180-degree split.
Petit battement ["little beat"]: An exercise for speed and agility in the lower leg. In the starting position, the working leg is sur le cou-de-pied. It opens in the direction of 2nd position but only half way, as the leg does not fully extend at the knee. The working leg then closes to sur le cou-de-pied opposite of where it started (in back if it started in front and vice versa). Done repeatedly, back and front. The knee and thigh of the working leg stay in the same place and do not move during the exercise.
Petit jeté ["little jump"]: A jump: brush the working foot out, hop off the supporting leg, and land on the working foot with the other foot sur le cou-de-pied behind. Can be done to the front, the side, or the back.
Pirouette ["spin"]: A complete turn on one leg. The dancer usually goes round more than once. The raised leg is most commonly held in rétiré, but pirouettes with the leg in other positions are not uncommon. If the direction of the turn rotates the raised leg away from the front of the body, the pirouette is en dehors; if it rotates the leg toward the front, it is en dedans. The dancer spots (see "spotting") in order to avoid becoming disoriented. Pirouettes are usually fast, but supported pirouettes, in which a partner steadies the soloist, may be done very slowly.
Placement: Roughly, alignment of the body. Becoming properly placed means learning to stand up straight, with hips level and even, shoulders open but relaxed and centered over the hips, pelvis straight (neither protruding nor tucked under), back straight, head up, weight centered evenly between the feet. This posture is frequently described as "pulled up," but it is also a relaxed posture; you aren't tensed up like a soldier standing at attention. (A teacher once said you should imagine that you are suspended by a thread attached to the top of your head. This suggests both the "pulled-up" and relaxed aspects of good ballet posture.) And as you dance, you seek to maintain this posture except when the step requires something different, like épaulement, or like the slight forward arch of the spine that accompanies an arabesque.
Plier ["to bend"]: One of Noverre's seven movements (see movements).
Plié ["bent"]: Knee bends, done with the legs turned out. Normally the first exercise in a ballet class. Demi-plié ["half-bent"] is a shallow bend (in all positions but second, as far down as you can go without lifting the heels off the floor); grand plié ["big plié"] is a deep bend, down to where the thighs are almost horizontal. In all positions except second, the heels release from the floor in a grand plié.
Pointe ["point"]: (demi ["half"], quarter, three-quarter, sur les pointes ["on the points"]). The point of the foot. Demi-pointe, etc., refer to how far the heel is raised off the floor in a relevé. Definitions vary, but this will do for starters: quarter point is with the heel just off the floor; three-quarter point is a straight line from the knee to the ball of the foot. Demi pointe is half way between. Sur les pointes, or "on pointe," is on the tips of the toes--literally. Children should not be allowed to go on pointe until the bones of their feet are fully developed--typically about the age of 11 or 12.
Pointe tendu ["stretched point (of the foot)"]: A position in which the working leg is stretched straight out in any direction with only the tip of the foot touching the floor.
Port de bras ["carriage of the arms"]: 1. How a dancer uses his arms. 2. Specific movements of the arms, as first port de bras, second port de bras, etc. 3. Sometimes used instead of cambré. A grand port de bras is a circular bend, either toward the barre, then down, then up away from the barre, and then backward and back toward the barre: or the same thing in the opposite direction.
Positions: see feet, positions of and arms, positions of.
Positions on stage: See: Croisé, effacé, en face, écarté.
Promenade ["walk"]: A pivot turn in which the dancer moves slowly around by shifting the heel of the supporting leg. The rest of the body may be in arabesque or attitude. In a supported promenade, the partner turns the soloist.
Demi-plie: done in five positions. Demi is the half-movement of the full (grand) plie.
Dessous: means "under" or "back"
Developpe: a movement from adagio which is an extension of the leg. TO EXECUTE (a basic developpe): start in 5th (right foot front), and bring the right foot up to passe. Then extend forward 90 degrees. Execute to the side, then to the back, and then to the side again for a basic exercise. (p. 17, 35, 61)
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Ecarte: facing the corner
Echappe: movement of beginning in 5th jumping to 2nd, and then jumping back to 5th (always pointe toes and stretch the legs)
Efface: a position in which the legs are open and "uncrossed" (opposite of croise)
Elevation: the acquiring of flight, consisting of two elements: elevation proper and ballon
Emboite: a turning jump. TO EXECUTE: start in 5th position (right foot front), demi plie, jump up and turn 180 degrees (right foot up in passe). Land on left foot (right foot still in passe) and repeat one more time to return to the start position.
En dedans: a rotating movement directed inward ("closing the door" is a way to remember it)
En dehors: a rotating movement directed outward ("opening the door" is a way to remember it)
En face: (part of epaulement). It is the natural direction for 1st and 2nd position (head and shoulders remain in the natural position). In other words, just facing front toward where the audience would be. Epaulement: the use of the head and shoulders which helps a dancer master the artistry of classical ballet. After strnght in the body is gained, exercises begin to use the basic body positions.
Extension: stretching body part to its extreme point (example; bent knee to straight leg)
(p. 20, 22-23, 29, 58, 69, 98-99, 103-106, and 127)
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Facial expression (in epaulement): facial expression in epaulement changes depending on the position. If the right foot is tendus forward, the head looks up and out. If the tendus is to the side, the head is up and straight ahead. If the tendus is to the back, the head is inclined or up and straight ahead if arms are in arabesque. This basic positioning of the head is used in almost all steps in ballet.
Failli: a movement done on one count, has a characteristic fleeting air about it. Since I have never done this step before, I will use Agrippina Vaganova's explanation from The Basic Principles of Classical Ballet : "stand in 5th position, right foot front. Demi-plie, jump up vertically, feet close together. During the jump, turn body efface back, and immediately, without a pause, move the extended toe of the left foot on the florr through 1st position forward in croise, and then demi-plie." This movement must be done with the correct arm positions.
Flic-Flac: a movement done in exercises and as a linking movement in adagio. Has a "lashing character". It is simply a touch of the toe to the side, then to the front, then into coupe. It is done in en dedans and en dehors, on half toe, and en turnant (turn).
Fondu: a preparation movement used for more complex steps. The basic execution is: plie in 5th (right foot front), bring the right foot up to cou-de-pied and keep the toes pointed. Fondu can be done in battements, jetes, and sissones.
(p. 21-22, 34, and 97-98)
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Gargouillade: French term (also known as rond de jambe in the Russian school). In en dedans, it is usually used in class, but not done on stage very often. [I have never ever heard this term before so when I finally learn what it actually is, I will be sure to write it here J]
Glissade: as you can see from the name, this is a gliding movement associated with other steps, such as the leap, in ballet. When executed correctly, it appears that the dancer is “gliding” across the floor, without the bouncing of the body that would be seen in an inexperienced dancer or amateur. TO EXECUTE: This step always begins and ends with a plie. Start in 5th position (right foot front) and demi-plie. As you plie, tendu the right foot to the side in 2nd position. As soon as the body weight is transferred to the right leg, immediately bring the left leg into 5th behind the right foot. The finish with a demi-plie. Remember that this is a very graceful “gliding” movement. There should be no excessive movement of the upper body. It is best to remain in plie throughout the entire movement.
Grand: simply means the enlargement or intensifying of a movement normally done in “petit” or “demi” (grand meaning “big). Various grand steps include: the grand adagio, grand assemble, ballonne, battement, changement de pieds, echappe, emboite, fouette, jete, pas de basque, pirouette, plie, port de bras, releve, and ronds de jombe.
(p. 92, 97-97)
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Hands: As unimportant as they may seem, the hands of a dancer are actually very important to their level of technique. When in position, the fingers should be freely grouped and rounded somewhat to continue the curve of the arms. The thumb should touch the middle finger and be held there during exercises. No spread hands or ungrouped thumbs are acceptable.
Head: The head of a dancer is important in every aspect of ballet technique. It symbolizes the true artistry and beauty of ballet and it is necessary for a dancer to learn the correct placement for it. To see examples of this and to gather more detailed information, see “Port de bras” in the Basic Movements section of Arabesque.
(p. 42, 45)
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Jete: comes from the French word, jeter, which means to “throw” or in ballet, “to throw the leg and fall onto it”. This movement is similar to the glissade in that they are both types of “gliding” movements. TO EXECUTE: the most common jete starts in 5th position (right foot front). Demi-plie and tendu the right foot front. Execute a pas de bourree or simple preparation movement and bring the back foot forward in what resembles a leap. The arms are immediately in arabesque position and the front foot lands first, with the back foot following in behind. Finish in 5th position and demi-plie. More complex jetes include: the jete battu, en tounant, en tournant par terre, entrelance, ferme, fondu, grand, in half turns, passé, on pointes, and renverse.
Jumps: the act of swiftly moving into the air in an upward motion. To see a complete list of jumps and information, click here.
(p. 68-69, 77)
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Movements (Noverre's seven): Noverre (1727-1810, a dancer and ballet master whose writings revolutionized ballet) analyzed all balletic movements into seven basic categories. These are: plier, to bend; étendre, to stretch; relever, to rise; sauter, to leap; élancer, to dart; glisser, to glide; and tourner, to turn.
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Opposition: Movement (or position) of the arms in opposite direction to movement (or position) of the legs--as we move our arms when we walk.
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Pas: A step. Many of the common names of steps in ballet are adjectives (or participles) instead of nouns; these names have the word "pas" understood: thus, for example, "coupé" (which everybody says) is actually short for "pas coupé" ["cut step"] (which nobody says). Also used to refer to a dance, as pas de deux, a dance for two; pas de quatre, a dance for four.
Pas de Basque ["Basque step"]: Starts in 5th position; assume right foot front. On the upbeat, demi-plié; the right foot glides forward in croisé and continues with a demi-rond de jambe en dehors to the side, while the left foot remains in plié. A small jump occurs onto the right foot in demi-plié. The left foot now glides through 1st position into croisé forward. On the final count, the weight is transferred to the left foot and a small jump is made to bring the feet together where the left one was placed. The movement finishes in 5th croisé. (Charlotte's FAVORITE!)
Pas de bourrée ["bourrée step," the bourrée being an old folk dance]: This term has at least two meanings.
1. One of the simplest connecting steps, used to link other steps in a combination. The commonest form is probably the pas de bourrée dessous. Assume your right foot is in front: left foot on half pointe; step on it and put your weight on it; move the right foot to the side, transfer your weight to it (also in relevé); move the left foot to the front of the right and put your weight on both feet in a plié.
2. (properly called pas de bourrée couru, "running pas de bourrée" or pas de bourrée suivi, "followed pas de bourrée"). A gliding movement by a dancer on pointe consisting of many very small steps taken with the feet close together. When a dancer uses bourrée as a verb ("Then you bourrée downstage"), she usually means pas de bourrée couru.
Pas de chat ["step of the cat"]: A jump. Leap off the left leg, starting from a plié and raising the right leg into retiré. In midair, raise the left leg into retiré, too, so your legs form a diamond shape in the air. Land on the right leg with the left leg still in retiré; then bring it down, landing in another plié. In the famous dance in Swan Lake in which the four cygnets dance with interlaced arms, they do sixteen pas de chat.
Pas de cheval ["step of the horse"]: Starting with the working leg in pointe tendu, draw it along the floor back to the supporting leg; then, without pausing, move it up to cou-de-pied and back out to pointe tendu in a small developpé. The step resembles the pawing of a horse.
Passé ["passed"]: A movement in which the pointed foot of the working leg is made to pass the knee of the supporting leg. Frequently used--incorrectly--as a synonym for retiré.
Penché ["leaning"]: A tilting of the body to achieve an exteme picture. An example is when the dancer is in an arabesque at 90 degrees. She then pushes her working leg upward and over, pushing the body down towards the supporting leg to achieve a much greater angle between legs, often resulting in a 180-degree split.
Petit battement ["little beat"]: An exercise for speed and agility in the lower leg. In the starting position, the working leg is sur le cou-de-pied. It opens in the direction of 2nd position but only half way, as the leg does not fully extend at the knee. The working leg then closes to sur le cou-de-pied opposite of where it started (in back if it started in front and vice versa). Done repeatedly, back and front. The knee and thigh of the working leg stay in the same place and do not move during the exercise.
Petit jeté ["little jump"]: A jump: brush the working foot out, hop off the supporting leg, and land on the working foot with the other foot sur le cou-de-pied behind. Can be done to the front, the side, or the back.
Pirouette ["spin"]: A complete turn on one leg. The dancer usually goes round more than once. The raised leg is most commonly held in rétiré, but pirouettes with the leg in other positions are not uncommon. If the direction of the turn rotates the raised leg away from the front of the body, the pirouette is en dehors; if it rotates the leg toward the front, it is en dedans. The dancer spots (see "spotting") in order to avoid becoming disoriented. Pirouettes are usually fast, but supported pirouettes, in which a partner steadies the soloist, may be done very slowly.
Placement: Roughly, alignment of the body. Becoming properly placed means learning to stand up straight, with hips level and even, shoulders open but relaxed and centered over the hips, pelvis straight (neither protruding nor tucked under), back straight, head up, weight centered evenly between the feet. This posture is frequently described as "pulled up," but it is also a relaxed posture; you aren't tensed up like a soldier standing at attention. (A teacher once said you should imagine that you are suspended by a thread attached to the top of your head. This suggests both the "pulled-up" and relaxed aspects of good ballet posture.) And as you dance, you seek to maintain this posture except when the step requires something different, like épaulement, or like the slight forward arch of the spine that accompanies an arabesque.
Plier ["to bend"]: One of Noverre's seven movements (see movements).
Plié ["bent"]: Knee bends, done with the legs turned out. Normally the first exercise in a ballet class. Demi-plié ["half-bent"] is a shallow bend (in all positions but second, as far down as you can go without lifting the heels off the floor); grand plié ["big plié"] is a deep bend, down to where the thighs are almost horizontal. In all positions except second, the heels release from the floor in a grand plié.
Pointe ["point"]: (demi ["half"], quarter, three-quarter, sur les pointes ["on the points"]). The point of the foot. Demi-pointe, etc., refer to how far the heel is raised off the floor in a relevé. Definitions vary, but this will do for starters: quarter point is with the heel just off the floor; three-quarter point is a straight line from the knee to the ball of the foot. Demi pointe is half way between. Sur les pointes, or "on pointe," is on the tips of the toes--literally. Children should not be allowed to go on pointe until the bones of their feet are fully developed--typically about the age of 11 or 12.
Pointe tendu ["stretched point (of the foot)"]: A position in which the working leg is stretched straight out in any direction with only the tip of the foot touching the floor.
Port de bras ["carriage of the arms"]: 1. How a dancer uses his arms. 2. Specific movements of the arms, as first port de bras, second port de bras, etc. 3. Sometimes used instead of cambré. A grand port de bras is a circular bend, either toward the barre, then down, then up away from the barre, and then backward and back toward the barre: or the same thing in the opposite direction.
Positions: see feet, positions of and arms, positions of.
Positions on stage: See: Croisé, effacé, en face, écarté.
Promenade ["walk"]: A pivot turn in which the dancer moves slowly around by shifting the heel of the supporting leg. The rest of the body may be in arabesque or attitude. In a supported promenade, the partner turns the soloist.
Glossary! A-C
Adagio: a slow movement or combination designed to help a student master the basic poses, turns of the body and head, and the firmness and stability of the body.
Allegro: a fast movement, which develops agility and mobility of the body through jumps and combinations of jumps.
Aplomb: most important part of learning to dance, it is the balance and stability of the body. Once a dancer knows how to find this and have the correct positioning of the body, they will be able to perform even the most difficult steps and combinations
Arabesque: one of the basic poses in contemporary classical ballet. There are four; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th arabesques:
- 1st back is arched and leg is lifted behind at no less than a 90-degree angle. Feet are in position efface. The opposite arm as standing leg is out to the side and the arm on the same side as standing leg is forward. Back and head are lifted.
- 2nd body and legs are the same as in 1st, but arms are switched so that the arm on the same side as the standing leg is forward (forms a long straight line from extended hand to foot).
- 3rd faces the audience, leg is in croise at 90-degree angle and head is looking into hand. Arm forward is same as extended leg. Arm side is on same side as standing leg.
- 4th same as 3rd, except arms are opposite and the head is looking over the shoulder
Assemblé: a jump, which, once mastered, provides a foundation for other allegro (jumping) steps. To execute: plié in fifth position, tendu to the side (2nd position), push off of floor, pointing toes, and end with both feet touching the floor at the same time in PLIE!
Balance: a simple pas allegro often (in classical dancing) used in waltz tempo. TO EXECUTE: start in fifth, tendus the back foot to the side and jete (light), landing in fifth and crossing the opposite foot behind in cou-de-pied.
Ballon: the ability of a dancer to hold in the air a pose or position.
Ballonne: same as balance, only, instead of a jete, do a jump.
Ballotte: it is a movement which requires strength in the legs and body that is very difficult to execute in it's actual correct form. Itresembles the swinging or rocking of a boat.
Battements: the extension of the leg and its return to the position from which it has been extended. Battement tendus help to heal injuries and to warm up the legs. To execute: begin in 5th position (right foot front) with the arms out to 2nd position. Tendu to the front and extend, lifting the left as high as you can (resembling a kick,except without bending the knee and always keeping the back straight). Keep the leg stretched and bring it back down to the tendu and to 5th position.This is all one movement. Always brush through tendu before lifting the leg!
Batterie: (beats) steps in which one leg is beaten against the other. During execution of the step, both legs must be stretched and slightly opened.
Battu: any step embellished with a beat
Brise: two kinds: one ends in 5th position, another ends on one leg (dessus: forward/dessous: back); often used on stage and seldom done to the back.
Cabriole: one of the most difficult forms of the jumps, it is a movement in which the calves meet in the air between 45 and 90 degrees. TO EXECUTE: start in 5th position (left foot front), plie on left foot and extend right leg up, bringing the left one behind. End on the left foot in plie.
Ceccheti: dancer who introduced pointe work on the toes
Changement: two kinds; petit and grand: a.) Petit: develops softness and elasticity of the jump. TO EXECUTE: plie in 5th with the right foot front, and push off of the floor, extending the toes in the air. As you come down, switch the feet and end in 5th plie with the left foot in front. b.) Grand: a larger version of the petit-only you plie deeper and jump higher.
Chasse: a masculine movement - it is a jumping, gliding movement to the side
Ciseaux: combination of a cabriole and a changement. Similar to a cabriole - all you do is change your feet in the air. TO EXECUTE: start tendu back, standing on the left foot in front. Bring the right leg up to the side and plie, bring the left foot up on top of the right, plie on right, and swing left leg back to arabesque.
Cou-de-pied: the foot is placed near the ankle of the other leg, pointed and wrapped when in the front and side, and touching when in the back.
Coupe: done as preparation or "pick up" and looks similar to cou-de-pied.
Croise: a position in which the legs are crossed from an audience's viewpoint.
Now, you may hear me use these terms a lot, but hese are from ALL the different kinds of ballet. NOT just the Russian. Russian only has 77 positions. I will just be doing the 77 Russian positions starting on February 11th.
Allegro: a fast movement, which develops agility and mobility of the body through jumps and combinations of jumps.
Aplomb: most important part of learning to dance, it is the balance and stability of the body. Once a dancer knows how to find this and have the correct positioning of the body, they will be able to perform even the most difficult steps and combinations
Arabesque: one of the basic poses in contemporary classical ballet. There are four; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th arabesques:
- 1st back is arched and leg is lifted behind at no less than a 90-degree angle. Feet are in position efface. The opposite arm as standing leg is out to the side and the arm on the same side as standing leg is forward. Back and head are lifted.
- 2nd body and legs are the same as in 1st, but arms are switched so that the arm on the same side as the standing leg is forward (forms a long straight line from extended hand to foot).
- 3rd faces the audience, leg is in croise at 90-degree angle and head is looking into hand. Arm forward is same as extended leg. Arm side is on same side as standing leg.
- 4th same as 3rd, except arms are opposite and the head is looking over the shoulder
Assemblé: a jump, which, once mastered, provides a foundation for other allegro (jumping) steps. To execute: plié in fifth position, tendu to the side (2nd position), push off of floor, pointing toes, and end with both feet touching the floor at the same time in PLIE!
Balance: a simple pas allegro often (in classical dancing) used in waltz tempo. TO EXECUTE: start in fifth, tendus the back foot to the side and jete (light), landing in fifth and crossing the opposite foot behind in cou-de-pied.
Ballon: the ability of a dancer to hold in the air a pose or position.
Ballonne: same as balance, only, instead of a jete, do a jump.
Ballotte: it is a movement which requires strength in the legs and body that is very difficult to execute in it's actual correct form. Itresembles the swinging or rocking of a boat.
Battements: the extension of the leg and its return to the position from which it has been extended. Battement tendus help to heal injuries and to warm up the legs. To execute: begin in 5th position (right foot front) with the arms out to 2nd position. Tendu to the front and extend, lifting the left as high as you can (resembling a kick,except without bending the knee and always keeping the back straight). Keep the leg stretched and bring it back down to the tendu and to 5th position.This is all one movement. Always brush through tendu before lifting the leg!
Batterie: (beats) steps in which one leg is beaten against the other. During execution of the step, both legs must be stretched and slightly opened.
Battu: any step embellished with a beat
Brise: two kinds: one ends in 5th position, another ends on one leg (dessus: forward/dessous: back); often used on stage and seldom done to the back.
Cabriole: one of the most difficult forms of the jumps, it is a movement in which the calves meet in the air between 45 and 90 degrees. TO EXECUTE: start in 5th position (left foot front), plie on left foot and extend right leg up, bringing the left one behind. End on the left foot in plie.
Ceccheti: dancer who introduced pointe work on the toes
Changement: two kinds; petit and grand: a.) Petit: develops softness and elasticity of the jump. TO EXECUTE: plie in 5th with the right foot front, and push off of the floor, extending the toes in the air. As you come down, switch the feet and end in 5th plie with the left foot in front. b.) Grand: a larger version of the petit-only you plie deeper and jump higher.
Chasse: a masculine movement - it is a jumping, gliding movement to the side
Ciseaux: combination of a cabriole and a changement. Similar to a cabriole - all you do is change your feet in the air. TO EXECUTE: start tendu back, standing on the left foot in front. Bring the right leg up to the side and plie, bring the left foot up on top of the right, plie on right, and swing left leg back to arabesque.
Cou-de-pied: the foot is placed near the ankle of the other leg, pointed and wrapped when in the front and side, and touching when in the back.
Coupe: done as preparation or "pick up" and looks similar to cou-de-pied.
Croise: a position in which the legs are crossed from an audience's viewpoint.
Now, you may hear me use these terms a lot, but hese are from ALL the different kinds of ballet. NOT just the Russian. Russian only has 77 positions. I will just be doing the 77 Russian positions starting on February 11th.
Ballet is one of the most graceful dances around. For one to become a versatile ballet dancer, lessons need to be completed. Below are some of the most basic ballet positions that need to be followed to become a good dancer. Lessons are also essential to prevent injuries in the sport.
The first ballet position is the most basic of all, where the balls of the feet face opposite directions so that the heels meet. Ideally, the feet should form a straight line. Now let’s proceed to the second position. Similar to the first position, the balls of the feet need to be facing outward, but the heels are apart by one foot.
The third of many ballet positions is a bit challenging, because one foot should be placed in front while the other stays behind. The front foot should touch the middle of the foot behind. Like the second ballet position, the fourth position is the same position but the feet are a step apart different from the third position.
To close the list of basic positions, the fifth position requires both feet to touch with the heels and toes reaches oppositely. In a nutshell, ballet is a dance that requires practice to master the techniques. Ballet is also inspired by fencing because of its origins in the 15th century in Italy. In order to become a good ballet dancer, one must also have good body shape to be able to minimize injury and to perform the poses well.
If you are new to ballet and have no idea which positions to start with, below are a few of the easiest ballet steps for beginners.
The first step is called the Demi Plie. Basically, you should half bend the knees for two counts. Remember this step as this will be your basic move for other ballet moves. Keeping your back and shoulders straight, raise knees up after two counts and repeat as needed in a routine.
The second step is called Posse. From a standing position, raise the right leg and make sure that the toes touch the left knee to form a letter P. Stay in the pose and maintain balance for as long as you can. Next, lower the right leg to standing and do the same pose using the left leg.
After mastering the basics, you can now move on to the more advanced moves. Some of these are the Arabesque, Couru, and the Fondu. Arabesque is a position that requires support on on eleg, while the other leg extended behind, knees straight. Couru, on the other hand, is the fusion of dance steps that requires the calves to glide on the floor. Lastly, the Fondu, means melting in the ground as one lowers the body while bending one knee. The remaining leg needs to be erect for support.
Ballet steps might sound easy, but they require huge amounts of discipline and skills to become a ballerina. To maximize ballet dancing, one also needs to have self-confidence as a dancer.
More later
-Carly
The first ballet position is the most basic of all, where the balls of the feet face opposite directions so that the heels meet. Ideally, the feet should form a straight line. Now let’s proceed to the second position. Similar to the first position, the balls of the feet need to be facing outward, but the heels are apart by one foot.
The third of many ballet positions is a bit challenging, because one foot should be placed in front while the other stays behind. The front foot should touch the middle of the foot behind. Like the second ballet position, the fourth position is the same position but the feet are a step apart different from the third position.
To close the list of basic positions, the fifth position requires both feet to touch with the heels and toes reaches oppositely. In a nutshell, ballet is a dance that requires practice to master the techniques. Ballet is also inspired by fencing because of its origins in the 15th century in Italy. In order to become a good ballet dancer, one must also have good body shape to be able to minimize injury and to perform the poses well.
If you are new to ballet and have no idea which positions to start with, below are a few of the easiest ballet steps for beginners.
The first step is called the Demi Plie. Basically, you should half bend the knees for two counts. Remember this step as this will be your basic move for other ballet moves. Keeping your back and shoulders straight, raise knees up after two counts and repeat as needed in a routine.
The second step is called Posse. From a standing position, raise the right leg and make sure that the toes touch the left knee to form a letter P. Stay in the pose and maintain balance for as long as you can. Next, lower the right leg to standing and do the same pose using the left leg.
After mastering the basics, you can now move on to the more advanced moves. Some of these are the Arabesque, Couru, and the Fondu. Arabesque is a position that requires support on on eleg, while the other leg extended behind, knees straight. Couru, on the other hand, is the fusion of dance steps that requires the calves to glide on the floor. Lastly, the Fondu, means melting in the ground as one lowers the body while bending one knee. The remaining leg needs to be erect for support.
Ballet steps might sound easy, but they require huge amounts of discipline and skills to become a ballerina. To maximize ballet dancing, one also needs to have self-confidence as a dancer.
More later
-Carly
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