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.