French Dance Terms
Plies | To bend both knees |
Demi | Half |
Tendus | Stretch |
Battement | Beating |
Glisses | Glide |
En croix | In the shape of a cross |
Epaulements | Use of shoulders |
Grand battement | Large Beats |
Fondus | Bend or melt |
Grands | Large |
A terre | On the ground |
Devant | In front |
Derriere | Behind |
Dégagé | Point |
A la seconde | In second position |
Développes | To unfold |
Retires | To withdraw |
Ronds de jambe | Circle the leg |
Enchainements | Steps joined together |
Demi détournes | Half a turn |
Emboites | Dove tailing |
Balances de cote | To balance to the side |
Jètes | To throw your weight from one foot to the other |
Pas de chat | Step of the cat |
Demi détournes | Half a turn |
En l’air | In the air |
De cote | To the side |
Relevés | To withdraw |
Passé | To pass |
En avant | Forward |
En arrière | Backward |
Over & under | To the front To the back |
Assembles over | Gather together. Swish with the back foot and finish with it in front |
Assembles under | Gather together. Swish with the front foot and finish with it at the back |
Glissades over | Gliding step. Start with the back foot and finish with it in front |
Glissades devant | Gliding step. Start with the front foot and finish with it in front |
Changement
|
Change feet
|
Échappés | Escape feet |
Entrechat | Beat back front |
Entrechat quatre | Four Beats |
Ferme | Closed |
Ouvert | Open |
Ports de bras | Carriage of the arms |
Demi bras | Half arms |
Bras bas | Low arms |
Attitude | Pos. in dance |
Arabesque | Pos. in dance |
Petit développe | Small développe |
Sautés | Jumps |
Soubresaut | Jumps in third |
Pirouettes | To turn |
En dehors | Outwards |
En dedans | Inwards |
Pas de bourrée en arrière | Running steps backward |
Pas de bourrée en avant | Running steps forward |
Pas de bourrée under | Running steps, behind side front |
Pas de bourrée over | Running steps, front side behind |
Pas de bourre courus | Small running steps |
Chasse passé | Slide past foot |
Chasses | Slide |
Pose temps lève | Step and hop |
Pose | Step |
En face | Face to face |
En ouvert | An open Pos. |
En croise | In the shape of a cross |
Rotation | Rotate the leg in the hip. |
Fouette d’adage | Turn the body away from the leg |
Assemble soutenus | Gather the feet together and turn |
Petit retire | Small withdrawing movement |
Frappes | To strike or knock |
Glissades under | Gliding step. Start with the front foot and finish with it in back |
Glissades derrière | Gliding step. Start with the back foot and finish with it at the back |