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 |
