Popular Terms
(French pronunciation: [balɑ̃swaʁ]; "swing [children's toy]") Swinging the working leg between front (devant) and back (derrière) through first position, usually in conjunction with grands battements or attitudes and involving...
(French pronunciation: [pɑ d(ə) bask]; 'step of the Basques.') Halfway between a step and a leap, taken on the floor (glissé) or with a jump (sauté); it can be done moving toward the front or toward the back. This step can also be found...
(French pronunciation: [ʁwajal]) Another name for changement battu. A changement with a beating of the legs preceding the foot change. Example: with the right foot in front in fifth position, plié, jump, beat the right thigh against the...
(French pronunciation: [bʁize]; literally 'broken') A jump consisting of an assemblé traveling either forward (en avant) or backward (en arrière), with an extra beat that "breaks" the jump in its travel. To execute a brisé en...
(French pronunciation: [dubl]; 'double.') Making two of a movement, such as in double rond de jambe en l'air. (Wikipedia)
(French pronunciation: [faji] 'given way', past participle.) A slide or brush-through transition step following a preceding jump or position. Failli is often used as shorthand for a sissonne (ouverte +pas) failli, indicating a jump from...
(Italian pronunciation: [braˈvuːra]) A flashy, showy and elaborate style of dance that involves a lot of elaborate steps and style to similar music. Usually during a key solo. (Wikipedia)
(French pronunciation: [ɑ̃ fas]; 'facing, in front of.') En face indicates facing something directly, generally the audience. (Wikipedia)
Turned out legs with the feet pointing in opposite directions, heels touching. (Wikipedia)
(French pronunciation: [fɛʁme]; 'closed.') Converse of ouvert(e) ('open'). Fermé may refer to positions (the first, fifth, and third positions of the feet are positions fermées), limbs, directions, or certain exercises or steps. Example:...
A partnering dance lift, often performed as part of a pas de deux, in which the male dancer supports the female in a poisson position. (Wikipedia)
(French pronunciation: [flik flak]) Familiar French term for battement fouetté à terre. A step where the foot of the working leg sweeps flexed across the floor from pointed à la seconde (en l'air, as in dégagé) to pointed at cou-de-pied...