Top Terms
(French pronunciation: [pɑ d(ə) vals]; 'waltz step.') A sequence of three steps—fondu, relevé, elevé (down, up, up)—always advancing (like a march), done in three counts to music generally in 34 time, traveling in any direction or while...
(French pronunciation: [pɑse]; literally 'passed.') Passing the working foot through from back to front or vice versa. Generally used to refer to retiré passé, indicating passing the foot of the working leg past the knee of the...
(French pronunciation: [pɑ̃ʃe]; 'tilted'.) Tilting the body forward about the hip of the supporting leg so that the head is lower than the working leg, as in arabesque penché. Doing a split while standing on one foot. The dancer lifts...
(French pronunciation: [p(ə)ti so]; 'small jump.') A small jump, in which the feet do not change positions in mid-air; also called temps levé sauté in the Vaganova vocabulary.(Wikipedia)
(French pronunciation: [pike]; meaning 'pricked.') A movement in which the raised, pointed foot of the working leg is lowered so that it pricks the floor and then either rebounds upward (as in battement piqué) or becomes a supporting...
A tour piqué or piqué turn is a traveling turn executed by the leg stepping out onto an en pointe or demi-pointe foot becoming the supporting leg while the working leg moves from plié to retiré derrière, if an en dedans turn, or retiré...
(French pronunciation: [piʁwɛt]) A non-traveling turn on one leg, of one or more rotations, often starting with one or both legs in plié and rising onto demi-pointe or pointe. The non-supporting leg is generally held in retiré devant...
(French pronunciation: [ɑ̃ pwɛ̃t]) Supporting one's body weight on the tips of the toes, usually while wearing structurally reinforced pointe shoes. (Wikipedia)
The part of classical ballet technique that concerns pointe work (dancing on the tips of the toes). (Wikipedia)
Performing steps while on the tips of the toes, with feet fully extended and wearing pointe shoes, a structurally reinforced type of shoe designed specifically for this purpose. Most often performed by women. (Wikipedia)
(French pronunciation: [pwasɔ̃]; literally 'fish.') A body position in which the back is arched and legs are crossed in fifth position or the working leg is held retiré. This position may be assumed while jumping or in partnering lifts,...
(French pronunciation: [pɔʁ d(ə) bʁa]; 'carriage of the arms.') An exercise for the movement of the arms (and in some schools, the upper body) to different positions. For example, a basic port de bras exercise could move from fifth en...