Deane Dance Center & Crockett-Deane Ballet Company

The SEVEN Basic Movements of Classical Ballet
Noverre (1727 - 1810) analyzed all balletic movements into seven basic categories: plier, to bend; etendre, to stretch; relever, to rise; sauter, to leap; elancer, to dart; glisser, to glide; and tourner, to turn. For more terminology see the list below.

Adage, Adagio: at ease or leisure
Air, en l: in the air
Allegro: brisk, lively
Arabesque: basic pose, form Moorish ornament
Assemble: assembled or joined together
Attitude: basic pose, taken from statue of Mercury
Avant, en: forward
Balance: rocking step
Balancoire,en: like a seesaw
Ballon: bounce
Ballonne: bounced, ball-like
Brise: broken, breaking
Brise vole: flying brise
Battement: beating
Cambre: arched
Changement: change
Chaine Tour: chain of turns
Chasse: chased Cloche, en: like a bell
Contretempts: counter beating
Cou-de-pied: neck of the foot
Coupe: cut, cutting
Croise: crossed
Croix, en: in the shape of a cross
Deboule: rollings like a ball
Dedans, en: inward
Degage: disengaged
Dehors, en: outward
Demi-position: half position
Demiere: behind, back
Detoume: turned aside
Devant: in front Developpe: developed
Ecarte: separated, thrown wide apart
Echappe: escaping or slipping movement
Efface: shaded
Emboite: fitted together, boxed
Epaule: shouldered
Failli: giving way
Ferme, Fermee: closed
Fondu, Fondue: sinking down
Frappe: struck
Glissade: glide
Grand, Grande: big, large
Jete: thrown
Ouvert, Ouvrte: open, opened
Pas: step
Pas de basque: Basque step
Pas de bourree: Bourree step
Pas de chat: cat's-step
Pas de cheval: horse's-step
Passe: passed
Pique: pricked, pricking
Pirouette: whirl or spin
Plie: bent, bending
Port de bras: carriage of the arms
Promenade, en: in a walk
Releve: raised
Retire: withdrawn
Reverence: reverence, curtsey
Rond de jambe: round of the leg
Saute: jumped, jumping
Sissonne: named for originator of step
Soubresaut: sudden spring or bound
Sous-sus: under-over
Soutenu: sustained
Temps: time, step, movement
Temps leve: time raised, raising movement
Temps lie: connected movement
Tendu, Tendue: stretched
Terre, a: on the ground
Temps de cuisse: thigh movement
Tombe: falling down
Tours, chaines: turns in a chain

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