(for those, wo think that my english is still better than their french ;-) !!)
Adagio:
A dance designed particularly to enable a ballerina, generally assisted by a male partner,
to display her grace, sense of line, and perfect balance. Also a generic term for a series of exercises
designed to develop grace, sense of line, and balance.
Arabesque:
A pose in which the dancer raises one leg, with the knee straight, directly behind the
body.
Attitude:
A pose in which the dancer raises one leg directly behind the body with the knee bent at a
right angle. The knee is then as high as or higher than the foot, and the foot points to the
dancer's side.
Ballerina:
A principal woman dancer of a ballet company; prima ballerina, the star dancer.
Balance:
The ability to hold a pose in the air.
Barre:
A wooden pole, usually fixed horizontally to a wall, that dancers hold for support in certain
exercises.
Choreographer:
A person who composes ballets or other dances.
Corps de ballet:
Those dancers who perform only in the group numbers.
Danseur:
A male dancer; premier danseur, the star male dancer.
Danseuse:
A female dancer.
Entrechat:
A jump in which one feet crosses in front of the other and then behind while the dancer
is in the air. Entrechats are numbered from deux to dix (two to ten) according to the number of
movements performed, with each crossing of the legs counted as two movements.
Fouetté:
A turn in which the dancer, standing on one foot, uses the other leg in a circular whiplike
motion to pull the body.
Jeté:
A jump from one leg to the other; grand jet'e, a great jump.
Jupette
Skirt that danseuses can wear, during the training.
Pas:
A single step or combination of steps forming a dance.
Pas de deux:
A dance for two persons
that in classical ballet has an adagio, in which the male dancer supports the ballerina in slow
movements; a solo dance for each; and a coda, or ending, in which the couple dance apart and
together with all their technical skill.
Pirouette:
A complete turn on one foot, with the swing of an arm providing the force. pli'e. A full
bending of the knees in any of the five positions. In all positions but second and fourth ouverte
the heels will come off the ground; demi-pli'e, a half-bending of the knees without raising the heels
off the ground at any time.
Port de bras:
A generic term for a group of exercises designed to make the arms move gracefully.
The term also refers to any specific movement of the arms.
Tutu:
The very short skirt that was first worn by ballerinas in Romantic ballets of the 19th
century.
