CORPS DE BALLET: The group of dancers in a ballet company that specializes in ensemble work. In traditional ballets like Swan Lake the corps de ballet dances in large group formations, often moving and turning in intricate lines and patterns. It is the difficult task of the corps de ballet to move with a sense of unison: striving for harmony in line and timing.
TURNOUT: The characteristic that most distinguishes ballet from other forms of dance. It refers to the outward rotation of the legs in the hip socket, so that if one were to look at the feet in first position (heel to heel), they would appear to make a straight line.
LEOTARD: A one piece, fitted garment, made of a light stretch fabric that fits like a second skin to cover a dancer's torso. Leotards are worn for class and rehearsal so that the teacher may see the workings of the students' muscles and joints.
BATTEMENT TENDU: A movement in which the dancer stands on one leg, either stretched or bent, and slides the other foot along the floor (with a stretched leg) until the foot is fully articulated and the toes pointed. This movement can be taken to the front, side, or back of the dancer's body.
ADAGIO or ADAGE: From the musical term adagio, which means "slow" or "at ease". Adage exercises are done both as part of "barre work" and "centre work" and consist of slow, sustained movements. They are meant to build strength and balance, as much of the exercise consists of standing on one leg while extending the other leg high into the air. They also give the dancer time to develop fluidity in "ports de bras" and supple movements of the upper body.
ALLEGRO: Also a musical term meaning "merry" or "quick and lively." Allegro work in ballet is often qualified as "petit" or "grand." "Petite" or "little" refers to quick, small jumps and fast footwork, whereas "grand" or "big" describes larger jumps and expansive moves.
ARABESQUE: A position of the body balancing on one leg while the other leg is extended (usually) to the back. The complementary arm positions vary according to the different schools of technique.
ATTITUDE: A position of the body, related to the arabesque, where the extended leg is bent at the knee.
BARRE: A long wooden pole, affixed to the wall horizontally, at about waist height. Traditionally, the beginning of ballet class is done at the barre and this portion of class is called "barre work." Young pupils learn each new ballet movement facing the barre and holding onto it with two hands. For most of the "barre work" dancers stand sideways to the barre and maintain their balance by lightly holding on with one hand.
BATTEMENT TENDU JETÉ: Similar to the battement tendu except that it is usually done more quickly, with a sharp quality, so that the toe is taken off the floor and the legs make a 25- or 45-degree angle to each other.
BATTEMENT TENDU DEGAGÉ: A quicker and smaller version of the battement tendu jeté, where the toe of the gesture leg just clears the floor by one or two inches.
DÉVELOPPÉ: A développé is done by drawing the toe of the gesture leg (which bends at the knee and hip) up the front, side, or back of the supporting leg, until it reaches knee height. It is then "unfolded" to its full extension, either to the front side or back of the dancer's body.
ÉPAULEMENT: Literally means "shouldering." This term refers to poses when the dancer stands at a slight angle to (rather than directly facing) the audience. These poses show off the dancers' lines to the best advantage and add dimensionality to choreography.
GRAND BATTEMENT: Begins like the battement tendu and battement jeté, but the working leg is thrown high into the air so that at its highest point it makes more than a 90-degree angle to the supporting leg.
PAS: Means step or dance, as in PAS DE CHAT, which means "step of the cat," or PAS DE DEUX, which means "dance for two."
PIROUETTE: Literally means "whirligig," which is an old fashioned name for a child's top. Pirouette is now used to describe the many kinds of turns that dancers do either on demi-point (on the ball of the foot) or on full point for the women (on the tips of the toes with the support of point shoes).
PLIÉ: Most movements in ballet technique begin and end with a plié, which is a bend and stretch of the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Demi- and grand-pliés are done as an exercise at the beginning of the barre work and are done as half-bends and full-bends of the knee.
PORT DE BRAS: Literally means carriage of the arms. It refers to the set positions of the arms as well as the manner in which the arms are moved from position to position.
Compiled by Dean Vollick