Ferench For Ballet Dancers

By Dennis Sullivan

Copyright Dennis Sullivan All rights reserved

Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. French Pronunciation i. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) ii. Some tips on French pronunciation 3. French Grammar i. Verbs ii. Nouns iii. Adjectives iv. Prepositions 4. The Major Classes of Ballet Terms i. Pas ii. Temps iii. Saut iv. Battement v. Rond de Jambe vi. Tour vii. Pirouette viii. Other steps ix. Exceptions 5. Ballet Terminology i. Barre exercises ii. Center excercises iii. Descriptions 6. Numbers i. Ordinal numbers ii. Cardinal numbers iii. Fractions 7. Vocabulary 8. Suggestions for Further Reading

1. Introduction Although its beginnings can be traced to thirteenth-century Italy, ballets popularity grew in France before it was imitated in other European Courts. French became the language of ballet, and the vernacular based in French is part of the culture of ballet. This book explains the basics of French as used in ballet, listing the French words used in naming the steps. Although the book does not describe steps or movements of ballet, some descriptions are given for the purpose of illustration. The average American student can use this book as a guide to the correct pronunciation of French terms, many of which have been mangled beyond recognition over the years. The first section presents the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). IPA is a method used by linguists, singers, and others who require the correct pronunciation of foreign languages. Although it is a bit more difficult to learn than some other methods of illustrating pronunciation, using IPA is worth the effort. Following the introduction to IPA, the book presents basic French grammar as it pertains to ballet terminology. The section provides information on verb usage, nouns, adjectives and prepositions. The French terms for major classes of ballet steps are presented in the next section. Following that is a list of the exercises with their English translations. This is followed by a brief section on French numbers. Then an extensive glossary is presented that contains virtually all the French words that are used in ballet terminology. The book ends with some suggestions for further reading.

2. French Pronunciation A. The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) The International Phonetic Alphabet, or just IPA, is used by linguists, singers, and others as a guide to pronunciation. It does not depend on any individual language. Most books on ballet terminology use the sounds that are based in American English. Although the IPA takes a little time to learn, it is much more precise as a guide to pronunciation than any invented terminology. More importantly, it is universal. You will be able to get the pronunciation of a word from any French dictionary that uses IPA. You will also be able to look of the pronunciation of any other foreign word in any dictionary that gives IPA pronunciations. The following list is by no means a complete list of IPA symbols and their pronunciations. But it should be a sufficient guide to the terminology in the rest of this book. The Vowels Symbol [a] [e] [] [] [i] [o] [] [u] Pronounced like a in father a in take e in the e in get ee in see o in open aw in awful u in glue French example salle [sal] room plie [plie] bent de [d] of avec [avk] with briser [brize] to break dos [do] back porter [prte] to carry sous [su] under

Notes on the vowels: The [a], which is so important in French, is somewhere between the a in father and the a in ask. If this is your first time learning a European language, pay particular attention to the pronunciation of [i] and [e] above. The [i] produces a sound that we call long e, while [e] is a sound known in English as long a. The next three sounds do not exist in English. Follow the instructions and you will get a good approximation of the sounds. [y] [] Round your lips like u in glue, and say [i], as in see. Example: sur [syr] on Round your lips like o in open, and then say [e] as in take. Example: mileu [milj] middle

[]

Round your lips like in awful, and then say [ ] as in get. Example: seul [sl] alone

Nasal Vowels The nasal vowels [], [], [] , and [] are pronounced similar to [a], [], [] , and [] but are nasalized, i.e., they are pronounced using the nose as well as the mouth. There are no equivalent vowels in English. The following are French examples: Symbol [] [] [] [] French examples jambe [jb] leg pointer [pwte] to point rond [r] round un [] a, one

Note: the n or m that follows the vowel is what causes the vowel to be nasalized. However, the n or m is silent! Semi-Vowels [j] [] Consonants [] [] [] sh in sheep s in measure n as in onion. flechir [fleir] to bend changer [e] to change ligne [li] the line y in you like [y], but very short voyager [vwajae] to travel huit [it] eight

Note: h is not pronounced in French, e.g., haut is pronounce [o]. Most other consonants are pronounced as they are in English. B. Some Tips on French Pronuciation Final Consonants In many cases, the last consonant in a word is not pronounced. For example, in the word chat, as in pas de chat, the t is silent. Like English, many nouns are made plural by adding s. Only rarely does this change the pronunciation. The plural of chat is chats, but it does not change the pronunciation. Sometimes the plural is distinguished only if the following word begins with vowel. (See Liason, below) LElision (omission)

In short words ending in e or a, like le, la, if the following word begins with a vowel, the e or a is omitted and an apostrophe is put in its place. For example le air becomes lair, and la etoile becomes letoil. LEnchaiment (linking) e When a word ends in a constant that is normally pronounced and the following word begins with a vowel or silent h, the final constant of the first word is instead pronounced at the beginning of the second word. For example, the first two words of the phrase tour en lair (turn in the air), have the pronunciation [tur] and [], respectively. But together, the phrase is pronounced [tu r ler]. The r at the end of air is pronounced at the beginning of en and the n is silent. Liason When a word ends in a constant that is normally not pronounced and the following word begins with a vowel or silent h, a liason is made. This means that the final consonant is pronounced at the beginning of the second word. For example, en haut (meaning high) is a phrase consisting of two words whose pronunciations are [] and [o], respectively. But together, this phase is pronounced [ no]. The n that caused the e to be nasalized but was silent is now pronounced at the beginning of the second word. Another example is les homme (the men), which consists of words with the pronunciations [le] and [m]. Together, they are pronounced [le zm]. The normally silent s in les has become a z on the front of homme. Accent Marks You have probably noticed that French uses many accent marks. In some cases, they play little or no role in pronunciation. However, the accent marks pertaining to e are important. e is always pronounced [e]; e and e always pronounced []. are

3. French Grammar Verbs

Many ballet terms come from French verbs. We usually look upon the infinitive form of the verb to be its root. In English, the infinitive form of the verb bend is to bend. In French, however, plier is the infinitive form of the word meaning to bend. The past participle of the word bend is bent. Similarly, the past participle of plier is plie , which means bent. Actually, plier and plie are pronounced exactly the same way. It is from these past participles that we get much of the ballet terminology. Other examples: Infinitive degager jeter assembler Past Participle degage jete assemble Meaning disengaged thrown assembled

Of course, we consider a degage, or an assemble to be a noun. In many cases, this is shortened terminology for battement degage, or pas assemble. This will be explained in the next section. In this way, many of the root meanings for ballet terminology stem from the verbs. The majority of French verbs end in er and their past participles ends in e. These are the first conjugation verbs of French. There are two other conjugations. The second conjugation verbs end in ir, and form their past participles with just i. Infinitive raccourcir arrondir Past Participle raccourci arrondi Meaning shortened rounded

The third conjugation verbs end in re and form their past participle with u. Infinitive fondre battre Past Participle fondu battu Meaning melted beaten

As in any language, there are exceptions. The most noted exception in the ballet vernacular is the following Infinitive ouvrir Nouns Unlike English, all nouns in French have a gender. The article for the is different according to the gender of the nound, for example le pas, the step, and la 8 Past Participle ouvert Meaning opened

pointe, the point. This does not play an important role in ballet terminology. If the noun begins with a vowel, like air (air), then we write lair (the air). Usually, nouns form their plural by adding an s at the end of the word. However, in French, the added s to form the plural is usually silent. Like English, there are exceptions, Adjectives The use of French adjectives differs from English in two important ways: 1. Adjectives usually appear after the noun instead of before the noun as in English. There are exceptions to this. Very common adjectives, like petit (little) and grand (big) go in front of the noun. For example, grand battment tendu means large, stretched beating. 2. Adjectives can change slightly based on the number and gender of the noun. Note the following examples: Grand battement Grands tours Grande pirouette Grandes pirouettes big beating big jumps big pirouette big pirouettes

Since battement is a masculine noun, grand is in the masculine form. However, pirouette is a feminine noun, so the feminine form grande is used. The e on the end of grande causes the d to be pronounced. Tours, meaning turns, is a masculine plural noun. The s on the end is not pronounced. As in English, past participles can be used as adjectives in conjunction with a noun, as temps lie, which means connected time. The past participles usually change to the feminine form by adding another e on the end. For example, glissade changee means changed slide. Glisade is feminine, and changee is the feminine form of the past participle of changer, to change. Past participles change to the plural form by adding s, as in positions soulevees, which means raised positions. Position is feminine and we are using the plural form. These additions of e or s to form the feminine and plural forms usually do not change the pronounciation. Prepositions Prepositions play a similar role in French as they do in English. But there are two important words worth noting: The preposition de means of. As in English, de is used to indicate possession. However, it is used much more extensively in French. Whereas in English we would say leg circle, in French it is Rond de jambe, circle of the leg.

One of the most important words in French is en, which has many different meanings. However, in ballet terminology, it can usually be translated as while. For example, en tournant means while turning.

4. The Major Classes of Ballet Terms Pas

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Pas means step. In English, a movement named after a cat, for instance, would be called the cat step. In French, they say step of cat, or pas de chat. The preposition de means of. A large number of ballet steps are named for animals. The following are examples: French name pas de chat pas de cheval pas de poisson Other steps are named for other people or objects: pas de Basque pas de ciseaux pas de valse Basque step scissors step waltz step translation cat step horse step fish step

The term pas is also used to denote the number of dancers participating in a variation: pas de deux pas de trois pas de quatre Other pas steps use the past participle of a verb pas degage pas alle pas couru disengaged step walking step running step step of two step of three step of four

Note that pas is a masculine noun, so the above past participles are in the masculine form. An important exception is pas de bourree. Note that bourree means stuffed, and it is in the feminine singular form. We must assume that there is a noun that has been lost from the original terminology. Perhaps it was originallypPas de jambe bourree, which would be stuffed leg step. It is interesting to note that the word pas also means not in French. However, this plays no role in ballet terminology.

Temps

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Temps means time. It is a singular noun, even though it ends in s. In ballet it is used to mean movement or step. It is sometimes coupled with a noun in the same way as the pas steps: temps de cuisse temps de fleche Temps is also used with past participles of verbs: temps lie temps leve time connected time raised thigh movement arrow movement

Temps is also a masculine noun, so the past participles have the masculine form. Saut Saut, a jump, is sometimes used instead of temps or pas to emphasize that the step is jumped. saut de chat saut de Basque Battement Battement means the beating, and is used to describe many movements, usually barre exercises. They are movements in which one leg is separated and then closed back with the standing leg. Battement tendue Battement degage Grand battement Rond de Jambe Rond de Jambe, or circle of the leg, describes movements done primarily at the barre in which one leg is held straight and in a fixed position while the other one is circled. Rond de jambe a terre (par terre) circle of the leg on the ground Rond de jambe en lair circle of the leg in the air Tour Tour means turn. It usually refers to a turn in the air as opposed to one on the ground. tour en lair tour de Basque 12 turn in the air Basque turn stretched beating disengaged beating large beating cat jump Basque jump

Pirouette Pirouette is translated in French as an evasive answer, but its most common usage is the ballet term for a turn on one leg. pirouette en dehor pirouette en dedans pique pirouette Other steps cabriole glissade soubresaut Exceptions Gargouillade is a noun which describes a step. It is apparently derived from the verb gargouiller, which means to gargle. Taquete is used to mean quick, staccato movement on point. However, it comes from the French noun, le taguet, meaning a cleat or peg. Sissone is a step named after the Count of Sissone. caper glide jolt outward turn inward turn pointed pirouette

5. Ballet Terminology

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The following lists are by no means complete. They are the terms that we most often hear in a classical ballet class. Barre Exercises Battement degage Battement develope Battement frappe Battement fondu Battement jete Battement serre Battement tendu Battement soutenu Flick flack Grand Battement Pas de cheval Plier Pied dans la main Passer la jambe Port de Bras Rond de jambe Center Exercises Changement de pieds Entrechat Epaulment Glissade Pas assemble Pas balance Pas ballonne Pas ballotte Pas brise Pas chasse Pas de Basque Pas de chat Pas de ciseaux Pas de bourree Pas de walse Pas failli Pas jete Pirouette Saut de Basque Saut de chat Sissonne Soubresaut [m d pje] [tr] [eplm] [glisad] [pa zsble] [pa balse] [pa balne] [pa balte] [pa brize] [pa ase] [pa d bask] [pa d a] [pa d sizo] [pa d bure] [pa d vals] [pa faji] [pa jte] [pirwt] [so d bask] [so d a] [sizon] [subrso] Changing of feet Leap Shouldering Glide Assembled step Rocked step Bounced step Tossed step Broken step Chased step Basque step Cat step Sissors step Stuffed step Waltz step Given way step Thrown step Turn on one leg Basque jump Cat jump {see the section on exceptions} Jolt 14 [batm degae] [batm devlope] [batm frape] [batm frape] [batm fdy ] [batm sere] [batm tdy] [batm sutny] [flik flak] [gr batm ] [pa d val] [plia] [pje d la m] [pase la jb] [pr d bra] [r d jb] Beating disengaged Beating developed Beating struck Beating struck Beating melted Beating tightened Beating stretched Beating sustained Splash Big beating Horse step To bend Foot in the hand Pass the leg Carriage of the arms Leg circle

Temps de lange [t d l] Temps lie [t lje] Temps leve [t lve] Temps de cuisse [t d kwis] Temps de fleche [t d fl] Temps de poisson [t d pwas] Tour [tur] Tour jete [tur jte] Tours chaies deboules [tur ne debule] n Descriptions Adagio Allonge A terre A la barre A la demi-hauteur A la hauteur A la lyre A la second A la quatrieme A rebour Arque Arrondi,e Au milieu Autour de la salle Battu Bateau Bras bas Bras au repos Colle Compose Couru Cou-de-pied Chaie n Change Classique Coupe Croise Deboi te Deboule De cote De face Defile Demi De reins [adajo] [ale] [a tr] [a la bar] [a la dmi tr ] [a la tr ] [a la lir ] [ a la sg] [a la katrijm] [arbur] [arke] [ardi] [o milj] [otur d la sal] [baty] [bato] [bra ba] [bra o rpo] [kole] [kpose] [cury] [ku d pje] [ne] [e] [klasik] [kupe] [kwaze] [debwate] [dbule] [d kote] [d fas] [defile] [dmi] [d r]

Angel step Time connected Time lifted Thigh time Arrow time Fish time Turn Thrown turn Chained tumbling turns

Slowly Extended On the ground At the barre At the half height At the height With the lyre At the second At the forth Backwards Arched Rounded In the middle Around the room Beaten Boat-like Arms low Arms at rest Clued Composed Running Neck of the foot Chained Changed Classical Cut Crossed Disjointed Rolling Sideways Facing Marched past Half Of the back 15

Derrier Dessus Dessous De suite Detourne Devant Develope Divise Double Ecarte Efface Eleve Elance Emboi te En arabesque En arrierre En attitude En avant En balancoire En bas En carre En croix En cloche En couronne En descendant En dedans En dehors En diagonale En face En fondu En haut En lair En manege En remontant En reculant En rond En tournant En travesti Entrelace Envelope Epaule Etendu Etire Failli Ferme Fini

[drjr] [dsy] [dsu] [d sit] [deturne] [dv] [devlope] [divize] [duble] [ekarte] [efase] [elve] [else] [bwate] [ narabsk] [ narjr] [ natityd] [ nav] [ balswar] [ ba] [ kare] [ kwar] [ kl] [ kurn] [ desd ] [ dd] [ dr] [ djagnal] [ fas] [ fdy] [ no] [ lar] [ man] [ rmt] [ rkyl] [ r] [ turn] [ travsti] [trlase] [vlope] [epole] [etdy] [etire] [faji] [frme] [fini]

Behind On top Underneath In succession Diverted In front Developed Divided Doubled Separated Faded Elevated Darted Fitted together In arabesque Backwards In attitude Forward Like a see-saw Low While squared Like a cross Like a clock Like a crown While moving down Inwards Outwards On the diagonal Opposite While melting High In the air In a ring While going back up While moving back Rounded While turning In disquise Interlaced Enveloped Shoulded Extended Stretched Given way Closed Finished 16

Fondu Fouette Frappe Glisse Grand, -e Incline Lent,-e Lie Ouvert,-e Par terre Passe Petit,-e Pietine Pique Place Plie Porte Pose Pouse Precipite Presse Releve Raccourci Ramasse Renverse Retire Retombe Royal,-e Saute Sautille Serre Souleve Sus-sous Soutenu Simple Sur la pointe Sur le talon Sur place Taquete Tombant Tombe Vole Voyage

[fdy] [fwte] [frappe] [glize] [gr, grd] [kline] [l, t] [lje] [uvr, t] [par tr] [pase] [pti, t] [pjetine] [pike] [plase] [plie] [prte] [pose] [puse] [presipite] [prese] [rlve] [rakursi] [ramase] [rvrse] [rtire] [rtbe] [rwajal] [sote] [sotije] [sere] [sulve] [sy su] [sutny] [spl] [syr la pwt] [syr l tal] [syr plas] [takte] [tb] [tbe] [vole] [vwajae]

Melted Whipped Struck Glided Big Inclined Slow Connected Openned On the ground Passed Small Foot-stomping Pricked Placed Bent Carried Put down Pushed Hurried Hurried Lifted up Shortened Picked up Inverted Withdrawn Falling back Royal Jumped Hopped Tightened Lifted Over-under Sustained Simple On point On the heel In place Pegged Falling Fallen Flown Traveled

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6. Numbers Cardinal Numbers un [] deux [d] trois [twa] quatre [katr] cinq [sk] six [sis] sept [st] huit [it] Ordinal Numbers premier,-iere [prmje,jr] deuxieme [dzjm] second, -e [sg, -d] troisieme [twazjm] quatrieme [katrijm] cinquieme [skjm] sixieme [sizjm] Fractions demi [dmi] quart [kar] half quarter first second second third fourth fifth sixth one two three four five six seven eight

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7. Vocabulary The following abbreviations are used: nm nf v prep adj adv masculine noun feminine noun verb preposition adjective adverb

Adjectives can very their spelling and sometime pronunciation based on the gender of the nouns they modify. Example: droit,-e [drwa, drwat] adj. right. There are other cases where the spelling is change but not the pronunciation: carre,-e [kare] (adj.) square a [a] prep. at, on Example. a terre, means it is done on the ground aile [l] nf, the wing Aile de pigion (pigeons wing) The dancer does a cabriole front landing on one leg, then changes legs beating in the air twice, landing on the original leg. air [r] nm, the air En lair, in the air. aller [ale] v, to go Past part. alle pas alle a slow, elegant walk allonger [ale] v, to lengthen, to extend past part. allonge allonge refers to an extended position, e.g., arabesque alonge ange [] nf, the angel Temps de lange is a leap with both legs bent and in back. 19

aplomb [apl] nm, the confidence Aplomb refers to the assurance that a dancer projects on stage. arquer [arke] v, to arch; past part. arque arque refers to a bow-legged dancer. arriere [arjr] adj, back en arriere means backwards, or away from the audience. arrondir [ardir] v, to round. past part. arrondi [ardi] rounded; refers to a rounded shape made by an arm or leg. autour de [otur d] prep, around Autour de la salle means around the room. assembler [asble] v, to assemble Past part. assemble Asemble refers to a jump in which the legs are brought together in the air. avant [av] prep & adv, before (referring to time) En avant, (adv.) forward (referring to position) avec [avk] prep. with Avec chute, with a fall balancer [balse] v, to swing, to rock past part. balance Balance is a rocking step in which the weight is shifted from one foot to the other. balanoire [balswar] nf, the swing or see saw En balanoire is a step that is done while rocking back and forth ballon [baln] nm, the balloon or the ball Ballon describes the buoyant quality of a jump balloner [balne] v, to distend past part. ballone Pas ballone is a step or jump extending one leg, then bringing it in. balloter balte] v, to toss Past part. ballote Pas ballote is a step executed by alternately cutting one foot under the standing leg, and then extending the leg that is lifted.

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bas, basse [ba, bas] adj, low Bras bas arms low Basque [bask] The Basques are people who live in a region near the border between France and Spain. They have their own language and culture. Pas de Basque and saut de Basque are steps that are loosely derived from Basque dancing. bateau [bato] nm,the boat Jete bateau is the same as ballote. battement. [batm] nm, the beating Battement describes a large class of steps in which one leg is separated from the standing leg, such as battement tendu or grand battement. batterie [batri] inf, the battery La batterie refers to the collection ob beaten steps. battre [batr] v, to beat past part. battu [baty] beaten Battu describes any step that is enhanced by beating the legs together, like assemble battu. briser [brize] v, to break. past part. brise Brise refers to a small jump in which the legs are changed while beaten together, and then changed back to land; it is usually done moving forward with the upper body leaning in the direction of travel. bourrer [bure] v, to stuff past part. bourre Pas de bourree is a transition movement, usually a series of three interwoven steps moving sideways. bra [bra] nm, the arm Port de bra, the carriage of the arm. This refers to any arm movement that accompanies a step or exercise. cabriole [kabrijl] nf, caper A cabriole is a jump in which one leg is thrown in the air and the other leg comes up to beat against it. cambrer [kbre] v, to arch past part. cambre Cambre refers to a bend of the body from the waist, usually done during the barre exercises.

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carre,-e [kare] (adj.) square chai er [ne] v, to chain n past. part. chaie n Tours chaies deboules (or just chaie) a series of half turns on point or demi-point. n n changement[ m] nm, the change Changement de pied, usually just called changement, is a small jump in which the front foot is moved to the back. changer [e] to change past part. change Change indicates that the feet change position during the step caractere [karaktr] nm, the character Danse de caractere refers to character dancing; demi-caractere means the step in some way deviates from the classical. chat [a] nm, the cat, Pas de chat, cat step. A set in which the legs go up and come down one at a time, imitating a cat. cheval [val] nm, the horse Pas de cheval, is a barre exercise in which one leg is extended out strait, but brushed coming in, similar to the way a horse paws at the ground. chasser [ase] v, to chase past part. chasse Pas chasse is a glide, usually starting with the feet together, then opening them while gliding, and then finishing with the legs together. chute [yt] nf, the fall A chute refers to a fall that is added to the movement, e.g., tour en lair avec chute allonge, turn in the air with an extended fall. Les ciseaux [sizo] n, the sissors pl. Pas ciseaux is a jump with two straight legs which are switched in the air. {Do not confuse this with sissone. See section 6.g on exceptions.} cloche [kl] nf, the bell En cloche refers to a swinging motion of the leg between front and back. cobra [kobra] nm, the cobra Cobra is a rippling arm movement. coller [kole] v, to glue 22

part part. colle Colle means that both legs are kept together during a jump. composer [kpose] v, to compose. past part. compose ; this refers to groups of movements together. Ballone compose is a ballone and a chasse combined. contre [ktr] prep, against contretemps [ktrt] nm, against time, meaning off the beat. Contretemps or demi-contretemps are preparation or linking steps performed on the upbeat of the music. cou [ku] nm, the neck Sur le cou de pied, on the neck of the foot, is a foot position just above the ankle of the standing leg. corps [kr] nm, the body Corps de ballet refers to the group of dancers of a company who are not soloists or principal dancers. couper [kupe] v, to cut Past part. coupe Coupe means that one foots cuts under and replaces the standing foot. courir [kurir] v, to run Past part. couru [kury] Couru means that a step is done running, e.g., pas de bourree couru. couronne [kurn] nf, the crown Bras en couronne means arms like a crown. The arms are raised above the head and rounded. co [kote] nm, the side te De co means sideways. te crois [krwa] nm, the cross En crois in the shape of a cross; this indicates that an exercise is repeated to the front, side, and back. croiser [kwaze] v, to fold or cross past part. croise Croise refers to the crossed position of the legs as seen from the audience. cuisse [kis] nf, the thigh 23

Temps de cuisse. Similar to a sissonne fermee, but the working foot does a battement degage in preparation de [d] prep. of; Pas de Basque, the Basque step deboi [debwate] v, to dislodge. ter past part. deboi te Pas deboi is an pas emboite on point going backwards. te debouler [debule] v, to tumble down. past part. deboule rolling Deboule refers to a series of half turns on alternating feet dcor [dekr] nm, the scenery dedans [dd] adv. inside En dedans inwards defiler [defile] v, to march past past part. defile Defile indicates that the entire company appears on stage. degager [degae] v, to disengage. past part. degage Battement degage is an exercise at the barre in which the working leg is lifted off the ground. dehors [dr] adv. outside En dehors outwards demi,-e [dmi] adj. half Demi is used to refer to the smaller version of a step, ex. Demi-pointe means on the ball of the foot as opposed to en pointe, which is fully on the pointe of the pointe shoe. derriere [drjr] prep. & adv. behind descendre [desdr] v, to go down. past part. descendu [desdy] present part. descendant en descendant [desd] means going down stage dessous [dsu] adv. Underneath detourner [deturne] v, to divert. past part. detourne 24

Detourne refers to a pivot on both points dessus [dsy] adv. on top of. Sus-sous [sy su] means over-under, a position in which both feet are en pointe or demipointe, one behind the other. devant [dv] prep.& adv. in front of (location) developper [devlpe] v, to develop, to spread past part. developpe Developpe refers to a movement in which the working leg is drawn up the standing leg until it reaches the knee, and then is extended until the knee and foot are straight. diagonale [djagnal] nf, the diagonal En diagonale means moving in a diagonal direction divertissement [divrtism] nm, relaxation Divertissmement refers to one or more short dances within a classical ballet. diviser [divize] v, to divide past part. divise divise en quart divided into four dos [do] nm, the back. Dos a dos back to back; dos au public back to the public doubler [duble] v, to double. past part. double doubled Double refers to a faster version of a step droit,-e [drwa, drwat] adj. right A doite to the right ecarter [ekarte] v, to move apart. Past part. ecarte separated Ecarte describes a position in which the dancer is facing one of the two front corners of the room, or grand ecart means the splits. echapper [eape] v,to escape. past part. echappe escaped Echappe indicates movements in which both legs are simultaneously moved from closed to open. effacer [efase] v, to fade past part. efface faded Efface referrs to the uncrossed position of the legs when the dancer is in 4th or 5th position standing oblique to the audience; opposite of croise. 25

elan [el] nm, the attack Elan refers to the dancers approach to a step. elancer [else] v, to dart. past part. elance Elance means a fast darting movement in which the emphasis is on distance traveled rather than elevation. elevation [elevasj] nf, elevation Elevation often refers to the height of a step, pas delevation refers to any step used to attain height or elevation. elever [lve] v, to elevate past part. eleve Eleve means going up on point or half-point from a flat position. emboi [bwate] v, to fit together, ter past part. emboi fit together or boxed. te Emboi is a jumping step onto alternating feet with other the foot off the ground in te coupe. en [] prep., while En renverse, while reversed enchai er [ene] v, chain up, connect. n pres.part. enchaiement [nm] linking n Enchaiement refers to a group of steps linked together. n enlever [lve] v, to remove pres. part. enlevement [lvm] carrying off. Enlevement means the male dancer lifts his partner off the ground. entrer [tre] v, to enter past part. entre Entre refers to the arrival of a dancer or group of dancer for a variation. entrechat [tra] nm, leap or skip Entrechant refers to jumps in which the dancer rapidly crosses and uncrosses the legs. entrelacer [trlase] v, to intertwine past part. entrelace Jete entrelace is also called tour jete in America. enveloper [vlpe] v, to envelope past part. envelope 26

Envelope refers to a movement that is the opposite of develope. epaule [epl] nf, the shoulder Epaule [eple] means shouldered; indicates standing or posing with the shoulders at a specific angle; Epaulment [eplm] means shouldering, or placing the shoulders at a specific angle. equilibre [ekilibr] nm, the balance Equilibre refers to the dancers ability to hold a pose. etendre [etdr] v, to spread out. past part. etendu [etdy] extended Etendu refers to the second half of a plie when the legs are straightening. etirer [etire] v, to stretch Past part. etire stretched etoile [etwal] nf, the star A leading dancer in the company. faillir [fajir] v, to give way, fail past part. failli [faji] Pas failli is a one-count movement that starts with a jump from both feet and ends falling forward onto one foot. face [fas] nf, the face. En face, means opposite to something; indicates facing the audience. De face means in front; also indicates facing the audience. fermer [frme] v, to close Past part. ferme Ferme is used to mean both legs together, ex. sissone ferme. It is the opposite of overt. finir [finir] v, to finish Past. Part. fini finished flechir [fleir] v, to bend flechir les genoux, to bend the knees. flick flack [flik flak] nm, the splash Flick flack is a barre exercise. The working leg does a small pas de cheval in front of the standing leg and then in back. It is usually done with a pirouette during the second pas de cheval. It can also start back. fleche [fl] nm, the arrow. 27

Temps de fleche is a jump in which one leg does a grand battement and the other leg does a quick develope past it. fondre [fdr] v, to melt past part. fondu [fdy] Fondu indicates that the standing leg goes slowly from straight to bent. fouetter [fwete] v, to whip past part. fouette This refers to a large group of movements where the leg is whipped. frapper [frape] v, to strike past part. frappe Frappe is an exercise at the barre in which the working leg strikes the floor with the ball of the foot. gargouiller [garguje] v, to gurgle Gargouillade [gargujad] is a noun that is derived from the verb. The step is essentially a pas de chat in which a rond de jambe en lair is added at the beginning and the end. gauche [go] adj., left a gauche to the left genou,-x [nu] nm, the knee Genou dans la main is a stretching exercise in which the leg is in a back attitude and the knee is grabbed to aid in stretching. glissade [glisad] nf, the glide Glissade is a small traveling step in which the dancer starts in plie, extend one leg out, and then brings the second leg in back to plie. glisser [glise] v, to glide past part. glisse grand,-e [gr, grd] adj, large hanche [] nf, the hip Tour-hauche was a device to promote turn-out. haut,-e [o, ot] adj, high hauteur [otr] nf, the height A la hauteur is a position with the leg extended at 90 degrees. ici [isi] adv, here

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Dici-dela means from here and there; moving an extended leg between front and side, or back and side. incliner [kline] v, to tilt past part. incline incline means the body is inclided, e.g., arabesque incline. jambe [b] nf, the leg Rond de jambe, the circle of the leg; this refers to a large class of exercises where the leg is circled. jeter [[te] v, to throw past part. jete Battement jete is a barre exercise in which the working leg is lifted off the ground; grand jete is a leap in which one leg is thrown forward. la [la] adv, there {See ici, above.} lent, -e [l, lt] adj, slow lever [leve] v, to lift, raise; past part. leve temps leve is a hop on one foot with the other leg raised. lier [lje] v, to bind, tie; past part. lie connected temps lie is a controlled shift of weight from one leg to the other. ligne [li] nf, the line. Le ligne refers to the outline that a classical dancer presents. A la lyre, or en lyre, means the arms rounded like a lyre main [m] nf, the hand. Pied dans la main, literally, foot in the hand, is a stretching exercise. mai tre,-sse [mtr, mtrs] n(m/f) the teacher Le mai de ballet, the ballet master, or La mai tre tresse de balle, the ballet mistress, is the person charged with the training of the dancers in a company. manege [man] nm, the merry-go-round En manege refers to an exercise done in a circle traveling around the room. marcher [mare] v, to walk past part. marche Pas marche refers to a dignified, classical walk. 29

marquer [marke] v, to mark marquer means to walk through the steps of an exercise or variation. mileu [milj] nm, the middle Au mileu in the middle of the room mimer [mime] v, to mime mimer means to mime a character. monter [mte] v, to go up monter means to rise onto point or demi-point. ouverture [uvrtyr] nf, the opening Louverture de la jambe starts by a grand battement front or back and continues into a rond de jambe en lair. ouvrir [uvrir] v, to open past. part. ouvert sissone ouvert ends with one leg lifted off the floor. . pappillon [papij] nf, the butterfly A pappillon is a small jump, first onto one foot and then other in the forward direction, often done while fluttering the arms. par [par] prep, by, on Par terre on the floor pas [p] nm, the step {Please see the description under The Major Classes of Ballet Step.} passer [pse] v, to pass, go apart; past part. passe Passer la jambe, or passing the leg, is usually just called pass. The working leg passes the side of the standing leg going front to back or back to front. pencher [pe] v, to lean past part. penchee Penchee means the entire upper body is bent forward. petit,-e [pti, ptit] adj, small pied [pje] nm, the foot Pied a demi is on half point, pied a pointe is on point, pied a terre means the foot is on the ground.

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pietiner [pjetine] v, to stamp ones feet pietiner usually refers to accented movements on point. pigeon [pi] nm, the pigeon See Ailes de pigeon (pigeons wings) pirouette [pirwt] nf, an about turn. A pirouette is a turn on one leg. piquer [pike] v, to prick; past part. pique Pique usually means stepping directly onto point or demi-point. pistolet [pistle] nm, the pistol Pistolet is also called Ailes de pigeon (see above) place [plas] nf, the space Sur place means the dancer remains in one place. placer [plase] v, to place past part. place Place refers to the correct placing of the dancers body and limbs. planer [plane] v, to glide, to float past part. plane plane refers to steps in which the dancer holds a position in the air. plier [plie] v, to bend plier refers to the bending of the knees. pointe [pw nf, the point t] Sur les points or en point means on the points, and refers to dancing on the tips of the point shoes. pointer [pwte] v, to point past part. pointe Pointe means the step or exercise is done with pointed feet. poisson [pwas] nm, the fish Temps de poisson is a jump with the back arched, both legs trail behind and are held tightly together. port [pr] nm, the carriage Port de bras, carriage of the arms porter [prte] v, to carry; 31

past part. porte Porte refers to either a step that travels, or to a male dancer carrying his partner. pose [poz] nf, the pose. Pose refers to any position that is held for a time. poser [poze] v, to put down, to pose past part. pose Pose is a step onto pointe or demi-pointe with a small develope of the other foot. pouser [puse] v, to push past part. pouse promenade [prmnad] nf, the stroll En promenade, means while walking Tour de promenade, usually just refered to as promenade, is a slow turn in place on one leg. precipiter [presipite] v, to push or to hurry past part. precipite rapid, fast Precipite refers to a fast transition step, in which a straightened leg is extended forward and then exchanged with the other leg, which is also straightened. presser [prese] v, to speed up past part. presse Presse means the step is sped up. raccourcir [rakursir] v, to shorten past part. raccourci [rakursi] shortened Raccourci refers to movements in which an extended leg is quickly brought in. ramasser [ramase] v, to gather, to pick up. past part. ramasse Ramasse means the legs are brought back together. reculer [rkule] v, to move back pres part. reculant drawing back En reculant means the working leg goes from front to back rein [r] nm, the small of the back, the kidney Tour de rein is a coupe-jete en tournant done en menege. Serrer les reins refers to the tightening of the abdominal and buttocks muscles. rebours [rbur] adv. a rebours means backwards

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relever [rlve] v, to lift up past part. releve Releve means going from demi-plie to pointe or demi-pointe remonter [rmte] v, to go back up; pres. part. remontant [rmt] En remontant means the step is done while moving upstage. renverser [rvrse] v, to overturn past part. renverse inverted renverse refers to a movement made by reaching one leg back in attitude and arching the back. repetition [repetisj] nf, rehearsal repertoir [reprtwar] nf, the list The repertoir refers to the ballets that a company is capable of performing. retirer [rtire] v, to withdraw; past part. retire Retire refers to a position in which the thigh of one leg is raised so the pointed toe touches the standing leg near the knee. retomber [rtbe] v, to fall again, land; past part. retombe Retombe means falling back to the original position. reverence [revers] nf, bow or curtsey Reverence is a bow or curtsey done at the end of class. rond [r] nm, the circle Rond de jambe, circle of the leg. Any one of a large number of exercises in which the leg is circled while the pelvis is held still. The foot can either be on the ground, a terre, or in the air, en lair. royal, -e [rwajal] adj, royal Royal describes an extra beat that is added to a jump before changing feet in the air. salle [sal] nf, the room Autour de la salle, around the room saut [so] nm, the jump Any step that begins with saut means it is jumped, e.g, saut de Basque, saut de chat. sauter [sote] v, to jump; past part. saute 33

Saut means the step is jumped. sautiller [sotije] v, to skip, hop; past part. sautille Sautille means the step is done with hops. serrer [sere] v, to grip, to tighten past part. serre Serre refers to tight, small beats, e.g. battement serre. seul,-e [sl] adj, alone Pas seul a sola simple [spl] adj, simple, ordinary soubresaut [subrso] nm, the jolt Soubresaut is a jump with both legs together. soulever [sulve] v, to lift past part. souleve Souleve means the leg is lifted, e.g., rond de jambe souleve. sous [su] prep, under soutenir [sutnir] v, to support, to sustain. past part. soutenu Soutenu usually refers to a turn in which the dancer keeps both legs straightened. suite [sit] prep de suite means in succession, i.e., the step is repeated. suivre [sivr] v, to follow past part suivi Suivi means a series of small steps, e.g., pas de bourree suivi sur [syr] prep, on Sur la pointe, on point talon [tal] nm, the heal Talon a la main jambe tendue, literally: heal in the hand, leg stretched taquet [tak] nm, the cleat Taquete refers to staccato steps on point. temps [t] nm, the time {Please see the description under The Major Classes of Ballet Step.} 34

tendre [tdr] v, to stretch past part. tendu [tdy] stretched Battement tendu is one of the most basic barre exercises. One leg is extended outward with a straightened foot that remains on the floor. terminer [trmine] v, to finish past part. termine Termine refers to the end of a step or movement, e.g., termine en attitude. terre [tr] nf, the ground A terre or par terre means a step is done on the floor, as opposed to with a raised leg. tire-bouchon [tir bu] nm, the corkscrew En tire-bouchon like a corkscrew. The raised leg has a pointed foot with the toe touching the knee of the standing leg. tirer [ tire ] v, to pull en tire-bouchon pull the cork This refers to movements in which the leg is raised or lowered and at the same time extended or retrieved. tiroir [tirwar] nm, the drawer Faire les tiriors, to make the drawers. Two opposing lines of dancers cross each other. tomber [[tbe] v, fall past part tombe Tombe means falling onto one foot. tour [tur] nm, the turn This can refer to any one of a large number of steps that involves turning, usually in the air. tourner [turne] v, to turn pres part. tournant [turn] En tournant means doing the step while turning. travestir [travstir] v, to dress up past part. travesti [trvste] En travesti means in disguise valse [vals] nm, the waltz. Pas de valse is a waltz step voler [vle] v, to fly past part. vole 35

Vole is a version of a step done higher off the ground, e.g. brisse vole. voyager [vwajae] v, to travel past part. voyage Voyage means a pose is traveled by means of small jumps.

8. Suggestions for Further Reading 1. Christopher Kendris, Pronounce It Perfectly in French, Barrons Educational Series, New York, NY, 1994. If youre serious about learning French pronunciation, this is the best solution. This comes with two cassettes and an accompanying book. There is a step by step guide with pronunciation by native speakers. 2. Gail Grant, Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet, Dover Books, Mineola, NY, 1985. This is an inexpensive little paper-back book that I have carried in my dance bag for the last fifteen years. It describes almost all common ballet terminology with a rough guide to pronunciation. 3. Gretchen Ward Warren, Classical Ballet Technique, The University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 1989. Among other things, his book describes ballet steps in detail, often using multiple pictures to show how a step should look. It includes valuable information for both students and teachers. 4. Eliza Gaynor Minden, The Ballet Companion, Simon and Schuster, New York, NY, 2005. This is an interesting book with a very informative glossary of the ballet terms. It also contains dance history and cultural notes on ballet. 5. Joan Wall, International Phonetic Alphabet for Singers, PstInc, Dallas, TX, 1989 This is a very good book to learn IPA. You need not be a singer. 6. Lincoln Kirstein, Muriel Stuart, Carlus Dyer, The Classic BalletBasic Technique and Terminology, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY, 1979. This has long been one of the best books on ballet terminology. Simple figures give a step by step explanation of the steps. 36

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