Carol's Ballet Practice

General Requirements

• DRESS:
  -- tights (pink preferred)
  -- leotard (black preferred)
  -- ballet slippers
  -- hair tightly contained so it doesn't move
  -- cell phones off during class
  -- bring water for breaks

FOOT and ARM POSITIONS

upper left: first
upper right: second
lower left: third
lower middle: fourth
lower right: fifth

WARM-UP EXERCISES at the barre

1. raise right heel high off floor off floor with ball of foot pushing into floor; feel stretch in legs
2. as right heel lowers, raise left heel high off floor with ball of foot pushing into floor
3. repeat to complete 8 beats: right, left, right, left, right, left

1. demi-plié
2. heels up
3. relevé (to straight legs)
4. heels down
5. relevé
6. forced arch (demi-plié with heels up)
7. heels down
8. straight

VOCABULARY (definitions from class handout)

You can get pronunciations at howjsay.com.

at the Barre

1. demi-plié     (DEH-mi plee-AY)
   bending of the knee or knees with the legs well turned out
   good instruction for beginners (2:58) (no arms; video begins at 0:30)
   shown in different positions, with arms (2:13)
2. grand plié     (grawn plee-AY)
   full bending of the knee
3. battement     (BAH-te-mon)
   the extension of the leg and its return to the previous position
   [Note: the French word ‘battement’ means beating, as in a heart beat or drum beat]
4. battement tendu     (BAH-te-mon tawn-DEW)
   stretched battement
   battement tendu devant (1:36)
5. battement dégagé     (BAH-te-mon DAY-gah-zhay)
   similar to battement tendu, with the working foot rising about 3 inches off the floor
   young learners (2:32) (instruction starts at 0:19)
6. rond de jambe     (ROAN de(r) ZHAM-ba)
   circular movement of the leg
7. battement fondu     (BAH-te-mon FAWN-due)
   sinking down, melting action of the legs
   good basic instruction (1:50)
8. battement développé     (BAH-te-mon DAY-veh-low-pay)
   developed battement
   no verbal instruction, but beautiful (0:43)
9. grand battement     (grawn BAH-te-mon)
   (large beating) the working leg reaches a 90 degree angle or higher, both knees are straight
   good instruction (2:29) (instruction starts at 0:27)

General Important Ballet Terms

1. en dehors     (awn de(r)-OR)
   outwards
2. en dedans     (awn de(r)-DAWN)
   inwards
3. devant     (de(r)-VAWN)
   to the front
4. à la seconde     (ah la seh-CAWN-de)
   to the side
5. derriére     (dare-ree-AIR)
   to the back
6. en croix     (awn QUA)
   in the shape of a cross
7. croisé     (QUA-say)
   crossed—position of the body in relation to space
8. port de bras     (pore de(r) BWA)
   carriage of the arms
9. arabesque     (are-a-BESQUE)
   ballet position; one leg is extended behind, knee is straight
   excellent instruction (3:32) (second arabesque; instruction starts at 0:36)
10. attitude     (AT-ti-toode)
    ballet position; one knee joint forms a 90 degree angle, and well turned out
11. cambré
    arching of the back
12. élevé     (AA-la-VAY)
    to rise to demi-pointe
13. relevé     (RE(r)-la-VAY)
    to plié before rising to demi-pointe
14. sous-sus     (SUE-see)
    under-over; it is a relevé in fifth position
15. soutenu (also referred to as détouré)     (SUE-teh-new)
    sustained; at the barre to turn around;
    it is a pivot turn on both demi-pointes
16. révérence     (RAY-vay-rawn-ce)
    an elaborate curtsey

at the Center

1. balancé     (BAHL-own-say)
   (rocking step)   Waltz!
   shifting the weight from one foot to another
2. pas de bourrée     (pah de(r) boo-RAY)
   a three step combination
   an advanced dancer (1:54; instruction starts at 0:27)
3. tombeé     (TOME-bay)
   a fall shifting the weight from one foot to another
4. chassé     (SHAH-say)
   one foot chasing another in plié
   young learners (4:07)
5. pirouette     (PEER-oh-ETTE)
   (to whirl, spin)   a turn in any position springing from relevé
6. sauté     (SO-tay)
   a jump that starts and ends in plié, usually in first position
7. échappé     (AY-sho-pay)
   (escaping) begins and ends in plié
8. glissade     (GLEE-sod)
   (to glide)   begins and ends in plié with knees extending in between
   young learners (3:44)
9. pas de chat     (PAH de(r) SHA)
   cat-like step
10. changement     (SHAWNGE-mahn)
    to change feet in the air
11. soubresaut     (SUE-breh-SO)
    a jump starting and ending in fifth position
12. temps levé     (TAHN le-VAY)
    a sauté in any position springing from one foot and landing on the same foot
13. saut de chat     (SEW-do-SHA)
    cat's jump

Bonus

• ballerina     (BAL-er-ee-na)
  a principle female dancer
• danseur     (DAWN-sir)
  a male dancer