Ballet Terms

A-B, C-D, J-R, S-W

E

Écarté [ay-kar-TAY] Separated. One of the eight directions of the body in the Cecchetti method. The dancer faces one of the front corners and the leg is extended to the side.

Échappé [ay-sha-PAY] Escape. A movement in which the legs move from fifth position to second position or sometimes to fourth position.

Effacé , Effacée [eh-fa-SAY] Shaded. One of the directions of épaulement. The dancer faces one of the downstage corners. The legs are open instead of crossed. The upstage part of the dancer’s body is hidden from the audience.

Entrechat [ahn-truh-SHAH] Interweaving or braiding. A jump from two feet landing on one or two feet. While in the air the dancer beats the legs together. The number of times the dancers beats the legs is dependent on the number after the word entrechat. For example entrechat quatre or entrechat six.

Épaulement [ay-pohl-MAHN] Shouldering. The movement of the shoulders forward or back to add expressiveness to a pose.

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F

Face, en [ahn FAHSS] Facing the audience.

Fondu [fawn-DEW] To melt. This is an exercise in which a dancer stands on one leg and both legs bend and extend at the same time. The movement can be done with the working leg moving to the front side or back.

Fouetté [fweh-TAY] Whipped. The working leg is brushed either forward or backward. The dancer then uses the energy to turn the body while the working leg stays where it is.

Fouetté en tournant [fweh-TAY ahn toor-NAHN] Turning fouetté . The dancer uses the whipping motion of the leg to turn around. Usually  several turns are performed in a row with the leg whipping on each rotation.

Frappé [fra-PAY] To strike. An exercise in which the dancer forcefully extends the working leg from the ankle of the supporting leg to the front, side or back.

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G

Glissade [glee-SAD] Glide. A step that travels from one foot to the other. The dancer begins in fifth position plié . She then brushes one foot out to a pointe a few inches off the floor and pushes off the supporting leg and closes it in plié . A glissade can be done in any direction.

Grand, Grande [grahn, grahnd] Large.

Grand Battement [grahn bat-MAHN] Large beat. Kick. An exercise in which the working leg is brushed out and then raised into the air and brought down again. Grand battements can be taken front, side or back.

Grand Jeté [grahn zjuh-TAY]. Large throw. A large jump, usually forward, that is done from one foot to the other.