Balletic Terminology and what to do

After 3 weeks of ballet almost everyday I have decided to create this blog. I am being eased more and more into the professional world of ballet. I was a late starter and am surrounded by some individuals who have done it there whole life. Never let this stop you, if you want to learn you will. Hard work beats talent that never tries.

So, in the spirit of ballet, here is a beginners list to some essentials. I shall write a list of terminology you may find in your ballet classes; what it means, what to do and what the words really mean in your body.

I will start at the beginners (a place to visit and revisit no matter how advanced) and throughout this year extend the list.

All the key words will be in French, whether stating the position or direction. This is due to ballet being founded in royal French courts creating “French” as the language of art taught around the world.

Positions- feet

First- a “v” shape with your feet heels touching. This is based on three levels of flexibility: ankles, knees and hips- if one is not up to the others do not force or you will cause an injury. Work with your least flexible so you improve at a regulated professional rate. To find your first position stand with feet together facing forward and naturally lift your toes up and face out. Where it feels comfortable is your turnout.

Second- from first shift your weight to one side, lift off you unsupported leg and brush across the floor (in the same horizontal line) to the side with about two of your feet distance gap in between both feet.

Third- from second, maintaining the turn out on both feet, shift weight to one side and the unsupported leg will brush in front of the supporting leg. The heel will rest (unspotted leg) in between the heel and toe by the arch in your supported leg. This is an “easier fifth “ and works well for me and others with less turn out. Imagine turning out from your upper thighs, like someone is sitting behind you and pulling you from the inside of your legs on each side.

Fourth- from third, push the leg forward so the heel of your unsupported leg (one moving forward) is one of your feet away in front of your supportive leg toe. The aim is to make sure the front leg maintains turn out.

Fifth- from fourth, brush the front keg to touch your supporting leg. Maintaining the same position of front keg heel on back leg toe. Do not over force turn out as it will do more bad than good. Not everyone is meant to be “flat” and it does not determine level of technique. But the more you practice the better improvement you will see.

Positions- arms

Brava- this is the lowest arm position and is commonly used before starting a phrase. Create a circle shape with your arms, like you were hugging a tree, and lengthen out a little. The elbow should always face back, and arm crease to the audience. Lower shoulders. This position can then be

lowered so the hands rest just under the navel. The hands should be re!axed as they create most of the fluidity, but show every finger.

First: This position is brave lifted to be in line between the navel and chest. Exact placement depends on the style of ballet taught, as there are differences between practitioners.

Second: MAKE SURE ARM MOVEMENTS GO THROUGH FIRST POSITION TO GO TO THE NEXT. Second is the arms extended outward from first, ensure the elbow stays facing back. Aim to be slightly lower than shoulder height to make sure they don’t size, but again this depends on the type of technique

Third: From second position you bend inwards the arm of the front foot. This will make (if in a third position with right foot forward)- right arm to be bent in to a “first position” and left arm to be in “second position.

Fourth- this is a combination of “brava” and “fifth” position. If you are in a fourth position with right foot forward, the right arm will be held in “fifth” and the left arm down in “brava”. Imagine being pulled from the top and bottom to give an elongated look to the curved arm and to maintain the eye-width gap between the fingers (even though the arms are apart).

Fifth: from first extend this position over your head. The gap between the palmscshoukd be an eye width, and the arms should only go as high as you can see them with your head in neutral. Do not go up to 180° when in fifth.

Arabesque: This placement looks like 9 o'clock with the front arm extend slightly higher than a horizontal plane. The arm forward is the opposite side to the leg going back. So if I was in a right arabesque, my left arm would face front and right arm be at 90°. Palms face down and keep the hands delicate, thinking of rain trickling down your arm off your hand to the floor.

Open arabesque: from arabesque, extend the side arm to complement the working leg. It will open your body more to the audience, and be held at the same parallel as the leg extension. Again, do not over extend the arm but move back a few inches to open the body but KEEPING the shoulders SQUARE.

Class should always start with barre work. This is the horizontal surface to use for additional support in warming up. A barre allows focus to be in strength training with support for weight placement and balances. You must still perform on the barre but are mainly focusing on one sided arm movement. Once in the centre you combine every element you’ve learnt. There is a barre etiquette at which to adhere to. First, for practicality, when at the barre you must be at a suitable distance away that your arm is straight when holding on, if not adjust the arm to be further forward. To the right side, dancers will face front. Those standing to the left side (in the direction if the front if class) face the back when performing the rep. This ensures there is enough space to work in.

Space

Devant- meaning front. If any move has “devant” such as “tendu devant” it is required for this to face the front. This phrase can also be substituted for “en face”.

Derriere- meaning back. Again, and movement with “derriere” means it is to be aimed to the back.

A la seconde- means to second (side) pathway.

En Croix- describes a specific pathway. Front, side, back, side to create a cross shape.

More advanced spacing:

Imagine when standing in fifth that there is a box that covers your perimeter with an even cross striking all corners. This is where we learn the foot placement.

Position 1- croise devant

This means front leg forward and cross the body to the top left corner if the box (if

starting on the right foot)

Position 2- devant

Simply this means front leg forward

Position 3- efface

Your front leg goes to the closest top corner of the box (top right corner if right keg) and

your upper body turns in to meet between your legs.

Position 4- a la seconde

Simply to the side (this does not mean a 180° angle but to where your turn out is)

Position 5- croise derriere

From a second position close the working leg behind and push to the furthest away

bottom corner (Bottom left corner for a back right leg. The body turns (as if in arabesque

but looks up to the highest arm (front).

Position 6- ecarte

From Croise decent, keeping your supporting leg facing the back corner (one major

difference between Ecarte and efface; which changes facing of the hips) extend the front

leg to the closest front corner (top right for right keg).

Position 7- epaule

From encarte close behind and then extend the back leg to the closest back corner (right

leg to bottom right). The body(hips) are facing the front leg and the body is “hiding” itself

with the front arm.

Position 8- derriere

In fifth brush the back leg to the back, in line with the hips and turned out

Position 9- efface derriere

Similar to epaule in terms if feet, the difference is facing. Efface derriere points the hips

closer to the direction if the supporting keg opening the body up more to the audience.

Famous positions

Arabesque- from a given foot position raise the back leg off the ground ensuring to brush through your foot. When raising your leg make sure you hip does not go out of line; by this I mean imagine headlights on each of your hips and make sure they shine straight ahead in perfect line with each other. Only lift your leg as high as this will allow. An arabesque is purely strength related and has nothing to do with how flexible you are. Do not arch the back or lift a hip to achieve a higher leg as it will do more damage in the long run. Work on strengthening from low at home so when I'm class your muscle memory knows its natural position. You need to aim to have your heel facing as close to the floor as you can to elongate the turn out. To ensure your foot is not sickled, (when you point your foot not a straight line from leg to ankle) think of the toe facing the ceiling to add length to the leg.

Attitude- from the arabesque position, maintaining alignment, bend your leg slightly. However an easier method I take to get into attitude and understand my turn out is from coup-de-pied. This means from first position lift one foot and wrap it around the ankle aiming the heel in front of the leg and toes behind. From here push the lower leg as a whole behind then slightly push it further across the body. Go as far as your body will allow, by doing this you will improve. This position can be done on flat foot, demi pointe (tippy-toes) or en pointe. It is vital to lower the leg is needed to avoid looking like a dog urinating. This position can also be done to the front, again outstretching the leg forward now aiming the heel to the ceiling and bending at the knee softly. There are variations on an attitude such as “inward” which I will write about at a later date.

Promenade: This is an action where a pose such as arabesque is showcased in a 360° view. By maintaining the toes on the floor, shifting the heel will allow you to move 1\8 to 1\4 turn. It is vital

to maintain the upperbody as supported and still as possible. Normally coming-out of this move, you will elongate (reach a little further from each limb) before continuing.

Basic sequence transitions

Pas-de-bouree: this is a transition sequence made up of three streps- coupe-side-coupe. If I were moving front it would be coupe (foot on ankle), step front, coupe. Imagine the back leg to be chasing the front, and keep the movement sharp and under itself.

“Tombe”- may be added before pas de- meaning “to fall”. In this instance it is giving you instruction on dynamic quality for the movement.

Glissade: “to glide”. The aim of the step is to come just enough off the ground to slide a piece of paper under your feet. It starts from ONE foot and finishes on ONE foot. From fifth, brush the back leg out into a low second then push the other leg to match the same position. You should be able to take a picture mid-move and see even legs. The front leg then lands first followed by the back.

Basic sequence jumps

Assemble: An assemble stays on the spot aiming to go up and land. You start in 5th position and brush the back foot across in a tendu a LA second to push from the floor on TWO feet. Both feet meet in the air in fifth position before landing on TWO feet. Make sure the hips don’t tilt (as if they are a bowl of water and it has to stay still to avoid spilling. For a more advanced move, try doing a double beat (meaning hitting into 5th twice or more landing).

Sissonne: Sissonne is a jump named after the man who created it, and is NOT meaning scissors which people are led to believe. A Sissonne starts on TWO feet and finishes on ONE. From fifth position you plie and jump into an arabesque shape and land front foot first. The back foot then closes behind. It create a 1, 1\2, 1,2 beat often expressed as “1, and 2.” When jumping imagine someone lifting you for added height. This strength comes from the core muscles so engage then while imagining someone’s and there lifting you.

To end the class you may do ADAGIO meaning SLOW. This is where a short sequences is taught to put certain elements into practice.

To wrap up you will do “jumps”. These are not big leaps like a grande jete but mini in the sense they stay under you. The point here is to build strength. From a plus you will jump into a 5th position in the air and land again in a given plie. A variation of foot positions will be given and the aim is to push off and get as high as the music allows you but to also land gently going through each bone\muscle in your foot.

I know it seems overwhelming. I myself have read through ballet dictionaries and thought I would never learn any of it. The more you do the more you learn, the terminology and quality will come just enjoy the learning process.