TERMS USED IN NED WAYBURN’S MODERN AMERICANIZED BALLET TECHNIQUE

Arabesque—A posture executed with one foot on the floor.

Assemblé—To bring the feet together.

Attitude—A posture executed with both feet on the floor.

Balance—A combined slide (glissé), closing of the feet, rising on the toes and lowering of the heels.

Changement de Pied—Changing the position of the feet.

Chassé—A chasing step in three movements: Slide (glissé), cut (coupé), slide (glissé).

Ciseaux—The scissors step: A point and swing with one foot while hopping twice on the other.

Coupé—To cut.

Dégager—To sway; to transfer.

Demi Pas de Basque—A half or incomplete pas de basque.

Écarté—To jump from a closed position, open the feet in the air, and land in a closed position.

Échappée—(Escaped.) Any changement done on the toes.

Élever—To rise on the toes.

Entrechat—To spring into the air and change the position of the feet as often as possible before landing.

Fouetté—A swinging of the leg.

Frappé—To stamp the foot.

Glissé—To slide.

Glissade—Three movements combined: Élever (to rise on the toes), glissé (to slide), assemblé (to close the feet).

Grand Battement—High beating.

Jeté—To leap or throw the weight from one foot to the other.

Movement—An activity of the body from a resting position; also a change from one activity to another.

The nine standard dancing Movements are:

(1) Droit—to swing the foot forward and backward;

(2) Overt—to swing the foot from right to left;

(3) Glissé—to slide;

(4) Tourné—to turn;

(5) Tortiller—to twist;

(6) Battu—to beat;

(7) Sauté—to hop;

(8) Jeté—to leap;

(9) Coupé—to cut.

THE BIRTH OF VENUS

Pas—A step.

Pas Ballonné—A combination of hop, step, hop.

Pas Boiteaux—A limping step in three movements: Hop on right foot and raise left leg forward with the knee straight; step forward on left foot; step forward on right foot.

Pas de Basque—A step of three movements: Demi rond de jambe, jeté (describe half circle in air with leg, leap); glissé (slide); coupé (cut).

Pas de Bourrée—(Stuffing step.) Three little steps on ball of the foot.

Pas de Chat—(Cat step.) Four sideward movements: Leap, slide, step, step.

Pas Marché—(Marching step.) Four movements: step, swing, step, close.

Pas Sissonne—Imitation of opening or closing of a pair of scissors, done by bending in fifth position, hopping to one side, at the same time lifting opposite leg in second position; then leg down in front and assemblé in front with the leg that did the hop.

Petit Battement—Low beating.

Petit Battement avec Port de Bras—Low bending with arm movements.

Petit Battement sur le Cou de Pied—Small beatings around the ankle.

Petite Rond de Jambe—Small foot circles described on the floor.

Plier—To bend the knees.

Pirouette—An artistic turn executed on one foot.

Pointe—The toe.

Port de Bras—Carriage of the arms. The five arm movements are: Bending, stretching, raising, lowering, turning.

Rond de Jambe—Circles in the air executed by the leg.

Sauté—To hop.

Step—A placing of the foot in any direction and transferring the weight onto it.

Terre à Terre—A series of pas de bourrées of four or more steps.

Three-step Turn—A complete turn, right or left, in three steps.

Tortiller—To turn or twist the leg.

Tour de Basque—A basque turn; pirouette de basque.

Tour Jeté—Jeté with a turn; one step sideward to right, one leap and complete turn; one step sideward onto right foot.

Tour Sauté—One step, one hop, turning completely around in direction of the step.