Ballet Vocabulary

Plié mean

• to rise

• to squat

• to leap

• to bend

Tendu means

• to stretch

• to lower

• to rise

• to circle

Degagé means

• to lengthen

• to strike

• to disengage

• to bend

port de bras means

• carriage of the body

• carriage of the arms

• carriage of the torso

• carriage of the head

Passé means

• to pass

• to cross

• to stretch

• to lower

When your arms are low it is referred to as

• en eau

• en bas

• en aire

• en dedans

When you cambré your back is

• arched

• straight

• spiraling

• curved

Relevé means

• to lower

• to travel

• to rise

• to elevate

Sous-sus means literally

• over-under

• over-around

• underneath

• wrapped

Soutenu means

• sustained

• limited

• arched

• withdrawn