Basic Ballet/Jazz Dance Terms

Moving one body part at a time, in jazz usually broken down to the head, shoulders, ribs, and hips. ​

• Isolations
• Plie'
• Releve'
• Port de bras

To bend or fold at the knee

• Isolations

• Plie'

• Releve'

• Port de bras

To raise (as in on the ball of your foot)

• Isolations

• Plie'

• Releve'

• Port de bras

Side stretches from the waist

• Lateral Stretch

• Lunge Stretch

One leg back, front leg @ 90 degree angle, ankle under the knee, back leg is “on the walk” & back of knee toward ceiling

• Lateral Stretch

• Lunge Stretch

Carriage of the arms, arm positions

• Plie'

• Releve'

• Chasse'

• Port de bras

4 steps done in a box shape

• Jazz Square

• Jazz Walk

Stylized walks, generally done on a “forced arch”

• Jazz Square

• Jazz Walk

Weight transfer on the ball of the foot

• Pas de Bourre

• Pivot Turn

• Ball Change

• Three Step Turn

A turn where the dancer rotates around its vertical axis without traveling

• Pivot Turn

• Three Step Turn

• Jazz Square

• Saut de Chat