Dance Vocabulary
Up Dance Vocabulary Comments


French (Pronunciation) Translation

Click on below for pictures

A la quatrieme (ah-la-cot-ree-em)

 

to the 4th position

A la seconde (ah-la-se-cohnd)

 

to the 2nd position

A terre (ah-tair)

 

on the ground

Adagio (u-dah-gee-oh)

 

slow

Allegro (u-leg-grow)

 

fast

Allongé (o-lohn-jay)

 

elongated

Arabesque (air-u-besk)

pose

Assemblé (o-som-blay)

 

assemble

Attitude

 

pose

Baisé (bay-zay)

 

lower

Balancé (bal-un-say)

 

rocking step

Balancoire (bal-un-swar)

 

swinging

Ballonné (ball-oh-nay)

 

bounced

Ballotté (ball-oh-tay)

 

tossed

Battement (baht-ma)

 

kick

Battu (baht-two)

 

beat

Bourré (boo-ray)

 

little steps

Bras (brah)

 

arms

Cambré (cahm-bray)

 

arch

Chaines (shen-nay)

 

chain step

Changement (shange-ma)

 

change

Chassé (shah-say)

 

chase

Contretemps (cahn-tru-tom)

 

counter-time

Corps (core)

 

body

Coupé (coo-pay)

 

cut

Couru (core-oo)

 

run

Croisé (kwah-zay)

 

crossed

De coté (day-coh-tay)

 

sideways

Degagé (day-ga-jay)

disengaged

Demi (de-mee)

 

half/small

Derriere (dair-ee-air)

 

back

Dessous(oo) (day-soo)

 

under

Dessus(oh) (day-soh)

 

over

Detourné (day-tour-nay)

 

turn around

Devant (du-vahnt)

 

front

Developpé (day-vel-oh-pay)

 

develope

Écarté (ay-car-tay)

 

thrown apart

Échappé (ay-shah-pay)

 

escape

Effacé (ay-fah-say)

 

facing

Elancé (ee-lahn-say)

 

dart

Elevé (el-lah-vay)

 

lifted (straight knees)

Emboité (ahm-bwah-tay)

 

box-like

En arriere (on-air-ree-air)

 

backward

En avant (on-u-vahnt)

 

forward

En bas (on-bah)

 

low

En croix (on-cwah)

 

shape of a cross

En dedans (on-day-dahn)

 

inward

En dehors (on-day-ohr)

 

outward turn

En face (on-fahs)

 

facing (front)

En haut (on-oh)

 

height

En l´air (on-lair)

 

in the air

Entrechat (ontru-shah)

 

interweaving

Envelopé (on-vel-oh-pay)

 

envelope

Epaulé (ay-poll-lay)

 

shouldered

Failli (f-I-yee)

 

giving way

Fermé (fair-may)

 

closed

Fondue (fahn-doo)

 

melt

Fouetté (fwah-tay)

 

whip

Frappé (frah-pay)

 

strike

Glissade (glee-sahd)

 

glide

Grande (grahnd)

 

big

Hauteur (ah-tour)

 

height

Jambe (jahm)

 

leg

Jeté (je-tay)

 

throw

Ouvert (oh-vair)

 

open

Pas (pah)

 

step

Pas de chat (pah-du-shah)

 

step of the cat

Pas de cheval (pah-du-shu-vall)

 

step of the horse

Passé (pah-say)

pass

Petit (pu-teet)

 

little

Pied (pee-yaid)

 

foot

Piqué (pee-kay)

 

prick

Pirouette (peer-oh-wet)

 

spin

Plié (plee-yay)

 

bend

Port de bras (pohr-du-brah)

 

movement of the arms

Port de corps (pohr-du-cohr)

 

movement of the body

Quatre (cot-tru)

 

four

Relevé (rell-lu-vay)

rise (from plié)

Retiré (ret-teer-ray)

 

retire, rest

Rond de jambe (rohn-du-jahm)

 

circle of the leg

Royal (rohy-al)

 

royal

Sauté (soh-tay)

 

jump

Serré (sair-ray)

 

continuous

Sissone (see-sohn)

 

guy’s name

Soubresaut (soo-bru-soh)

 

spring

Sous-sus (soo-soo)

 

under-over

Soutenu (soo-tu-noo)

 

sustained

Temps levé (tom-lu-vay)

 

time lifted

Temps lié (tom-lee-yay)

 

time connected

Tendue (than-doo)

stretch

Tombé (tohm-bay)

 

fall

Tour (toor)

 

turn in the air

Trios (twah)

 

three


This Page was last updated - Monday, March 10, 2003 07:49:40 AM
Website Designed by The Harmac Company - All Rights Reserved