Education & Community Engagement

Education & Community Engagement

 

Ballet Glossary

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The positions of the feet

The positions of the body

Directions & Numbers

Demi-pointes (sur les ~) [sewr lay duh-MEE pwent]

This is French for “on half point,” and refers to

standing on the ball of the foot instead of on a fully

pointed foot.

Developpé [dayv-law-PAY]

This is French for

“developed.” To execute this movement, the dancer draws the

toes of the working foot up to the knee of the supporting

leg and then extends the foot outward into a position that

is held in the air before being released, returning the feet

to the position in which they began.

Diagonale (en ~) [ahn dya-gaw-NAL] – This means “in a diagonal.”  Usually is done when dancers are traveling across the floor, they go on a diagonal. 

Divertissement [dee-vehr-tees-MAHN] – This is French for “diversion” or “enjoyment”.  These short dances are performed in a classical ballet to showcase a dancer’s talent.

Double [DOO-bluh] – Meaning two.  This term is often used to describe the number of pirouettes required by the choreographer.