Terms in French with English definitions.

Barre Exercises

• Demi plie: small bend​
  
  • Grande plie: large bend
    
  • Releve: to rise
• Battement Tendu: beating stretched
  
• Battement Degage: beating disengaged
  
• Rond de jambe: half circle of the leg
  
  • en dehors: outward
    
  • en dedans: inward
    
  • a terre: on the floor
    
  • en l’air: in the air
    
• Developpe: a developing movement (coupe, retire, attitude, extend, tendu, 5th)
  
• Battement Frappe: beating struck
  
  • accent out
    
  • prepare for allegro, warm up ball of foot
    
• Grande Battement: large beating

Other Terms

• En Croix: in the pattern of a cross, or front, side, back side
  
• Port de bra: carriage of the arms
  
• Arabesque: the longest line you can make with your body from the tip of your finger to the tip of your toe
  
• Chaine turns: a chain of turns
  
• Retire: withdrawn
  
• Passe: to pass
  
• Coupe: to cut
  
• Saute: to jump
  
• Grande Reverance: large formal bow done at the end of every lesson to show respect to the teacher and other classmates
  
• Adage: slow and controlled (Italian)​
  
• Allegro: quick and fast (Italian)