Info Tech Assignment

Sheniece Rambaran
Form3 R/R
Create a document with a title, at least
4 main headings and at least 3
subheadings on an
subject related topic.

Ballet Terms
 Table of Contents
Contents
What is ballet?.................................................................................................... 3
Pirouette................................................................................................................ 3
How to do the Piroutee....................................................................................... 3
Picture showing pirouette................................................................................ 3
Tendu..................................................................................................................... 4
The four main components of Tendu..................................................................4
Picture showing Tendu..................................................................................... 4
Arabesque............................................................................................................. 4
How to do the Arabesque................................................................................... 5
Picture showing Arabesque............................................................................. 5
Plie......................................................................................................................... 5
How to do the Plie.............................................................................................. 5
Picture showing plie......................................................................................... 6
Rond de jambe....................................................................................................... 6
How to do the Rond de Jambe............................................................................ 6
Picture showing Rond de Jambe......................................................................6
Tour en l'air............................................................................................................ 7
How to do a toue en L’air................................................................................... 7
Picture showing tour en l’air............................................................................ 7
More ballet terms................................................................................................... 8
References............................................................................................................. 9
What is ballet?
A classical dance form demanding grace and precision and
employing formalized steps and gestures set in intricate,
flowing patterns to create expression through movement.
Classical ballet is a centuries-old art form that relies on highly-
stylized and graceful movements. A professional ballerina
begins each day at the barre refining their technique and
warming up their body before ballet class. Daily ballet practice
is essential for maintaining good form, but before you can
begin, it’s essential to understand the basic positions and
movements of ballet. Below is a glossary of standard ballet
terms.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Pirouette
Pirouette, which is French for “to whirl about”, ballet turn in
place on one leg.
How to do the Piroutee
In a pirouette , the raised foot rests on the supporting ankle; in
a pirouette à grande pirouette, it is extended in the second
position at a 90° angle to the supporting leg. The leg may be
held at the front (attitude), side (à la seconde, or grande
pirouette), or back (arabesque and attitude). The body may
turn toward the raised leg (en dehors: “outside,” or
“backward”) or the supporting leg (en dedans: “inside,” or
“forward”).
Picture showing pirouette
Tendu
Tendu,is one of the important movements of all ballet steps –
an essential building block leading to glissé or jeté, grand
battement (higher), as well as jumps, beats and even pointe
work for women.

The four main components of Tendu

There are 4 main components of tendu:
1. Brush the working leg along the floor from a closed position
and extend the leg and foot to a demi-pointe (instep) position.
2. Fully pointe the foot by curling the toes under in an arch,
keeping a straight leg.
3. Release the toes back to a demi-pointe foot position.
4. Slide the foot back along the floor and return to the closed
position (first or fifth position).
Picture showing Tendu

Arabesque
The term arabesque in classical ballet refers to a specific pose, in
which the dancer’s weight is supported by one leg while the other
leg is held backward in the air. This highly specific meaning was first
used by the Italian dancing master Carlo Blasis in an 1820 treatise
on dance. It came to include several variations on the basic position
that form part of the repertoire of both classical ballet and modern
dance. According to Blasis, the attitude of the body that it described
could be seen in relief carvings and paintings from Classical
antiquity, as well as in Raphael’s frescoes. However, the term had
been applied to dance before Blasis assigned his highly specific
meaning to it. He wrote that previously “arabesque” had described
certain configurations of dancers that echoed the visual form, “made
up of dancers interlacing in a thousand ways” and resembling
“garlands, crowns, hoops ornamented with flowers.” This more
general use of the term implied harmony, grace, and a sense of
lightness, expressed through flowing motion and the even
distribution of the body’s weight. In writing on dance during the late
eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, this nebulous set of
qualities was often conjured up through the visual of a sinuous line.
Choreography of the period sometimes incorporated shawls, veils, or
garlands that mimicked the drawn arabesque line in three
dimensions, creating scrolling patterns that twined around the
dancers.

How to do the Arabesque

The supporting (standing) leg can be straight or in a demi-plié.
Arabesque can be performed in several variations: first, second,
third or fourth arabesque. The variations are based on the
position of the arms that generate the longest line from the
fingers to the toes.
Picture showing Arabesque

Plie
Plié means "bent, bending."
How to do the Plie
In ballet, plié is a bending of the knees, usually performed in
one of the six positions of the feet. There are different types of
plie. Demi-plié is a small or half bend of the knees, keeping the
heels of the feet flat on the floor. Grand-plié is a full or large
bend of the knees. In a grand plié the legs bend deeply enough
that the heels come of the floor at the bottom.
Picture showing plie

Rond de jambe
Rond de jambe is a customary ballet term meaning “round of
the leg.” It is a very common step used in various forms
throughout ballet class, in which one leg moves in a straight
line away from the body before executing a semi-circular
motion. It can be performed either on the floor or with the leg
in the air.

How to do the Rond de Jambe

Typically, both legs are kept perfectly straight and all
movement comes from the hip, (outwards) or (inwards) while
brushing through first position. The foot of the working leg does
not come off the floor and does not pass beyond the fourth
position front or the fourth position back. The rond de jambe
begins with a battement a la seconde. Next, the toes draw a
path straight in to the knee, and then circle slightly in front of
the knee of the supporting leg and return to a la seconde
position, completing an oval shape in the air. Rond de jambe is
a great exercise for lengthening and toning the legs, as it is
performed with straight knees.
Picture showing Rond de Jambe
Tour en l'air
(tour on lair) - a turn in the air - usually a male dancer's step,
although ballerinas may do them to depending on the
choreography.
How to do a toue en L’air
It is a complete single, double, or triple turn in the air, usually
beginning from and ending in the fifth position (the feet are
turned out and pressed closely together, the heel of the right
foot against the toe of the left and vice versa)
Picture showing tour en l’air

More ballet terms.

Changement: The changing of the foot position mid-jump en
l'air, or "in the air".
 Chassé: “To chase.” A triple-step pattern in which the feet glide
together step-by-step.
Coupé: "To cut." Used to describe a step in which the foot
replaces or "cuts" the opposite foot.
Croisé: "Crossed." The dancer’s body is diagonal to the
audience, and their legs appear crossed.
Dégagé: “Disengage.” Pointing the foot in any direction with a
fully arched instep while the dancer’s weight remains on the
straight supporting leg.
Derrière: "Back" or "behind." Typically paired with another pose
or move to indicate a backwards movement.
Devant: "In front." Indicates a move or position where the leg
or arm is placed in front of the body.
Developpe: “To develop.” Moving one leg up to the knee of the
standing leg and slowly extending it in the air, holding the hips
square according to the direction the dancer is facing.

References
 https://ballethub.com/ballet-term/pirouette/
 https://eighteenthcenturyballet.com/2019/03/15/
arabesque-of-eighteenth-century-ballet/
 https://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-Plie-in-Ballet
 https://www.pinterest.jp/pin/259660734753548130/
Screenshot of work