Dancing: March 2011

Ballet is a very beautiful form of dancing, although it was one of my least favorite classes it is the base knowledge for any type of dancing really. I would describe ballet as being elegant, graceful, peaceful, disciplined, and inspirational. The terms in ballet all come from French terms (mostly). Ballet started in Paris with King Louis XIV who ruled France in the late 1600s. By the 1700s many of the terms we use in ballet today were recognized to display ballet movements. Here is a list a few basic ballet moves:

- Assemblé [a-sahn-BLAY] : Assembled, or joined together. Assemblé is a step in which the working foot slides well across the ground before being swept into the air. As the foot goes into the air the dancer pushes off the floor with the supporting leg, extending the toes. Then both legs reach the ground simultaneously in the fifth position (position with feet). Usually when doing an assemblé you would first js porté (slidding move will define later).

- Attitudé [a-tee-TEWD]: This is a particular ballet 'pose'. It is a position on one leg with the other lifted back, the knee bent at an angle of 90 degrees and well turned out so that the knee is higher than the foot. The arm on the side of the raised leg is held over the head in a curved position while the other arm is extended to the side.

- Balancé [ba-lahn-SAY]: This step is a rocking step that is an alternation of balance, shifting the weight from one foot to the other. Balancé may be done crossing the foot either front or back. Fifth position R foot front. Demi-plié, dégagé the R foot to the second position and jump on it lightly in demi-plié, crossing the L foot behind the R ankle and inclining the head and body to the right. Step on the L demi-pointe behind the R foot, slightly lifting the R foot off the ground; then fall on the R foot again in demi-plié with the L foot raised sur le cou-de-pied derrière. The next balancé will be to the left side.

- Plié [plee-AY]: A bending of the knee or knees. This is an exercise to render the joints and muscles soft and pliable and the tendons flexible and elastic, and to develop a sense of balance. There are two principal pliés: grand plié or full bending of the knees (the knees should be bent until the thighs are horizontal) and demi-plié or half-bending of the knees. Pliés are done at the bar and in the centre in all five positions of the feet. The third position is usually omitted. When a grand plié is executed in either the first, third or fourth position croisé (feet in the fifth position but separated by the space of one foot) or the fifth position, the heels always rise off the ground and are lowered again as the knees straighten. The bending movement should be gradual and free from jerks, and the knees should be at least half-bent before the heels are allowed to rise. The body should rise at the same speed at which it descended, pressing the heels into the floor. In the grand plié in the second position or the fourth position ouverte (feet in the first position but separated by the space of one foot) the heels do not rise off the ground. All demi-pliés are done without lifting the heels from the ground. In all pliés the legs must be well turned out from the hips, the knees open and well over the toes, and the weight of the body evenly distributed on both feet, with the whole foot grasping the floor.

- Jeté, grand [grahn zhuh-TAV]: In this step the legs are thrown to 90 degrees with a corresponding high jump. It is done forward to attitude croisée or effacée, and to all the arabesques. It may also be done backward with the leg raised either croisé or effacé devant. Grand jeté is always preceded by a preliminary movement such as a glissade, pas couru or coupe

The ones i described above are just a few of the basic ballet terms, although there are many, many more.