Bourrée:
A step performed on pointe from fifth position. Initiated with the front foot, there is a rapid weight shift from one
foot to the other, performed in place or traveling.
brisé:
A jumping beat which allows the dancer to travel in a specified direction.
cabriole:
“Caper like a goat”. A jump where one leg is kicked up into the air and the supporting leg pushes off and beats
underneath the gesture leg, propelling it higher. The jump lands on the kicking leg.
cambré:
A bend of the body from the waist to the front, back, or side, with an accompanying port de bras.
Cecchetti Method:
A school and style of ballet, originated by Enrico Cecchetti (1850-1928) in Italy. Emphasizes seven basic
movements in dance: Plier (to bend), Étendre (to stretch), Relever (to rise), Glisser (to slide or glide), Sauter (to
jump), Élancer (to dart), Tourner (to turn). Used by the Italian and Royal (English) Ballets.
center floor:
The second portion of the ballet class, comprised of the adagio, turns, and small jumps (petit allegro).
chaînés:
“Linked like a chain”. A series of small turning steps with the feet in first position relevé. Weight is shifted rapidly
from one to the other limb with each half turn. Performed continuously in rapid succession.
changement:
“Changing the feet”. A vertical jump with a change of feet in the air (from fifth position front to fifth back).
chassé:
“Chasing one foot with the other”. The leading foot slides forward into fourth (or side-ward into second), then with a
spring off the floor, the stance limb draws up to it in the air, and the leading foot opens to land in fourth (or second).
Used as a traveling or transition step.
cou-de-pied:
A unilateral standing posture with the pointed gesture foot held in front of, back of, or wrapped around the ankle of
the stance leg.
coupé:
“To cut”. A small intermediary step, used as a link between steps, such as jeté, pas de bourré, etc., using the cou-de-
pied position.
croix, en:
“Cross”. Unilateral leg gesture carried out in three directions relative to the dancer’s front (en avant), side (a la
seconde), and back (en arrière), making the shape of a cross. Typical barre exercises (tondu, dégagé, dévelopé,
frappé, grand battement, etc. are performed en croix.
dedans, en:
Inward. A circular movement of the gesture limb from the back to the front (as in ronde de jambe), or a turn done
toward the stance limb.
dégagé:
“To disengage”. Sharp brushes of the pointed foot to develop speed and precision of the feet and legs.