Category Archives: Ballet Dictionaries & Glossaries
Glossary of Ballet
No. of terms: 100
Language: English
Description: Of course Wikipedia is known to all of as an user driven encyclopedia, but you may also find several glossaries on Wikipedia. These glossaries may cover technical terms that do not have encyclopedia entries and where they do have, the visitor knows that more detailed information on a term is just a click away. This very convincing linking between in depth and short definition also characterizes the the Glossary of Ballet found on Wikipedia.
Example term: Arabesque
Main article: Arabesque (ballet position)
Literally, “in Arabic fashion.” The position of the body supported on one leg, with the other leg extended behind the body with the knee straight. The back leg may either touch the floor in tendu back (called arabesque par terre), or be raised at an angle. Common angles are 45° (also called à demi hauteur), and 90° (à la hauteur). When the angle is much greater than 90° and the body leans forward to counterbalance the back leg, the pose is called arabesque penchée. There are also various arm and leg combinations, such as forward on the same side as the back leg or the other arm forward.
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Keywords: Ballet, Ballet Dictionary, Ballet Glossary, Ballet terms, Ballet terminology, Dance Glossary
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Ballet Glossary
Ballet Glossary by English National Ballet
No. of terms: approximately 16
Language: English
Description: Maybe the Ballet Glossary of the English National Ballet should be better called word list, but it is my tip for everyone that intend to learn some ballet terms by heart to cover up during a night out at the ballet. 🙂
Example term: Fouetté
(Fr. fouetter – to whip) More correctly rond de jambe fouetté en tournant.The working leg whips out to the side and then to the knee as the dancer turns on the supporting leg, rising onto pointe for each revolution. This step was developed by Italian dancers at the end of the nineteeth century so that they could perform as many as 32 consecutive fouettés, a trick that is featured in Odile’s seduction of Prince Siegfried in Act III of Swan Lake.
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Keywords: Ballet, Ballet Dictionary, Ballet Glossary, Ballet terms, Ballet terminology, Dance Glossary
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Ballet Terminology
Ballet Terminology by Danse Conservatory
No. of terms: approximately 120
Language: English
Description: The Danse Conservatory, founded by Melissa Allen Bowman, Richard Bowman and Marcy Allen, presents a total training program offering all skills on all levels. On their website they offer a fine selection of ballet terms.
Example term: Exercices à la barre [eg-zehr-SEESS a lah bar]
Exercises at the bar (or barre). A group of exercises performed by the dancer while clasping a bar with one hand. This bar, generally a cylindrical piece of wood is fastened horizontally to the walls of the practice room at a height of about three feet six inches from the floor. Bar exercises, or side practice, are the foundation of classical ballet and are to the dancer what scales are to the pianist. Every ballet lesson begins with these exercises. It is at the bar that the dancer acquires the fundamental training for the attributes he must
possess. These exercises are essential for developing the muscles correctly, turning the legs out from the hips and gaining control and flexibility of the joints and muscles. The exercises at the bar can be simple or varied but in general they include the following movements:
(l) Pliés in the first, second, fourth and fifth positions.
(2) Battements tendus.
(3) Battements dégagés.
(4) Battements fondus.
(5) Ronds de jambe à terre.
(6) Battements frappés.
(7) Adagio.
(8 ) Petits battements sur le cou-de-pied.
(9) Ronds de jambe en l’air.
(10) Grands battements.
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Ballet Terms A to Z
No. of terms: 158
Description: The Ballet Terms A to Z on Learntodance.com offers a good selection of terms, including pronunciation guide for the mainly French terms. Positive on this is site in comparison to many others is that the glossary is presented with easy navigation and only few advertisements.
Example term: Entrechat [ahn-truh-SHAH]
Interweaving or braiding. A step of beating in which the dancer jumps into the air and rapidly crosses the legs before and behind each other. Entrechats are counted from two to ten according to the number of crossings required and counting each crossing as two movements, one by each leg; that is, in an entrechat quatre each leg makes two distinct movements. Entrechats are divided into two general classes: the even-numbered entrechats, or those which land on two feet– deux, quatre, six, huit and dix– and the odd-numbered entrechats, or those which land on one foot– trois, cinq, sept and neuf.
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Keywords: Ballet, Ballet Dictionary, Ballet Glossary, Ballet terms, Ballet terminology, Dance Glossary
Quote as:Ballet Terms A to Z, Online Ballet Lessons by Learntodance.com
ABT Ballet Dictionary
American Ballet Theatre – Ballet Dictionary
No. of terms: 170
Golden Favourite
Description: The ABT dictionary is a beautiful work defining the most important ballet terms. If you have the QuickTime Player installed, you will be able also to enjoy demonstrations of the defined terms:
“Welcome to American Ballet Theatre’s Online Ballet Dictionary, a unique interactive resource designed to bring dance to the Web and make it accessible to everyone. Dover Publications has graciously allowed the use of 170 terms from the Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet, which are then demonstrated by ABT Company dancers.
Admittedly, this is not a comprehensive list of ballet terms and forms. It cannot replace the learning opportunities of a course of intense study and training. However, it does provide a very accessible introduction to the world of ballet. The producers of this invaluable project are very grateful to the members of ABT’s artistic staff and the dancers union (I.A.A.) who gave freely of their time, particularly David Richardson and Georgina Parkinson. The success of this project would have been impossible without them.”
Example term: Cecchetti, Enrico [en-REE-koh cheh-KET-tee]
This Italian dancer and ballet master (1850-1928 ) was born in Rome, son of Cesare Cecchetti and Serafina Casagli. He studied with Giovanni Lepri, who was a pupil of the great Carlo Blasis, and made his debut at La Scala, Milan, in 1870. He toured Europe as a premier danseur and made his debut at the Maryinski Theatre, St. Petersburg, in 1887. He accepted the position of second ballet master at the Maryinski Theatre in 1890 and two years later became instructor at the Imperial School. His pupils included Pavlova, Nijinsky, Karsavina, Fokine, Preobrajenska, Kchessinska and Egorova. In 1902 he left for Warsaw, where he became director of the Imperial School, and in 1905 returned to Italy. Returning to Russia, he opened a-private school and later became the private tutor of Anna Pavlova, touring the world with her. From 1909 to 1918 he was the official instructor to the Diaghilev Ballet Company. From 1918 until 1923 he had a private school in London. He then returned to Italy and became ballet master at La Scala in 1925. He devoted the rest of his life to teaching and perfecting his teaching methods.
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Keywords: Ballet, Ballet Dictionary, Ballet Glossary, ABT glossary, American Ballet Theatre, Performing Arts, Dance Glossary, ABT dictionary
Quote as: Ballet Dictionary (Terms and Definitions taken from Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet, Dover Publications) © Copyright 2003-2007 Ballet Theatre Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved. American Ballet Theatre and ABT are registered trademarks of Ballet Theatre Foundation, Inc.
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