Arabesque: a move where the dancer stands on one leg with the other leg extended behind her at 90 degrees.
Balancé: a three-step motion, usually “down, up, down” (fondu, relevé, fondu).
Ballonné: a ball-like or bouncing step. The dancer springs into the air extending one leg to the front, side, or back and lands with the extended leg.
Barre: the wooden bar in the ballet studio that a dancer holds on to with one or both hands to practice/balance.
Coupé: exchanging weight from one leg to another through a closed position.
Changement: it means “changing.” A jump in which the feet change positions in the air.
Choreographer: the person who creates the dance, deciding on the steps and order of movements.
Pas de deux: a duet.
Piqué: a movement where the pointed toe of the lifted and extended leg sharply lowers to hit the floor, then immediately bounces up.
Pirouette: a turn on one leg with the other leg behind.
Plié: a bend of the knees with hips, legs, and feet turned out.
Pointe shoes/on pointe: ballet shoes that allow dancers to stand on the tip of their toes; on the tip of the toe.
Prima ballerina assoluta: a rare title given to the greatest female ballet dancers. A very famous ballerina known around the world.
Sauté: a jump using one or two legs.
Tour chaînés/chaînés: a series of quick complete rotation turns on alternating feet moving in a straight line or circle.