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During my first ballet class at the age of 6, I still have imbedded the song that was played in class each week to help us remember our five positions. The jingle began as "Here we have position one, arms are round just like the sun; toes are out, heels are in; that is how we begin". All steps in ballet are based upon these five positions. These arm and leg positions helped the dancers to balance while still looking graceful and combinations begin with one of the basic positions.

The steps became more intricate in time as did the language. As my classes became more intense, I developed an enormous amount of vocabulary in French without even trying.

Whether you are a professional dancer, novice student or an audience member, no one can argue about the enduring regiments and discipline involved in the Ballet. No one but the dancer will endure the pain, the love and the beauty they illustrate upon the stage for our entertainment.

Classical ballet techniques originally developed in France during the 1600s, hence these steps retain their original French names and are universal in the dance world.

Many expressions (such as "grande", "variation" or "elevation") have self explanatory meanings as they are used in the English vocabulary. But what do the other terms mean? Many of the expressions used in ballet have a French literal meaning, while others are a variation of the literal meaning. The words in parenthesis are the literal meaning in Modern French.

Alonge (of length) - an extension of arms in arabesque

Assemble (assemble) - rising off the floor, on one leg and landing on two

Barre (bar) - horizontal bar opposite mirrors in studio used for class exercises

Battement (beat) - high or low kick: grand battement or petit battement

Bourre (stuff)- traveling movement with feet moving in tine steps from tight fifth position
Bras (arms) arm movement

Chasse (driven out) - step in which one foot literally chases the other foot out of its position; done in a series

Coupe (cut) - step in which the working foot is immediately replaced by the supporting foot
Demi-plie (half folded) - Half-bend of the knees. All steps of elevation begin and end with a demi-plie

Developpe (developed) - is a movement in which the working leg is drawn up to the knee of the supporting leg and slowly extended to an open position en l'air and held there with perfect control

Chappe (escaped) - slipping movement of both feet from a closed to an open position

Fouette (whipped) - movement of the raised foot as it passes rapidly in front of or behind the supporting foot

Glissade (slip) - gliding the working foot from the fifth position in the required direction

Pas (not)- simple step or a compound movement which involves a transfer of weight

Pique (pricked) - executed by stepping directly on the point or demi-pointe of the working foot in any desired direction or position with the other foot raised in the air

Pirouette (whirl) - complete turn of the body on one foot, on point or demi-pointe

Plie (folded) - bending of the knee or knees

Releve (statement) - raising of the body on the points or demi-pointes

Rond de jambe (round of leg) - a circular movement of the leg

Sissonne (scissors) - jumping step which begins on two feet and lands on one

Tendu (stretched) foot reaching out away from the body on the floor

And now you've been enlighten by words with their connotations not only in the ballet world but also French.

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