Basic Ballet Steps
The art of ballet dancing is not a
new concept. It has been performed throughout the world since the
15th century and is now deemed as one of the most popular
forms of dance.
Ballet is just pretty dancing.
Perhaps you’ve seen some of the ballet performances on the
television or on movies. Or, maybe you have a friend who does
ballet. Whatever the case may be, if you’ve got an interest for
this art, then I bet you would be interested to know what the basic
ballet steps are. Note that just like the other forms of dance,
ballet has its own set of steps that every dancer should follow to
perform the dance the way it used to be.
So what these basic ballet steps are?
Before anything else, it is best for
you to know that most of the basic ballet steps are in French
terms. This is perhaps due to the fact that ballet was popularized
by King Louis XIV in France. So don’t be surprised to see terms
that are in French. If you are really interested to know more about
ballet, even just the basic ballet steps, then be ready to note and
understand each term.
Okay! Here are the basic ballet
steps. Let’s start with the basic positions.
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Premiere (First
Position) – In this position, the
knees and heels are positioned together, with the legs turned
out from the hips. Toes pointed out to make a V-shape, but the
feet should be in straight line. Arms are out and in front of
the torso, forming a soft curve. Straight spine, with the back,
pelvis and head aligned. |
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Second (Second
Position) – legs turned out from
the hips, with feet separated about shoulder length apart. The
arms are out to the sides and rounded. |
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Troisieme (Third
Position) – Keep the legs turned
out from the hips. Cross the front heel in front of the other
foot, touching it at the middle. The right and left foot can be
used, but if it is the right foot which is placed in front, the
right arm should be raised overhead in a semicircle, while
extending the left arm out to the side. Do the reverse when the
left foot is in front. |
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Quatrieme (Fourth
Position) – Legs turned out from
the hips. Place one foot directly infront of the other. A
space of about 12 inches should be maintained between the feet.
The right arm is raised overhead in a semicircle if the right
foot is in front. |
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Cinquieme (Fifth
Position) – Legs still turned out
from the hips, but the heel of the front is positioned against
the first joint of the other big toe. Arms lifted and extended
overhead into a circular shape. |
So those are the basic ballet
positions. Now let’s continue with the basic ballet steps.
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Arabesque
– standing on one leg, while raising the
other leg straight behind. |
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Chasse
– to gallop with leg chasing the other. |
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Emboite
– An alternating jump with legs moving
forward. |
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Jete
– A leap from one leg to the other. |
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Piroutte
– to turn. |
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Passe
– passing the leg from one position to another. |
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Pas de chat
– sideways jump |
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Plie
– To bend the knees. |
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Releve
– Raising up to tiptoes. |
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Port de Bras
– arms movements through different
positions. |
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Saute
– to jump. |
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Tendu
– Stretching of the leg, while pointing the toe. |
Be sure to learn those basic
positions though as it is where all the basics ballet steps depend.
Back to Ballet |
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