As previously documented, one of my New Year's goals is to 'Move More'. So, I signed up for a ballet class at the local Jr. College. I like the JC option because #1 I'm taking a few other classes so I'm already on campus, and #2 I know that if it's something I'll get a grade in, I'm more likely to really show up everyday than if the class was on a drop in basis. So, this week is the first week back to school... everyone has their new bags and (overpriced) textbooks all shiny and new, and all the teachers are going over syllabi while the students digest it all and gear up for the semester. In my ballet class I find out, ballet terminology will be tested (which as an instructor myself I'm glad to see), and my instructor makes a comment about students needing to at least try to learn the proper spelling for the French ballet vocabulary words. As she tells us this I have a little inward chuckle, because I can imagine a beginners face as he/she tries to pronounce, understand, and spell ballet words.
So today I'm offering up a mini lesson in ballet vocab, hopefully to shed some light on what those words actually mean, and why they're called what they're called.
First off, the ballet barre is not the same as a bar. I know, it's pronounced the same and its an easy mistake to make, but the ballet barre is the long handrail that runs down the sides of a ballet studio where dancers take their warm up. It's a tool to test their placement, balance and should really act as a partner (as in pas de deux), not as a crutch.
Which brings me to the next word: pas de deux - dance for two. Usually a man and woman (a la the pas of the Sugar Plum and her Cavallier in The Nutcracker), but can be for two women as well, or for two men. Pas de tois = dance for three, pas de quatre = dance for four, and so on.
Plie (or as my friend Kristina likes to say: pee-lay) - means to bend. If I had a penny for every plie I did in my life I'd be a rich rich woman. Plies are one of the first exercises dancers do at the barre for warm up, demis (little) bends of the knee, or grands (bigger) bends.
Releve - lifted, or raised. When a dancer rises on to the balls of the feet.
Reitere - to withdraw. Also known as passe in some ballet vocab methods. When one toe is placed at the knee of the standing leg.
Pirouette - to whirl about. Priouettes are turns on one leg though, one leg is doing the turning on releve, while the other foot is placed in retiere, with the toe underneath the knee of the turning leg.
Pointe - the type of shoes women wear to stand on their toes, and the epiotme of what most people picture when they hear 'ballerina'. Good to know though, that pointe shoes weren't worn by dancers until about much later into its history.
So there you have it, a few French words and your ballet vernacular is on its way; if nothing else now you can hold a conversation with any balletomane and know for certain that a bar is really not a barre at all. : )
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