Terms Used in Ned Wayburn’s Modern — Americanized Ballet Technique
Arabesque—A posture executed with one foot on the floor.
Assemblé—To bring the feet together.
Attitude—A posture executed with both feet on the floor.
Balance—A combined slide (glissé), closing of the feet, rising on the toes and lowering of the heels.
Changement de Pied—Changing the position of the feet.
Chassé—A chasing step in three movements: Slide (glissé), cut (coupé), slide (glissé).
Ciseaux—The scissors step: A point and swing with one foot while hopping twice on the other.
Coupé—To cut.
Dégager—To sway; to transfer.
Demi Pas de Basque—A half or incomplete pas de basque.
Écarté—To jump from a closed position, open the feet in the air, and land in a closed position.
Échappée—(Escaped.) Any changement done on the toes.
Élever—To rise on the toes.
Entrechat—To spring into the air and change the position of the feet as often as possible before landing.
Fouetté—A swinging of the leg.
Frappé—To stamp the foot.
Glissé—To slide.
Glissade—Three movements combined: Élever (to rise on the toes), glissé (to slide), assemblé (to close the feet).
Grand Battement—High beating.
Jeté—To leap or throw the weight from one foot to the other.
Movement—An activity of the body from a resting position; also a change from one activity to another.
The nine standard dancing Movements are:
(1) Droit—to swing the foot forward and backward;
(2) Overt—to swing the foot from right to left;
(3) Glissé—to slide;
(4) Tourné—to turn;
(5) Tortiller—to twist;
(6) Battu—to beat;
(7) Sauté—to hop;
(8) Jeté—to leap;
(9) Coupé—to cut.