Table of Contents
- Why Ballet Terms Matter in Your First Year of Class
- Basic Ballet Terms for Beginners: The 10 You’ll Hear Most
- The Five Basic Ballet Positions and Why They Anchor Everything
- Common Ballet Steps and Movements You’ll Practice Weekly
- Beginner Ballet Exercises at the Barre That Teach the Vocabulary
- How to Learn Ballet Terms Faster (Without Memorizing a Dictionary)
- Conclusion: Build the Vocabulary, Build the Dancer
- Frequently Asked Questions
Last Updated: October 12, 2026
Why Ballet Terms Matter in Your First Year of Class
Walk into any beginner ballet class and you will hear a stream of French words before your first plié. Ballet terms are the shared language of the studio, and learning them early is the difference between following along and feeling lost. At DURHAM SCHOOL of ballet & contemporary dance, we teach vocabulary from day one because students who understand the words learn steps faster and dance with more confidence.
The French roots go back centuries, but you do not need to speak French to master them. You need repetition, context, and a teacher who uses each term while you move. This guide covers the 10 ballet terminology terms every student should know, plus the positions, steps, and barre exercises that make them stick.
Below, we break down each term with plain-language definitions, pronunciation cues, and the class moments where you will hear them most.
Basic Ballet Terms for Beginners: The 10 You’ll Hear Most
These are the basic ballet terms for beginners that come up in nearly every class. Learn these ten first, and the rest of the vocabulary builds naturally from them:
- Plié (plee-AY), a bending of the knees
- Tendu (tahn-DEW), a stretched foot
- Relevé (ruh-luh-VAY), rising onto the balls of the feet
- Sauté (soh-TAY), a jump from two feet to two feet
- Arabesque (air-uh-BESK), a pose on one leg with the other extended behind
- Port de bras (por duh BRAH), carriage of the arms
- Battement (bat-MAHN), a beating or striking movement of the leg
- Adagio (uh-DAH-zhee-oh), slow, controlled movement
- Assemblé (ah-sahm-BLAY), a step where the feet come together
- Attitude (AT-ee-tewd), a pose on one leg with the other bent
Plié and Tendu: The Two Building Blocks
Plié is a bending of one or both knees while the legs and feet stay turned out. It appears in every class, from warm-up to jumps, because it teaches the legs to bend and stretch with control.
Tendu means “stretched.” The working foot slides along the floor until only the toe touches, then returns. A common mistake is rushing the tendu. In practice, this means moving the foot slowly enough that it never leaves the floor.
Relevé, Sauté, and Arabesque: Rising, Jumping, and Reaching
Relevé lifts the body onto the balls of the feet, building ankle strength and balance. Sauté is any jump that takes off from and lands on two feet. Arabesque extends one leg behind the body while the dancer balances on the other, creating the long lines ballet is known for.
Say each term out loud as you perform it during class. Hearing the word while your body moves it links the vocabulary to muscle memory far faster than reading a list at home.
The Five Basic Ballet Positions and Why They Anchor Everything
Every step in ballet starts or ends in one of the five basic ballet positions. The feet stay turned out in all five, and the arms have a matching position for each:
- First position: heels together, toes turned out
- Second position: feet apart, still turned out
- Third position: one foot in front of the other, heel to instep
- Fourth position: one foot forward with a gap between them
- Fifth position: feet crossed, heel to toe
Pliés are performed in first, second, fourth, and fifth positions. When a teacher calls “fifth position, plié,” you should know exactly where your feet go without looking down.
Canada’s National Ballet School glossary of ballet terms
Common Ballet Steps and Movements You’ll Practice Weekly
Common ballet steps and movements repeat in almost every class, which is why they become familiar fast. Once you recognize battement, assemblé, and adagio by sound, you can focus on technique instead of translation.
Battements train the legs to move with speed and precision. Assemblés teach the feet to find each other in the air. Adagio builds the control and balance that slower combinations demand. Each one reinforces the terms you learned in the first weeks.
Beginner Ballet Exercises at the Barre That Teach the Vocabulary
The barre is where vocabulary becomes physical. Beginner ballet exercises at the barre repeat the same terms in the same order, so the words and movements lock together through daily practice.
A typical barre follows a set sequence: pliés to warm the legs, tendus to wake up the feet, dégagés for speed, rond de jambe for rotation, and grands battements to close. Our faculty at DURHAM SCHOOL of ballet & contemporary dance calls each term as students execute it, so nobody has to guess what comes next.
How to Learn Ballet Terms Faster (Without Memorizing a Dictionary)
Learning ballet terms faster comes down to using them, not memorizing them. A dictionary gives you definitions; class gives you context.
Three habits make the biggest difference:
- Keep a small notebook and write each new term after class with a one-line definition in your own words
- Watch recordings of your own combinations and name each step as you watch
- Pair every term with a movement so your body, not just your brain, remembers it
Do not rely on YouTube videos alone to learn pronunciation. Regional accents and rushed narration often mangle French terms, and repeating a wrong pronunciation in class is harder to unlearn than starting fresh.
Conclusion: Build the Vocabulary, Build the Dancer
Vocabulary is not separate from technique. It is the framework that lets you hear an instruction and respond with your body instead of pausing to translate. Students who learn the words early progress faster and enjoy class more.
At DURHAM SCHOOL of ballet & contemporary dance, our faculty teach terminology alongside movement from the very first class, within a supportive environment built for ages 2-18. Our progressive approach and high-calibre training help every student grow in confidence and skill.
Ready to start? Register online and join a dance family where every student is encouraged to take risks and shine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the basic terms in ballet?
The core ballet terms every beginner encounters are plié (knee bend), tendu (stretched foot), relevé (rise onto the balls of the feet), sauté (jump), arabesque (one leg extended behind), and port de bras (carriage of the arms). These six appear in nearly every class, from the first barre combination to center work. Learning them early means you spend less time translating and more time dancing.
What are the five basic positions in ballet?
First position has the heels together and feet turned out. Second position places the feet apart with heels in line. Third position crosses one heel in front of the other. Fourth position separates the feet front to back. Fifth position brings the heel of the front foot to the toe of the back foot. All five are performed with turned-out legs, and every step in ballet begins or ends in one of them.
What does plié mean in ballet?
Plié means “bent” in French and describes bending one or both knees while keeping the legs and feet turned out. A demi-plié bends halfway, with heels staying on the floor. A grand plié lowers further, and the heels lift in second position. Pliés appear in first, second, fourth, and fifth positions, and they build the leg strength and control needed for jumps and turns.
Why are ballet terms in French?
Ballet vocabulary is French because the art form was codified at the French court and in Parisian academies during the 17th and 18th centuries. Teachers worldwide still use the original French terms so a dancer can walk into any studio, in any country, and follow the same class. Learning the French pronunciation alongside the movement is part of learning ballet itself.
How can beginners learn ballet terminology quickly?
Attach each term to the movement rather than memorizing a list. Practice plié, tendu, and relevé at the barre while saying the word out loud, then use the term in a sentence when you describe what you did. Most students pick up the ten core terms within a few weeks of regular classes. A studio that uses French vocabulary from day one, like the Durham School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, speeds this up considerably.