Ballet technique

Ballet technique is a codified system of body alignment, turnout, balance, and movement used to perform classical ballet steps with control and precision.

Ballet positions: Standardized placements of the feet and arms that organize classical ballet movement. The five foot positions establish the turned-out base from which many steps begin.
Plié: A bending of the knees performed with the legs turned out in ballet. Plié prepares and absorbs force in many jumps, turns, and transitions.
Ballet de cour: A court entertainment combining dance, music, and spectacle in early modern France. Court dance supplied the setting from which professional ballet and its codified practices developed.
Cecchetti method: A classical ballet training system based on exercises and principles associated with Enrico Cecchetti. Its planned daily exercises offer a distinct pedagogical structure from other ballet methods.
Turnout: External rotation of the legs from the hip joints, used to orient the feet outward. It shapes the stance and pathways of classical ballet, while safe turnout depends on hip mobility.
Relevé: A rise onto the balls of the feet or pointe shoes from a flat-footed position. Relevé develops and uses the foot and ankle strength needed for elevated balance.
Pierre Beauchamp: A French dancer and choreographer associated with the early codification of ballet technique. Tradition credits Beauchamp with formalizing the five positions of the feet.
Royal Academy of Dance: An international dance education organization that develops graded ballet syllabi and examinations. Its syllabus-based training provides a different framework for organizing classical technique.
Ballet alignment: The coordinated placement of the head, spine, pelvis, and limbs in ballet movement. Alignment lets turnout and balance support movement without distorting the body’s placement.
Port de bras: The prescribed carriage and movement of the arms in ballet. Coordinated arm pathways help maintain balance and clarify the line of a step.

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