What Are the 5 Movements of Ballet?

Ballet

Ballet is a type of performance dance that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century. It is traditionally performed accompanied by music and has evolved over time into a highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary based on French terminology.

The steps, port de bras, and body positions used in ballet are designed to create graceful, flowing movements that are often used to tell stories or express emotion. Ballet is a beautiful art form that requires dedication, discipline, strength, and artistry to perform at its highest level.

The Five Movements of Ballet

The five basic movements of ballet are known as “plié” (pronounced “plee-ay”), “relevé” (pronounced “ruh-leh-vay”), “degagé” (pronounced “day-gah-zhay”), “glissade” (pronounced “glee-sahd”), and “pas de bourrée” (pronounced “pah duh boor-ray”). Each movement is executed using specific technique and can be combined with other steps to create intricate choreography.

Plié

Plié is a bending movement that uses both legs simultaneously at the hip joint and knee joint. It can be done either in first or second position with feet apart or together. Plié is the foundation of all ballet steps as it prepares the dancer for jumps and other movements requiring flexibility in their legs.

Relevé

Relevé is a rising movement from plie where the dancer stands up on their toes while maintaining control over their body position. It requires strong ankles, calves, and muscles in order for it to be executed correctly without straining any part of the body. Relevé helps develop balance and strength throughout the entire body which makes it an important step for learning more difficult steps later on.

Degagé

Degagé is a brushing off movement where one leg moves from one side to another while maintaining control over balance and alignment throughout the body. This step helps develop coordination between arms, legs, head, torso as well as musicality through different types of timings like single counts or double counts.

Glissade

Glissade is a sliding step where one foot slides forward or back while keeping weight distributed evenly over both feet simultaneously. This step helps develop speed across the floor as well as coordination between different parts of the body while executing jumps during choreography.

Pas de Bourrée

Pas de Bourrée is a small series of steps consisting of three parts: glissade into relevé then back into plie again before repeating with alternate feet each time if necessary. This step requires fast footwork with precise timing which helps develop agility and control throughout every movement executed within it.

In conclusion, ballet has five basic movements – plié, relevé, degagé glissade, pas de bourrée – each requiring different levels of technique and strength in order for them to be performed correctly without straining any part of the body. Ballet dancers must practice these movements regularly in order to become proficient in them so they can eventually perform more complex choreography with ease.

What Are The 5 Movements Of Ballet?


The five basic movements of ballet are plié, relevé , degag é , glissade , and pas de bourrée . These moves require precise technique and strength in order to be performed correctly without any strain on any part of the body . With regular practice these moves can help dancers become proficient enough to perform even more complex choreography .