Face, de [duh fahss]
In front, full face. A position or step executed facing the
audience. See floor plan.
Face, en [ahn fahss]
Opposite (the audience); facing the audience.
Failli [fah-YEE]
Giving way. A fleeting movement done on one count. Fifth position croisé, R foot front. Demi-plié, spring into the air with the feet held close together and, while in the air, turn the body effacé so that the L
shoulder comes forward and the head turns toward the L shoulder. Land on the R foot in demi-plié with the L leg opened in effacé derrière at 45 degrees; immediately slide the L foot through the first position to the fourth position croisé in demi-plié with the weight on the L foot, L knee bent and body inclined to the left.
Faux, fausse [foh, fohss]
False.
Faux entrechat cinq ramassé [foh zahn-truh-SHAH senk ra-maSAY]
False entrechat cinq picked up. Same as sissonne fermée.
Fermé, fermée [fehr-MAY]
Closed. Indicates that both feet are in a closed position or that the feet at the end of a step are brought to a closed position. As, for example, in position fermée, sissonne fermée. Finale. The final section of a classic ballet. See Coda.
Finger turns
These are turns in which the girl partner is supported by the boy. The boy stands in back of the girl, his R hand raised above the girl’s head with the index finger pointed downward. The girl grasps his finger with her R hand. The boy’s L hand is held forward to the left side of the girl with her L hand resting on it. The girl does a sous-sus to the fifth position on point, takes her R foot to retiré and executes a développé croisé devant. From this position she pushes from the boy’s L hand, executes a fouetté rond de jambe en tournant and continues turning with a series of pirouettes, still holding the boy’s index finger. At the completion of the pirouettes she stops herself by quickly grasping the boy’s L hand. See Fouetté rond de jambe en tournant en dehors (supported).
Fish dive
This is a term used in double (supported) work for various lifts
in which the danseuse is supported by the danseur in a poisson position. He may hold her above his head in a horizontal fish dive or she may fall from a sitting position on his shoulder and be caught in a fish dive, and so on.
Fixed points of the practice room or stage (Cecchetti
method)
In the Cecchetti method the corners and centre of each side of the practice room are numbered to help the dancer develop a sense of direction. The dancer stands in the centre of the room, facing side 5, which is the front of the room or audience. The numbers are used to indicate the direction to be taken by the dancer in a given step or pose.
Fixed points of the practice room or stage (Russian School
[Vaga-nova])
To determine the direction for a movement or a pose or to indicate the degree of the turn of the body, the corners and the sides of the practice room are numbered in the Russian School as well. The dancer stands in the centre of the room facing side 1, which is the front of the room or audience
Fléchir [flay-SHEER]
To bend. As, for example, in fléchir les genoux (bend the knees).
Flic-flac [fleek-FLAK]
A crack, as of a whip. A term of the Russian School. A flicking or lashing movement done in exercises at the bar and in the centre of the room. It is composed of whipping movements from second position at 45 degrees through the fifth position front and back (or back and front) close to the supporting leg; then the leg is opened again to the second position at 45 degrees. Flic-flac is performed en dedans, en dehors and en tournant. It may also be performed with a rise to the demi-pointe on the final extension to second position. En dedans: From the second position en l’air at 45 degrees, whip the foot downward, bending the knee and brushing the ball of the foot along the floor passing through fifth position front and finishing with the pointed toe crossed in front, beyond sur le cou-de-pied; throw the pointed foot outward toward second position without brushing the floor; fling the foot downward through fifth position, brushing the floor and finishing with the pointed toe crossed behind, beyond sur le cou-de-pied. The foot is then opened to the second position en l’air at 45 degrees. En dehors: Reverse the movement, crossing behind, then in front of, the supporting ankle.
Flic-flac en tournant [fleek-FLAK ahn toor-NAHN]
Flic-flac, turning. The turn may be en dedans or en dehors. The “flic” is done on the whole foot and the “flac” on demi-pointe. En dehors: From the second position en l’air at 45 degrees, the leg is whipped downward, bending the knee and brushing the ball of the foot through the fifth position so that the pointed foot is crossed in back, beyond sur le cou-de-pied. The dancer then rises on the demi-pointe of the supporting leg and makes a full turn en dehors while the working foot opens slightly and brushes along the floor to cross in front of the supporting leg. The working leg is then immediately thrown out to the second position at 45 degrees. En dedans: This is done in the same manner, crossing the working foot in front of, then in back of, the supporting leg and turning en dedans on demi-pointe. During the turn, either en dehors or en dedans, the arms provide
the force. They are lowered from the second position to the preparatory position, then raised to the first position and opened to the second position.
Fondu, fondue [fawn-DEW]
Sinking down. A term used to describe a lowering of the body made by bending the knee of the supporting leg. SaintLéon wrote, “Fondu is on one leg what a plié is on two.” In some instances the term fondu is also used to describe the ending of a step when the working leg is placed on the ground with a soft and gradual movement. An example of this is jeté fondu.
Fouetté [fweh-TAY]
Whipped. A term applied to a whipping movement. The movement may be a short whipped movement of the raised foot as it passes rapidly in front of or behind the supporting foot (see Flic-flac) or the
sharp whipping around of the body from one direction to another. There is a great variety of fouettés: petit fouetté, which may be devant, à la seconde or derrière and executed à terre, sur la demi-pointe or sauté; and grand fouetté, which may be sauté, relevé and en tournant.
Fouetté, demi- [duh-MEE-fweh-TAY]
Half-fouetté. This is a fouetté en l’air in which the dancer makes a quarter-turn. The dancer, facing the audience, raises either leg to the second position en l’air, then with a sharp movement turns into an arabesque in profile to the audience while rotating the raised leg in the hip socket. The step may be done sauté or with a relevé on the
supporting leg. See Fouetté en face, grand (Cecchetti method).
Fouetté, petit [puh-TEE fweh-TAY]
Little fouetté. Stand with the R foot opened to the second position so that the pointed toe is a few inches off the ground. With a sharp movement sweep the pointed toe of the R foot along the ground so that the foot crosses the ankle a little beyond sur le cou-de-pied, either devant or derrière.
Fouetté à terre [fweh-TAY a tehr]
Fouetté on the ground. A term of the Cecchetti method for a petit fouetté.
Fouetté à terre en dedans (Ceccehetti method) [fweh-TAY a tehr
ahn duh-DAHN]
Fouetté on the ground inward. From the second position in the air, the foot is swept across the floor and brought to sur le cou-de-pied
devant, then quickly passed to sur le cou-de-pied derrière. The movement is similar to a petit battement sur le cou-de-pied. See Flic-flac (en dedans).
Fouetté à terre en dehors (Ceccehetti method) [fweh-TAY a tehr
ahn duh-AWR]
Fouetté on the ground outward. From the second position in
the air, the foot is swept across the floor and brought to sur le cou-de-pied derrière then quickly passed to sur le cou-de-pied devant. See Flic-flac (en dehors).
Fouetté à terre en tournant (Cecchetti method) [fweh-TAY a tehr
ahn toor-NAHN]
Fouetté on the ground, turning. En dedans:Execute a fouetté à terre en dedans with the R foot and at the same time execute a pirouette en dedans on the L foot. At the end of the pirouette, lower the L heel. See Flic-flac en tournant (en dedans). En dehors: Execute a fouetté à
terre en dehors with the R foot and at the same time execute a pirouette en dehors on the L foot. At the finish of the turn, lower the L heel to the ground. See Flic-flac en tournant (en dehors).
Fouetté battu [fweh-TAY ba-TEW]
Fouetté beaten. This is a petit fouetté executed with a beat. Stand on the R foot with the L foot sur le cou-de pied devant. Spring off the R foot, opening the L foot to the second position so that the toe is a few inches off the ground. Beat the R behind the L and land on the R foot in demi-plié with the L foot sur le cou-de-pied
derrière. See Ballonné battu.
Fouetté effacé, grand (Russian School) [grahn fweh-TAY eh-faSAY]
Large fouetté shaded. In this fouetté the dancer makes a half-turn from the pose effacé devant en l’air to the pose effacé derrière en l’air (or vice versa). It may be performed with a relevé or a jump on the supporting leg. En dehors: Fourth position croisé L foot pointed back. On the upbeat, demi-plié on the R leg with the L foot sur le cou-de-pied derrière. Step on the L demi-pointe with the R foot sur le cou-de-pied devant and turn to face corner 2; fondu on the L leg with the R leg half-bent in effacé devant; at the same time bend the body to the right with the R arm in the second position and the L arm in the first position; straighten the body and relevé on the L leg, carrying the stretched R leg in grand rond de jambe en dehors at 90 degrees, turning the body to effacé derrière; simultaneously the L arm rises to the third position and opens to the second position as the R arm is raised to the third position. Lower the L heel in demi-plié in the pose attitude effacée derrière. En dedans: The movement is reversed. The R leg is half-bent in effacé derrière at 45 degrees with the body bent back; perform a grand rond de jambe en dedans and finish with the R leg stretched at 90 degrees in the pose effacé devant.
Fouetté en face, grand (Cecchetti method) [grahn fweh-TAY ahn
fahss]
Large fouetté facing the audience. This fouetté is executed on pointe, on demi-pointe or with a jump. En dehors: Fourth position croisé L foot pointed back and the arms in the fifth position en bas. On the upbeat, demi-plié on the R leg, raising the L foot sur le cou-de-pied derrière; step on the L demi-pointe and raise the R foot sur le cou-de-pied devant. Demi-plié on the L foot and développé the R leg à la quatrième devant en face, raising the arms to the fourth position en avant (L arm crossed in front of the body); relevé on the L foot and in one sweeping movement execute a grand rond de jambe en dehors, ending in the fourth Cecchetti arabesque facing the audience. At the same time, move the L arm in a semicircle so that it rises above the head and opens to the second position; as the L arm is lowered, the R arm is raised above the head, then lowered and
extended forward. En dedans: Fourth position croisé L foot pointed forward and the arms in the fifth position en bas. On the upbeat, demi-plié on the R leg, raising the L foot sur le cou-de-pied devant; step on the L demi-pointe and raise the R foot sur le cou-de-pied derrière. Demi-plié on the L foot and développé the R leg à la quatrième derrière en face, raising the arms to the fourth position en avant (L arm across the body); relevé on the L foot and in one sweeping movement execute a grand rond de jambe en dedans and lower the L heel in demi-plié with the R leg extended to the fourth position front en l’air. At the same time, raise the L arm above the head and open it to the second position, and raise the R arm from the second position to above the head. The head is turned toward the R arm.
Fouetté en tournant, grand (Russian School) [grahn fweh-TAY
ahn toor-NAHN]
Large fouetté, turning. This fouetté may be done on demi pointe, on point or with a jump. It is usually done en dedans and may be finished in attitude croisée, attitude effacée or any of the arabesques. En dedans: Fourth position croisé L foot pointed forward with the arms in
the preparatory position. On the upbeat, step on the L foot in demi plié; relevé on the L foot, throwing the R leg to the second position at 90 degrees, turning the body en face and opening the arms to the second position; demi-plié on the L leg, turning en dedans to face corner 6, sweeping the R leg down through the first position and forward at 90 degrees (as the leg sweeps forward, the arms lower to the first position and rise with a strong movement to the third position on the battement); simultaneously, relevé on the L demi-pointe, bending the body back, then quickly turn to face corner 2 and demi-plié in the third arabesque. En dehors: Fourth position croisé L foot pointed back. On the upbeat, step on the L foot in demi-plié; relevé on the L foot and execute a grand battement to the second position at 90 degrees, opening the arms to the second position. Demi-plié on the L foot, sweeping the R leg through the first position to third arabesque and relevé in third arabesque (the arms rise to third arabesque through the preparatory position). Turn en dehors on demi-pointe to the pose croisé devant at 90 degrees. Lower the L heel in demi-plié.
Fouetté en tournant à la seconde, grand (Russian School) [grahn
fweh-TAY a lah suh-GAWND]
Large fouetté, turning in the second position. This fouetté is done on point or demi-pointe. It is a variety of the popular
fouetté rond de jambe en tournant. En dehors: Fifth position R foot front. Demi-plié on the L leg with the R foot retiré devant; relevé on the L foot and throw the R leg to the second position at 90 degrees; demi-plié on the L foot and relevé, turning en dehors while bending the R knee and passing the R foot behind, then in front of, the L knee. Demi-plié on the L foot and continue the series of turns, taking two
counts for each fouetté. The arms open to the second position with the leg, then are brought into first position on the turn. En dedans: The working leg is thrown to the second position at 90 degrees, then the knee bends and the foot is passed in front of, then behind, the supporting knee while turning en dedans.
Fouetté en tournant en dedans, grand (Cecchetti method) [grahn
fweh-TAY ahn toor-NAHN ahn duh-DAHN]
Large fouetté, turning inward. Stand on the L foot in the first arabesque facing side 6. Demi-plié and sweep the R leg to the fourth position front en l’air toward side 6, lowering the arms to the fifth position en bas, and raise them to the fifth position en avant; rise
on the L demi-pointe and turn to the left until the body faces side 8. Leave the R arm and the R leg pointing to side 8 and sharply turn the body to the left to face side 6, raising the L arm to the fourth position en haut. When the body faces side 6, extend the L arm forward and lower the L heel in demi-plié in the first arabesque. This fouetté may also be done with a jump.
Fouetté en tournant en diagonale, grand (Russian School) [grahn fweh-TAY ahn toor-NAHN ahn dya-gaw-NAL]
Large fouetté, turning and traveling in a diagonal. This fouetté is taken traveling in a diagonal from corner 2 to corner 6 or from corner 8 to corner 4. Stand on the R leg in arabesque effacée à terre at corner 2 with the arms in either the first or second arabesque. On the upbeat, demi-plié on the R leg, opening the arms to the second position and do a chassé en avant toward corner 6, bringing the
legs together in the fifth position with a sliding jump close to the floor; step on the L foot in demi-plié toward corner 6 and jump, throwing the R leg forward at 90 degrees; simultaneously the body faces corner 6 and the arms are raised from a low first position to the third position, while the body turns en dedans in the air to face corner 2 and lands in demi-plié on the L leg in the fourth arabesque. The step is then repeated toward corner 6, throwing the L leg forward and turning en dedans to land in demi-plié in the first arabesque
facing corner 2.
Fouetté raccourci [fweh-TAY ra-koor-SEE]
Fouetté shortened. This movement is similar to a petit fouetté. From the second position en l’air, the working foot is cut sharply behind the supporting leg by bending the knee of the working leg without lowering the thigh.
Fouetté rond de jambe en tournant [fweh-TAY rawn duh zhahnb
ahn toor-NAHN]
Whipped circle of the leg turning. This is the popular turn
in which the dancer executes a series of turns on the supporting leg while being propelled by a whipping movement of the working leg. The whipping leg should be at hip level, with the foot closing in to the knee of the supporting leg. Fouettés are usually done in a series. They may be executed en dehors or en dedans.
En dehors (Russian School): Fourth position R foot back. Execute a pirouette en dehors on the L leg. Fondu on the L leg, at the same time opening the R leg to the second position en l’air. Relevé on the L point or demi-pointe, executing a tour en dehors and whipping the R foot in back of, then quickly in front of, the L knee. Fondu on the L leg, opening the R leg to the second position en l’air.
En dehors (Cecchetti method): Fourth position R foot back. Execute a pirouette en dehors on the L leg. Fondu on the L leg, at the same time extending the R leg to quatrième position devant en l’air (croisé devant). Relevé on the L point or demi-pointe, sweeping the R leg to the second position en l’air, and execute a tour en dehors, bringing the R foot to side and front of L knee. Fondu on the L foot, extending the R leg forward again. Three quarters of the turn should be made with the R foot in position on the supporting knee. This fouetté may also be executed from a preparation starting with a pas de bourrée en dedans and finishing with a coupé dessous, opening the working leg to quatrième devant croisé.
En dedans (Russian School) Fouetté en dedans is done in the same
manner as en dehors. After a pirouette en dedans the extension is made to the second position en l’air; next the foot is brought in front of, then in back of, the supporting knee.
En dedans (Cecchetti method): After a pirouette en dedans the working leg is extended to the fourth position derrière en l’air; then with a demi-rond de jambe en l’air en dedans the foot is brought to the front of the supporting knee.
Fouetté rond de jambe en tournant en dehors
(supported) [fweh-TAY rawn duh zhahnb ahn toor-NAHN ahn duh-AWR]
Whipped circle of the leg turning outward (supported). This is a fouetté in which the girl, supported by the boy, holds one hand above her head, grasping the boy’s index finger. After a sous-sus the girl does a développé croisé devant and executes one, two or more fouettés ronds de jambe en tournant, stopping herself by quickly grasping the boy’s free hand with her free hand. See Finger
turns.
Fouetté sauté, grand [grahn fweh-TAY soh-TAY]
Large fouetté, jumping. This fouetté is performed with a temps levé on the supporting foot instead of a relevé. There are numerous kinds of grands fouettés sautés. The step is preceded by a glissade, sissonne simple, failli, etc. See Fouetté effacé, grand (Russian School) andFouetté en tournant, grand (Russian School).
Fouetté sauté en face, grand (Russian School) [grahn fweh-TAY
soh-TAY ahn fahss]
Large fouetté, jumping, facing front. Fourth position croisé L foot pointed forward with the arms in a low first position. Step on the
L foot in demi-plié and push off the floor, throwing the R leg to the second position at 90 degrees; simultaneously raise the arms to the third position. With a sharp movement turn into the first arabesque in profile and land on the L leg in demi-plié. To repeat the movement with the other leg, do a small temps levé on the L foot and step croisé en avant on the R leg, lowering the arms; then immediately push off from the floor in the second grand fouetté.
Frappé, frappée [fra-PAY]
Struck. See Battement frappé.
French School
The French School of ballet began in the court ceremonies of the French monarchs. Louis XIV studied with the famous ballet master Pierre Beauchamp and established the first academy of dancing, known as the Académie Royale de Musique et de Danse, in Paris in 1661. The École de Danse de l’Opéra was founded in 1713 and is now known as the École de Danse du Théâtre National de l’Opéra. Among its most famous ballet masters were Beauchamp, Pécour, Lany, Noverre, G. and A. Vestris, M. and P. Gardel, F. Taglioni, Mazilier, Saint-Léon, Mérante, Staats, Aveline and Lifar. The French School was known for its elegance and soft, graceful movements rather than technical virtuosity. Its influence spread throughout Europe and is
the basis of all ballet training.
Friska [FRISH-kah]
The fast movement of the csárdás (q.v).
