Names of Ballet Moves & Movements

By Lauri Gregoire
Lauri Gregoire

Lauri Gregoire began her dancing, singing and acting career at a young age. She received her Bachelor of Performing Arts in dance performance from the prestigious Oklahoma City University in 1995. Upon graduation, she moved to Nashville, where she performed with Opryland U.S.A. as a lead dancer. While at Opryland, Gregoire performed in such shows as, "And the Winner Is," "Country Music USA," "I Hear America Singing," and as a lead dancer on the "General Jackson Showboat." Gregoire began teaching at the Bellevue Dance Center in January of 1998 and became owner and director in May of 2004. She is also the resident choreographer at the Boiler Room Theatre in Franklin, Tenn.

www.bellevuedancecenter.com

Ballet moves and movements are all named in French and should be graceful yet strong, working from a turned out position of the hips. Learn to do an arabesque in ballet with instructions from an experienced dance instructor in this free video ballet lesson.

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Video transcription

Ballet moves and movements. Ballet is one of the most diverse art forms out there. With thousands and thousands of different moves of dance steps. All of the ballet terminology is in French. It is important to know that ballet moves should be graceful yet strong at the same time. Again don't forget that ballet unlike any other dance form works from a turned out position from the hips. The entire body is working at the same time in a graceful flowing movement. One of the ballet steps I will demonstrate today is called an Arabesque. There are two ways to demonstrate this step. Starting in a turned out first position we will stretch the toe behind us, straight and elongated with the floor. With the toe on the floor this is called Arabesque Artairre. Artairre meaning on the floor as we lift the legs up to a higher straight position behind us this is called Arabesque Onlair. Onlair rhyming with air meaning leg in the air and Arabesque is one of just many many ballet movements that you will find in a ballet class.