Releve Ballet

How to ballet terms at home tutorial videos

Jacklyn Dougherty

Releve [ ruhl-VAY ]. Raised. A raising of the body on the points or demi- pointes, point or demi-pointe. There are two ways to releve. In the French School, releve is done with a smooth, continuous rise while the Cecchetti method and the Russian School use a little spring. Releve may be done in the first, second, fourth or fifth position, en attitude, en arabesque, devant, derriere, en tournant, passe en avant, passe en arriere and so on. Occasionally the term may refer to a lowering of the working foot from a position pointe tendue to the ground and re-raising it to the position pointe tendue, as in battement tendu releve. In the Russian School the term releve is also used to mean the slow raising of the stretched leg to 90° in any direction. See Battement releve lent.

Releve (Cecchetti method) [ruhl-VAY]. This is done with a slight spring from a demi-plie onto the three-quarter points or full points. During the spring, the toes are brought directly under the central line of balance or roughly to the same spot over which the insteps rested during the preparatory demi-plie.

Releve (French School) [ ruhl-VAY ]. This is done with a smooth rise from a position a terre to the full points. The toes do not move from the spot at which the releve began. The heels are then lowered by slowly descending through the demi-pointes. See Rise.

Releve (Russian School) [ruhl-VAY]. This is done in the manner of the Cecchetti method and is termed “temps leve sur les pointes.”

Releve d’adage de face en dedans [ ruhl-VAY da-DAHZH duhfahss ahn duh-DAHN]. Releve of adage inward, facing forward. A term of the French School. Bring the R foot en raccourci derriere; demi-plie on the L foot, carrying the R leg backward to grande quatrieme derriere. Without stopping after the developpe, immediately carry the R leg to grande seconde while the L foot rises sur la demi-pointe.

Releve d’adage de face en dehors [ ruhl-VAY da-DAHZH duhfahss ahn duh-AWR]. Releve of adage outward, facing forward. A term of the French School. Fifth position R foot front. Bring the R foot en raccourci devant; demi- plie on the L foot, carrying the R leg forward to grande quatrieme devant. Immediately carry the R leg to grande seconde while the L foot rises sur la demi-pointe.

Releve d’adage par quart de tour [ ruhl-VAY da-DAHZH par kar duh toor ]. Releve of adage by quarter-turns. A term of the French School. This exercise is done the same way as releve d’adage de face but with a quarter-turn on the demi-pointe. The movement is done four times, turning a quarter-turn each time, so that a complete turn is made either en dehors or en dedans. The exercise may also be done with a half-turn or a full turn on each releve.

Releve derriere [ ruhl-VAY deh-RYEHR ]. Releve in back. Fifth position R foot back. Demi-plie and spring onto the point or demi-pointe of the L foot, raising the R foot sur le cou-de-pied derriere or in retire derriere. With a slight spring, lower both heels to the ground simultaneously in demi-plie in the fifth position R foot back. Releve derriere may also be taken off one foot if the other is already raised.

Releve devant [ ruhl-VAY duh-VAHN]. Releve in front. Fifth position R foot front. Demi-plie, spring onto the point or demi-pointe of the L foot, raising the R foot sur le cou-de-pied devant or in retire devant. With a slight spring, lower both heels to the ground simultaneously in demi-plie in the fifth position, R foot front. Releve devant may be taken off one foot if the other is already raised. This step is also termed “sissonne simple sur la pointe” (Russian School).

Releve lent [ ruhl-VAY lahn]. Slow raising. A term of the Russian School. See Battement releve lent.

Releve passe en arriere [ruhl-VAY pa-SAY ah na-RYEHR ]. Releve passed backward. Fifth position R foot front. Demi-plie and with a spring rise on the L point, raising the R foot in retire devant. With a slight spring, lower both heels to the ground simultaneously in demi-plie in the fifth position R foot back.

Releve passe en avant [ruhl-VAY pa-SAY ah na-VAHN]. Releve passed forward. Fifth position R foot back. Demi-plie and with a spring rise on the L point, raising the R foot in retire derriere. With a slight spring, lower both heels to the ground simultaneously in demi-plie in the fifth position R foot front.

Relever [ruhl-VAY]. To raise, to lift. One of the seven movements in dancing.

Releve sur les pointes or demi-pointes (Cecchetti method) [ruhl- VAY sewr lay pwent (or) duh-mee-P WENT] . Releve on the points or half- points. Start in the first, second, fourth or fifth position. Demi-plie and with a slight spring, pushing off with the heels, rise on the points or demi-pointes; then with a slight spring lower the heels to the floor in the starting position in demi-plie. If the releve is done in the fifth position the feet must be tightly closed at the moment of rising so that they give the impression of one foot. SeeReleve (Cecchetti method); Sous-sus; Temps de cou-de-pied; Temps leve sur les pointes.

Releve sur les pointes or demi-pointes (French School) [ruhl-VAY sewr lay pwent (or) duh-mee-PWENT]. In the French School, releve is done by rising smoothly with a continuous movement onto the demi-pointes or full points and descending smoothly until the heels are lowered in the starting position. See Releve (French School).