What does “Attitude” mean in ballet?
A position in which a dancer stands on one leg (the supporting leg) while the other leg ( working leg) is raised and turned out with knee bent to form an angle of approximately 90° between the thigh and the lower leg. The height of the knee versus the foot and the angle of the knee flexion will vary depending on the techniques. The working leg can be held behind ( derrière ), in front ( devant ), or to the side ( à la seconde ) of the body. The alignment of the thigh compared to the midline in Attitude derrière will vary depending on the techniques. The foot of the supporting leg may be flat on the floor, en demi-pointe (ball of the foot), or en pointe (tips of the toes). The standing leg can be straight or bent ("fondu").
See also
New to ballet? Read our ballet guide — history, the five positions, class structure and how adults can start.
Definition adapted from Glossary of ballet on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearby terms
Arabesque
In dance (particularly ballet), arabesque (French: [aʁabɛsk]; literally, "in Arabic fashio…
Arrière, en
( ; meaning 'backwards') A movement towards the back, as opposed to en avant.…
Arrondi
( ; meaning 'rounded') A position of the hand. Rounded, in contrast with allongé ('stretch…
Assemblé
( ; literally 'assembled') Sometimes also pas assemblé . A jump that takes off from one fo…
Avant, en
( ; meaning 'forwards') A movement towards the front, as opposed to en arrière , which is …
Balancé
( ; "to swing or rock") A rocking sequence of three steps— fondu , relevé , fondu (down, u…
Balançoire
( ; "swing [children's toy]") Swinging the working leg between front (devant) and back (de…
Ballerina
(Italian) A principal female ballet dancer in a ballet company. Ballerinas get more lead r…