Ballet Terms

Sickle

What does “Sickle” mean in ballet?

A term that refers to the reverse of a winging, indicating a foot where the heel is too far back so the toes are in front of the ankle and heel, breaking the line of the leg at the ankle. If a dancer sickles an en pointe or demi-pointe foot, the ankle could collapse to the outside, resulting in a sprain. A working foot should be straight to the side and mildly winged to the front or back.

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Definition adapted from Glossary of ballet on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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