Ballet Arabesque

Jacklyn Dougherty

First arabesque: The body is held upright from the waist and is supported on a straight leg with the other leg extended and at right angles to the supporting leg. The shoulders are held square to the line of direction with the arms extended, palms down, so that the extended fingertips of the forward arm (which is the one on the same side as the supporting leg) are in a line with the centre of the space between the eyes, and the extended back arm slightly lowered so that the arms are in one straight line. The forward hand should be slightly turned outward.

Second arabesque: The arms are reversed so that the forward arm is the opposite to the supporting leg. The head is slightly inclined and turned toward the audience.

Third arabesque: Both arms are extended forward to the side of the supporting leg. The fingertips of the arm farther from the audience are in a line with the centre of the space between the eyes while the arm nearer the audience is in a line with the shoulder.

Fourth arabesque: The supporting leg is nearer the audience and is in demi-plie. The arms and head are held as in the first arabesque with the arm on the side of the raised leg being forward.

Fifth arabesque: The arms and head are held as in the third arabesque with the arm farther from the audience being the higher. The supporting leg is the leg nearer the audience and is in demi-plie.

The fourth and fifth arabesques are usually taken facing the right front corner of the room or stage if the supporting leg is the left, or facing the left front corner if the supporting leg is the right.

Arabesque ouverte: The body is supported on a straight leg with the other extended and at right angles to the supporting leg, the extended leg being nearer the audience. The body leans forward with the arm on the side of the supporting leg held in front and the other taken well back and held parallel to the extended leg.

Arabesque croisee: The position is the same as the above but the supporting leg is the leg nearer to the audience, the arm on the side of the supporting leg held forward.

THE RUSSIAN ARABESQUES (VAGANOVA)

First arabesque: The body is supported on one leg with the other lifted at a right or greater angle to the supporting leg. The body is inclined forward from the waist with a strongly arched back. The arm on the side of the supporting leg is extended forward and the other taken out to the side a little behind the second position.

Second arabesque: The body and legs are the same as in the first arabesque but the arms are reversed. That is, the arm on the side of the supporting leg is taken back far enough to be seen behind the body while the other arm is extended forward. The head is turned toward the audience.

Third arabesque: This arabesque faces diagonally toward the audience. The supporting leg is nearer the audience with the other raised in croise derriere at right angles to the supporting leg. The body is inclined forward with the arm opposite the supporting leg extended forward on a level with the shoulder and the other arm extended to the side. The head is turned toward the forward arm.

Fourth arabesque: The legs are in the same position as in the third arabesque but the arms are reversed and held at shoulder level. The arm on the side of the supporting leg is brought forward and the other arm taken back far enough to be seen behind the back. The body is half turned away from the audience by the strong arching of the back, with the head turned toward the audience.

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Arabesque a deux bras [ a-ra-BESK a duh brah ]. Arabesque with two arms. This arabesque is taken in profile with the extended leg nearest the audience. Both arms are extended forward with the arm on the side of the supporting leg held slightly higher. The head may be held in profile or turned to the audience.

Arabesque a la demi-hauteur [ a-ra-BESK a lah duh-MEE-oh-TUHR ]. Arabesque at half-height. A term of the French School. In this arabesque the foot is raised to a position halfway between the position a terre and a horizontal position in the air.

Arabesque a la hauteur [ a-ra-BESK a lah oh-TUHR ]. Arabesque at the height. A term of the French School. An arabesque in which the working leg is raised at right angles to the hip. Also termed arabesque allongee.

Arabesque a la lyre [ a-ra-BESK a lah leer]. Arabesque with the lyre. This position resembles the arabesque a deux bras (third arabesque Cecchetti) but both palms are held up and the elbows are slightly curved as if the dancer were holding a lyre.

Arabesque allongee [ a-ra-BESK a-laum-ZHAY\. Extended or outstretched arabesque. The line required for this arabesque is a horizontal one. See Arabesque a la hauteur.

Arabesque allongée à terre [ a-ra-BESK a-lawn-ZHAY a tehr]. Arabesque extended on the ground. The body is supported on the supporting leg which is completely bent in plie while the working leg is extended in the back with the foot well turned out and on the ground. The arms may be held en attitude, en couronne, etc. Lunge position either en face, croise or ouvert.

Arabesque a terre [ a-ra-BESK a tehr]. Arabesque on the ground. The arms and body are in arabesque but the leg, usually raised, is extended in the fourth position back, pointe tendue.

Arabesque de face [ a-ra-BESK duhfahss]. Arabesque facing. An arabesque facing the audience. The arms may be held in a variety of positions. (De face = en face.)

Arabesque effacee [a-ra-BESK eh-fa-SAY]. Arabesque shaded. This is the first arabesque (all schools) taken in an efface direction.

Arabesque en tournant [ a-ra-BESK ahn toor-NAHN]. Arabesque, turning. An arabesque is said to be en tournant when a pivot is made on the supporting foot.

Arabesque epaulee [ a-ra-BESK ay-poh-LAY]. Arabesque shouldered. This is an arabesque in which the dancer stands at an oblique angle to the audience. The raised leg and forward arm are nearest the audience and the shoulders are turned so that the dancer’s back is visible. See Epaule.

Arabesque etiree [a-ra-BESK ay -tee-RAY]. Arabesque stretched or drawn out. A term of the French School. This is a neoclassical arabesque in which the ballerina, on point and supported by her partner, shifts her axis backward so that her supporting leg is oblique and her free leg held very high (as in a split).

Arabesque inclinee [ a-ra-BESK en-klee-NAY\. Arabesque inclined. A term of the French School. A neoclassical arabesque in which the ballerina, on point and supported by her partner, shifts her axis forward so that her supporting leg is oblique. Because of the slant of the supporting leg the free leg will be held at an angle of less than 90 degrees. Also called “arabesque poussee.”

Arabesque ouverte [ a-ra-BESK oo-VEHRT ]. Open arabesque. A term of the French School. This arabesque is taken in profile to the audience. The leg nearer the audience is raised and the arm on the side of the supporting leg extended forward. The head is in profile. See section on “The French arabesques” under Arabesque.

Arabesque penchee [a-ra-BESK pahn-SHAY]. Arabesque, leaning. An arabesque in which the body leans well forward in an oblique line, the forward arm and the head being low and the foot of the raised leg the highest point.

Arabesque poussee [a-ra-BESK poo-SAY]. Arabesque pushed. A term of the French School. Same as arabesque inclinee.

Arabesque voyagee [a-ra-BESK vwah-yah-ZHAY]. Arabesque, traveling. This is a series of small hops in an arabesque position. The supporting knee is bent and the instep of the supporting foot does not stretch. The arabesque may be traveled forward or backward. SeeVoyage.