Ballet Glossary: Balancé, Sauté, Temps Lié

Hi Beauties,

A balancé is a beautiful rocking step where a dancer moves while alternating balance between their feet. It is a three-step combination, and the rhythm is typically in three counts like a waltz. It has the motion of going “down, up, down” with the legs. The movement usually starts in a fifth or “b-plus” position. The dancer extends one leg to a degagé to the side, fondues and transfers weight onto that foot while crossing the other behind the ankle in coupé position, piqués on the back foot while slightly lifting the first, then fondues once again on the first foot. Balancé has many variations and may be performed crossing the foot either front or back. The movement can be side to side, front to back, in a diagonal, or in a turning sequence. From a fitness perspective, the balancé is a great step to get the heart rate up. It’s very rhythmic and dancey, and when performed in repetition, it is a wonderful cardio exercise. Involving a combination of pliés and extending the knees while shifting weight, it’s also great for leg toning! You can perfect your balancé skills by practicing along with these videos from our Streaming Library:

Balancé Arabesque Cardio Blast

Ballet Basics Center, Waltz

Sauté means “to jump.” Technically, any jump in ballet can be called a sauté! The exact type of jump depends upon the position of the body in the air. It could be a jump from two feet landing on two feet, or one foot to the same foot. But no matter which type of sauté is being performed, the dancer pushes off from plié into the air, leaving the floor with pointed toes and extended legs. In all jumping movements, the tips of the toes should be the first to reach the ground after the jump, followed by the sole of the foot, the heel, & landing softly in a nice demi plié. Make sure to add some sautés into your routine to get your heart rate up, while toning your legs and core in the process.

You can find sautés in the exercises below from our Streaming Library:

Jump

Temps lié is a series of connected movements that transfer weight from one foot to the other. It is commonly used in tendu, dégagé, and adagio exercises, and can be performed at the center, or at the barre as well. Temps lié is used frequently in classical ballet performances, and there are many variations of it. Practicing temps lié teaches control and balance in transferring the weight of the body from one position to another with a smooth, rhythmic movement. To perform a basic temps-lié, a dancer transfers weight from one foot to another, through a demi-plié, finishing by straightening both knees. It can be done front to back, side to side, on the floor or lifting legs off the floor, and is accompanied by different port de bras. Temps lié is great for toning the legs, butt, and ballet muscles, since it involves a lot of bending and extending the knees, and lifting them off the ground in some variations. Because it’s accompanied by port de bras, it also provides amazing arm toning. Temps lié is used frequently in Ballet Beautiful workouts; you can find them in the videos below from our streaming library:

Temps Lie Attitude

Temps lié Workout

Swan Arms Interval Cardio