What does “Barre” mean in ballet?
A sturdy horizontal bar, approximately waist height, used during ballet warm-up exercises and training. Fixed barres are typically mounted on -covered walls; portable barres can be relocated as needed. Used for balance, not support. A barre is a tool, not a necessary item to dance.
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
Balletomane
A ballet fan or enthusiast. The word is of Russian origin c. 1930, with the suffix -mane c…
Ballon
Showing lightness of movement in leaps and jumps. A dancer exhibiting ballon will appear t…
Ballonné
In classical ballet, the term ballonné is a step where the leg is extended (can be front, …
Ballotté
A ballotté ("tossed") is a jumping step in classical ballet that consists of coupé dessous…
Battement
An alternating side-to-side movement of the working (non-supporting) leg. Typically perfor…
Batterie
A general term for jumps in which the legs open slightly sideways and close (crossed in fi…
Battu
( ; meaning 'beaten') A movement with an extra beating of the feet included, as in jeté ba…
Bourrée
Quick movement of the feet, can be performed on pointe or on demi-pointe. The dancer strai…