Ballet Terms

Cloche, en

Pronunciation: /ɑ̃ klɔʃ/

What does “Cloche, en” mean in ballet?

( ; meaning 'like a bell.') Refers to brushing through first position from fourth devant or fourth derrière to the opposite fourth with the upper body held upright. Can be done continuously, as is often done with grands battements and attitudes . Similar to Balançoire , which additionally allows seesaw like upper-body shifting in counterpoint to the legs. The Vaganova system may refer to en cloche as "passé la jambe" or "battement passé la jambe".

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.

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