Ballet Terms

Fondu

Pronunciation: /fɔ̃dy/

What does “Fondu” mean in ballet?

( ; literally 'melted.') Abbreviation for battement fondu , a lowering of the body made by bending the knee of the supporting leg, the working leg extending out à terre or in the air. Saint-Léon wrote, "Fondu is on one leg what a plié is on two." Fondu at the barre often refers to battement fondu développé , where the supporting leg begins fondu with the foot of the working leg at cou-de-pied; the working leg extends out through a petit développé as the supporting leg straightens. A term used to modify any one-legged position in order to indicate a bent supporting leg (e.g. arabesque fondu).

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

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