What does “Port de bras” mean in ballet?
( ; 'carriage of the arms.') An exercise for the movement of the arms (and in some schools, the upper body) to different positions. For example, a basic port de bras exercise could move from fifth en bas ('low') (i.e. bras bas or preparatory position ) to first arm position, to second arm position, back down to fifth en bas. A full port de bras could move from en bas to en haut ('high', i.e. overhead) and back down. Port de bras movements vary by school and by action. The phrase port de bras is used in some schools and parts of the world to indicate a bending forward, backward, or circularly of the body at the waist, generally to be followed by bringing the upper body back to center/upright again, e.g. "port de bras forward", "port de bras back", "circular port de bras/grand port de bras". Bending at the waist is otherwise known as cambré .
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.
Nearby terms
Pointe technique
The part of classical ballet technique that concerns pointe work (dancing on the tips of t…
Pointe work
Performing steps while on the tips of the toes, with feet fully extended and wearing point…
Pointe, en
Supporting one's body weight on the tips of the toes, usually while wearing structurally r…
Poisson
( ; literally 'fish.') A body position in which the back is arched and legs are crossed in…
Positions of the arms
There are two basic positions of the arms. In one, the dancer keeps the fingers of both ar…
Positions of the body
There are eight to eleven positions of the body in ballet, eight in Cecchetti and RAD and …
Positions of the feet
The standard, basic placements of feet on the floor. Modern-day classical ballet employs f…
Posé
; A term of the Cecchetti school and RAD. From a fondu , a dancer steps with a straight le…