Rond de jambe

What does “Rond de jambe” mean in ballet?

( ; meaning 'leg circle.') Half-circle made by the pointed foot, from fourth front or back through second position to the opposite fourth and returning through first position again to repeat, in effect tracing out the letter "D". Starting front going back is called rond de jambe en dehors while starting back and going front is called rond de jambe en dedans . Rond de jambe à terre /par terre : ('on the ground.') The extended leg with pointed toe remains on the ground to sweep around in a semi-circle. Rond de jambe attitude : the leg is swung around from front to side and into attitude position behind as the supporting foot goes en pointe. (See also attitude .) Rond de jambe en l'air : ('in the air.') The leg is lifted and sustained to the side ( à la seconde ), with movement being limited to below the knee. If the thigh is held at 90 degrees from the body, the toe draws a circle approximately between the knee of the supporting leg and second position in the air. If the thigh is held lower (e.g. 45 degrees), the circle is drawn to the calf of the supporting leg. This is commonly done in singles, doubles, and/or sauté . Grand rond de jambe (en l'air) : the leg is extended and sustained at grand battement height to draw a semi-circle in the air. Demi-grand rond de jambe (en l'air) : the leg is extended and sustained off the ground while moving from fourth devant or derrière to second or vice versa, thus drawing only half of the full semi-circle.

See also

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

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