Saut de Basque – A traveling step where the dancer turns in the air
Jumping originating from the Basque region. A traveling step during which the dancer turns in the air and lands in retiré or cou-de-pied.
Sickle – A curve inward of the foot from the ankle, where the point is forward and the heel is back
Sissonne – A jump from two feet, landing on either two feet or one foot
Sissonnes may be either small (petite) or large (grande). Usually thought to only occur with a split of the legs, but can be executed without a wide position (as in Sissonne Simple).
Sissonne Ouverte – A jump from two feet, landing on one foot with the leg extended in the air
Sissonne Soubresaut – A curved, flying jump in fifth position
A step often called by many different names including Temps de Poisson French School. A jump from two feet, with the back arched and the legs extending backwards and kept together; landing on one foot with one leg extended backwards. Often confused with failli, where the legs open into the jump.
Sissonne Simple – A jump from two feet to one foot landing in coup-de-pied
Soubresaut – A jump from fifth position without changing feet
From rom French meaning “jolt”, a jump from fifth position to fifth position – except in the French School – without changing feet. In the air the legs and the body are straight, and the feet are tight with the front foot “hiding” the back foot. A traditional soubreasaut travels forward, but can also be done travelling backwards and, though less common, sideways. Increasingly the term is also used to denote the same jump done on the spot without travelling – a soubresaut sur place. A soubresaut in the Vagonova technique is a big jump and only done forward. The upper body inclines forward in the plié preparation and then arches back as the dancer springs up and forward in the jump. In the French School a soubresaut can be done in any position if it lands on both feet in the same position they started.
Soutenu, Battement – A sustained position in fifth or first
From the French Soutenir, meaning to sustain or as used in the French School suspend, a battement soutenu is a movement that is a stretch of the legs into fifth or first position. It is done from an extended position where the working leg is brought in to meet the rising supporting leg from a plié in either fifth or first, on flat, demi-pointe, or pointe. A battement soutenu can also denote a complete movement starting in fifth position with the working leg sliding out to a full point as the supporting leg pliés before bringing the legs together. A battement soutenu can also be done by going through cou-de-pied to 45 degrees or through retiré to 90 degrees.Spotting – The action of the head and eyes while turning
Spotting is when a dancer maintains focus to one spot in the room while turning. (Developed by Carlo Blasis).
Split – A placement of the legs straight out and in opposite directions of the body
A front split extends one leg to the front and the other to the back. A side split extends both legs out to the side of the body.