What does en arriere mean in ballet terminology?

What does en arriere mean in ballet terminology?

• A. Above
• B. Backwards
• C. Below
• D. Melted

Answer: (B)

Moving backward. In ballet French terms, en arriere tells you to travel toward the back of the stage, away from the audience. It’s the opposite of en avant, which means moving forward. Understanding this direction helps you execute steps with the correct travel path, keeping your turnout, posture, and lines as you move away from the front. You’ll see it in phrases like glissade en arriere or pas en arriere, guiding the movement so the body moves back across the stage rather than forward. The other ideas don’t describe direction in space—above or below refers to vertical position, and melted isn’t a standard ballet direction.

Moving backward. In ballet French terms, en arriere tells you to travel toward the back of the stage, away from the audience. It’s the opposite of en avant, which means moving forward. Understanding this direction helps you execute steps with the correct travel path, keeping your turnout, posture, and lines as you move away from the front. You’ll see it in phrases like glissade en arriere or pas en arriere, guiding the movement so the body moves back across the stage rather than forward. The other ideas don’t describe direction in space—above or below refers to vertical position, and melted isn’t a standard ballet direction.