Which term corresponds to "half"?

Which term corresponds to "half"?

• A. Plie
• B. Retire
• C. Tour en l'Air
• D. Demi

Answer: (D)

In ballet vocabulary, demi is the prefix that means half. It signals a partial version of a movement, most often a half bend or half point, such as in demi-plié (a half bend of the knees) or demi-pointe (standing on the ball of the foot). The word plie by itself simply means to bend the knees and can be shallow (demi-plié) or deep (grand plié), so it doesn’t inherently mean half. Retire is a specific leg position with the foot at or near the knee, and Tour en l’air is a turning leap in the air. So the term that corresponds to "half" is demi.

In ballet vocabulary, demi is the prefix that means half. It signals a partial version of a movement, most often a half bend or half point, such as in demi-plié (a half bend of the knees) or demi-pointe (standing on the ball of the foot). The word plie by itself simply means to bend the knees and can be shallow (demi-plié) or deep (grand plié), so it doesn’t inherently mean half. Retire is a specific leg position with the foot at or near the knee, and Tour en l’air is a turning leap in the air. So the term that corresponds to "half" is demi.