Ballerinas: Leap

In “The Triplet Ballerinas”, Annie’s ballet move is leaping-sometimes high! Leaping seemed to fit her personality. What do you call a ballet leap (or jump) in ballet? The most common leap is called a grand jete’. This is a long horizontal jump starting from one leg and landing on the other. This is usually a step for advanced jumpers though. To make a jump even higher, the dancer lifts her head and arms and looks toward her high arm.

Some other leaps are the switch leap (this one starts like a grand jete’ and then switches in the air), tour jete’ (this is a turning leap), straddle leap (a Russian leap mostly found in jazz dance), supported leaps (this is one where a dancer uses a partner to help her get off the ground or to catch her at the end of a leap) and a pas de chat (this is a small leap performed directly to the front of the stage).