Relevé/Élevé

pronunciation: re-leh-vay / el-eh-vay

translation: "raised" or "lifted"

​

As a movement:

Lifting the heels and rising on to the toes. Whether the the rise is "relevé" or "élevé"* depends on the starting position.

​

Relevé: starts from a plié

​

Élevé: starts from straight legs.

​

​

As a position:

"Relevé" can also describe a position of the standing leg. In a relevé position, the heel is lifted and you are on your toes. Describing a position as relevé disregards whether you got there from straight leg or a plié.

​

​

​

*Not all schools/methods of ballet use the term "élevé." "Relevé" is often used to refer to both relevé and élevé movements. I prefer to use "élevé" in order to distinguish between rising from plié and rising from straight legs because there is a significant difference in mechanics between the two. 

​

​