Soutenu translates to which?

Soutenu translates to which?

• A. Crossed behind
• B. Sustained
• C. To the second
• D. Spread apart

Answer: (B)

Soutenu signals a sustained, smooth, connected quality in the movement. The best translation is Sustained because the term describes how the motion should feel and flow—held and continuous, with weight settled and no abrupt stops. It isn’t about a direction or a position: Crossed behind refers to how the legs cross or where they are placed, To the second describes a specific position, and Spread apart indicates a type of separation. In Cecchetti vocabulary, soutenu emphasizes maintenance of control and leg line throughout a step or turn, so the emphasis is on the unbroken, drawn-out quality rather than any particular place the feet go.

Soutenu signals a sustained, smooth, connected quality in the movement. The best translation is Sustained because the term describes how the motion should feel and flow—held and continuous, with weight settled and no abrupt stops. It isn’t about a direction or a position: Crossed behind refers to how the legs cross or where they are placed, To the second describes a specific position, and Spread apart indicates a type of separation. In Cecchetti vocabulary, soutenu emphasizes maintenance of control and leg line throughout a step or turn, so the emphasis is on the unbroken, drawn-out quality rather than any particular place the feet go.