Which term refers to a disengaged beating movement?

Which term refers to a disengaged beating movement?

• A. Battement tendu
• B. Plié
• C. Jeté
• D. Battment degage

Answer: (D)

Disengagement is the moment the working foot leaves the floor, even if just a small amount, as you move it to a new position. In Cecchetti vocabulary, a battement dégagé is exactly that: a beating motion where the foot disengages from the support surface and travels a short distance with a fully pointed toe before returning to the floor or moving to the next position. It’s executed with a quick brush and a clear separation from the floor, which trains control and energy through the leg while keeping the rest of the body steady. This differs from a battement tendu, which stays on the floor the whole time, sliding from one position to another without lifting. It also isn’t a jeté, which is a leap through the air from one foot to the other, or a plié, which is a bending of the knees in a supporting position. The defining feature here is that brief lift off the ground—that’s what makes it a dégagé.

Disengagement is the moment the working foot leaves the floor, even if just a small amount, as you move it to a new position. In Cecchetti vocabulary, a battement dégagé is exactly that: a beating motion where the foot disengages from the support surface and travels a short distance with a fully pointed toe before returning to the floor or moving to the next position. It’s executed with a quick brush and a clear separation from the floor, which trains control and energy through the leg while keeping the rest of the body steady.

This differs from a battement tendu, which stays on the floor the whole time, sliding from one position to another without lifting. It also isn’t a jeté, which is a leap through the air from one foot to the other, or a plié, which is a bending of the knees in a supporting position. The defining feature here is that brief lift off the ground—that’s what makes it a dégagé.