Arabesque
Pronunciation: a-ra-BESK
Translation: in Arabic fashion

The Position and Definition

Arabesque originally comes from from the latin word arabus, meaning Arabian. The word also is rooted in Arab from arabo. From there, the word was assimilated into the Italian language as arabesco, and eventually found its home inside of the French language; the language that codified ballet.

More commonly used in architecture and design, arabesque is an ornament or style that employs flower, foliage, or fruit and sometimes animal and figural outlines to produce and intricate pattern of interlaced lines and circles. This idea or style that comes from Arab culture is a part of Islamic art or biomorphic decorative arts, truly defines the ballet position or posture in ballet. The idea of multiple circles and lines intersecting to create balance, harmony, and peace.

If you think about the endless circles that create arabesque: turnout, pointing of the foot, the flexion of the back, the spiral of the arms and scapula, all to create perfect lines with the arms, legs, and back, it’s quite glorious.

In dance, arabesque is a body position on one leg, known as the supporting leg with the other leg, the working leg, raised in the air. Arabesque is usually in one of three positions:

Arabesque par terre, on the floor, also known as tendu.
Arabesque à la demi hauteur - 45 degrees
Arabesque à la hauteur - 90 degrees

Based on most curriculums, arabesque positions above 90 degrees are penchée arabesque.

Arabesques are usually numbered based on the curriculum, and are usually based on facing, arm positions, stage reference pointes, or the angle of the body.

This position is commonly used as the assessment point for all dancers, and a photo of this position is usually required at most auditions.

Understanding Arabesque

People ask all the time how arabesque works, or why do all of the Clinic girls have such clean and high arabesque lines. The answer isn’t as easy as saying, “We just work the line.” To understand arabesque is to understand body mechanics, shape/line, and body potential.

Ballet, classical ballet, as much as it is defined by the body’s turnout, is really defined by arabesque. It is the position most equated with ballet, and the position that all dancers are judged on during audition season.

I think one of the biggest misconceptions or verbal corrections passed down through the generations is, “Lean forward.” It is really, really, really misleading, especially for a child’s brain, and spatial awareness. We obviously don’t want to create pinching in the back or pressure in the spine, but leaning forwards is probably not the best way to describe the sensation that happens in the core.

To really understand the classical arabesque line, you have to really understand your own body it’s turnout capability. Lifting the leg isn’t the right set of words to achieve the line either. I always like to say, “rotate the leg off the floor,” The leg spirals ups and into the hip socket to create stability and height, without gripping the glutes. If the glutes (specifically the major) grip the leg won’t go up. If the abs are gripped and clenched it will also prohibit the leg from going up. The core has to be engaged, but engaged properly, “Belly button to the spine.” As the leg rotates up, the pubic bone releases, and the psoas and hip flexor push away, the ribs disengage and the back presses forward (specifically the same side as the working leg) to create opposition.

Placement of the arms always depends on the line and the body. While classical ballet calls for the arm to be more forward, a more open shoulder line creates a less severe look and more natural ease. Too open shortens the leg and causes the scapula to pinch, but a too forward arm creates the visual illusion of your hand being larger than your head, especially when taking photos.

Another issue when attempting an arabesque is understanding the pelvis. The pelvis can only tilt as much as the core is strong enough to sustain stability. I think kids get too excited and let the hips tip from the neutral position too fast, or optionally opening the hip to get the leg up. This creates a lot of problems, but most importantly, trying to tip the hips to get that hyper-mobile arabesque line can be dangerous. If you are hyper-mobile and your body (specifically back) does allow you to achieve a hyper-mobile backline, you will need to cross-train extra hard and strengthen the core and back times ten.

All arabesques are not made for all body types. Luckily throughout history, different schools have different approaches to arabesques, and in turn, have very different aesthetics. These aesthetics are very clear when you line up professional dancers who have trained in a particular pedagogy, and apparent when a dancer has not.

The Italian Arabesque (Cecchetti Method)

Arabesque Positions by the Number, Illustrated by A Ballet Education.

The Italian arabesques are strong, they are grounded, they are extremely anatomical, and sometimes to the dancer’s detriment. The Cecchetti method is extremely square, and can be rather harsh to look at. While Enrico Cecchetti helped train the greatest dancers of the time, this arabesque aesthetic is something of the past, however, the positions prescribed, have remained very much alive. Like everything in art, certain styles are a reflection of their time.

The French Arabesque

Like French cuisine, the French arabesque is all about technique and facility— nothing is out of place, every part of the body serves a purpose, and there is no fluff, it is purely the facility of the body mastered. There is something extremely precise about the placement, and almost unartistic about it. One must have very good if not perfect turnout to achieve this line, because they really do emphasize the correct rotation and development of the line.

Arabesque Ouverte
Pronunciation: a-ra-BESK oo-VEHRT
Translation: Open arabesque
Going profile to the audience with the leg closest to the audience (downstage) raised.

Arabesque Croisé (French)
Pronunciation: a-ra-BESK krawh-ZAY
Translation: Arabesque crossed
This French Arabesque is again profile to the audience, this time the leg away (upstage) from the audience is raised.

The Russian Arabesque (Vaganova or Soviet)

The Russian Arabesque aesthetic is somewhat of a feat of flexibility and strength. Building upon the Italian arabesque aesthetic of placement, it became a feat of bravura for women. And like many things that came out of Russia, bigger means better. The working leg becomes higher and more extreme, the flexibility needed throughout the hips and back becomes more extreme, and the aesthetic becomes even more elongated, more emphasized, and creates that martini glass silhouette— needless to say, it is a very dramatic arabesque aesthetic.

The English Arabesque

A reflection of British sensibilities, the English arabesque aesthetic is somewhat of challenge. Balanced somewhere between facility and restraint, the English arabesque calls for a very flexible middle back. Really the aesthetic developed under Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan through their ballets. It becomes are a more effeminate line, almost girlish and subtle, the hips being tipped all the way forward, while the mid and upper back remain upright, and the arms melt into this luxurious never ending vanishing point on the horizon.

The American Arabesque

The American Arabesque is somewhat of a hodgepodge of everything. The one thing that can be really said about the American arabesque aesthetic, it is that it is a very upright and proud position. There is nothing really demure about it. Like it’s international counterparts, it calls for flexibility and strength, but really the aesthetic is more open, upright, almost bigger and more extreme. The American arabesque is almost loud, a tad bit wild, and done with abandonment. The line becomes more masculine on men with the opening of the shoulders making the chest very broad, while the line becomes more womanly and seductive as women slightly open the hip creating a very narrow waist line.

Arabesque à deux bras

Pronunciation: A-ra-BESK a duh brah

Translation: arabesque with two arms

Arabesque with arms in fifth

Arabesque à la lyre

Pronunciation: A-ra-BESK a lah leer

Translation: arabesque with a lyre

Arabesque allongée à terre

Pronunciation: A-ra-BESK a-lawn-ZHAY a tehr

Translation: arabesque extended on the ground

Arabesque de face

Pronunciation: A-ra-BESK duh fahss

Translation: arabesque facing

Arabesque en promenade / Tour lent

Pronunciation: A-ra-BESK ahn prawm-NAD

Translation: arabesque walking

Arabesque en tournant

Pronunciation: A-ra-BESK ahn toor-NAHN

Translation: arabesque turning

Arabesque épaulée

Pronunciation: A-ra-BESK ay-poh-LAY

Translation: arabesque shouldered.

Arabesque fondue, Arabesque plié

Pronunciation: A-ra-BESK fawn-DEW

Translation: arabesque sinking down, arabesque with a bent knee

Arabesque penchée

Pronunciation: A-ra-BESK pahn-SHAY

Translation: arabesque leaning

Arabesque voyagée

Pronunciation: A-ra-BESK vwah-yah-ZHAY

Translation: arabesque traveling

Hops or chugging back in arabesque

The Contemporary Arabesques

Arabesque ètirèe

Pronunciation: A-ra-BESK ay-tee-Ray

Translation: arabesque stretched or drawn out

This neoclassical line is usually partnered on point, but can be done without a partner, where the hips are pulled off and back off the supporting foot.

Arabesque inclinée, Arabesque poussée

Pronunciation: A-ra-BESK en-klee-NAY, a-ra-BESK poo-SAY

Translation: arabesque inclined, arabesque pushed

This neoclassical line is usually partnered on point, but can be done without a partner, where the hips are pushed forward past the supporting foot.

Arabesque