Ballet Term
Avant
En avant refers to moving towards the front. En avant is not an actual step or position in ballet, but is used in conjunction with other terms, such as tendu en avant.
You will almost never hear a teacher call out “avant” on its own. It comes attached to another word, most often as en avant, which simply means “to the front” or “forward.” It tells you the direction a movement travels, not the movement itself.
Think of it like a road sign. A tendu is the step, and en avant is the arrow pointing where that tendu should go. So tendu en avant means you brush your working foot straight out toward the front of the room. You will hear the same word paired with other steps too, such as a développé en avant or a port de bras en avant.
Because it only describes direction, en avant is one of the small connective words that make ballet’s vocabulary work. Once you know it means forward, you can read it inside dozens of longer combinations. Its opposites and partners are worth learning at the same time: derrière (behind), de côté (to the side), and en arrière (backward).
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Is en avant a real ballet step?
No. It is a direction word, not a step. It always attaches to another term, such as tendu en avant, to tell you the movement should travel toward the front.
What does en avant mean in English?
It means "to the front" or "forward." A dancer performing something en avant is directing that movement toward the front of the room or their own body.