Ballet Term
Ballon
Ballon is term in ballet used to define a dancer showing lightness and ease in jumps. This is used to describe the quality of the jump and not the height. A dancer with great ballon appears to pause at the height of the jump before making their descent into a landing.
Ballon describes the light, springy quality of a dancer’s jumps. It is not about how high a dancer gets off the floor. It is about how the jump looks and feels: soft on the takeoff, buoyant in the air, and quiet on the landing. A dancer with good ballon seems to hang for a moment at the top of the jump before floating back down, the way a rubber ball seems to pause before it bounces.
How ballon is created
Ballon comes from a full, unhurried push through the feet and a soft, controlled landing. On the way up, the dancer presses all the way through the demi-plié and the toes, using the whole foot like a spring rather than just popping off the floor. In the air, the legs and feet finish their positions cleanly, which makes the shape read as light. On the way down, the dancer rolls through the foot back into plié so the landing is silent and cushioned. That smooth cycle of down, up, hang, and down again is what gives the illusion of weightlessness.
Why the pause matters
The famous “pause” at the top of a jump is partly real and partly an illusion of timing and shape. A dancer who reaches the full position quickly, near the height of the jump, gives the eye a clear picture to rest on, which reads as hanging in the air. Rushed or unfinished legs make the same jump look heavy, even if it is just as high.
Where you will see it
Ballon is prized in allegro, especially petit allegro, where quick jumps like jetés, assemblés, and sissonnes need to look light and easy. Teachers often talk about ballon when a dancer’s jumps look labored or loud, because the fix is usually in the plié and the finish of the feet, not in trying to jump higher.
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ballon the same as jump height?
No. Ballon is the light, buoyant quality of a jump, not how high it goes. A low jump with a soft plié and a clean shape can have more ballon than a high, heavy one.
How do you improve ballon?
Work on a deep, elastic demi-plié, a full push through the whole foot, and a quiet rolling landing. Finishing the legs and feet quickly in the air also helps the jump read as light.