Bras

Bras is the French word for “arms,” and in ballet it refers to the dancer’s arms and how they are used. You will almost always hear it as part of a longer term rather than on its own. The best known example is port de bras, which means “carriage of the arms” and describes how a dancer moves the arms through the different positions with control and grace.

Because the arms frame the body and complete the line of every step, teachers use bras to talk about arm placement and movement. For example, a combination might ask for a specific port de bras, or a correction might remind a dancer to soften the bras. On its own the word simply names the arms, so it is a building block that helps you understand the fuller terms it appears in.