Derrière

Derrière is a French word meaning “behind” or “to the back,” and in ballet it describes a direction or a position taken toward the back of the body. It tells the dancer which way a movement travels or where the working leg is placed, and it is almost always attached to another term.

You will hear derrière added to many steps to show the back version of them. A tendu derrière brushes the working foot straight back along the floor, and an arabesque is a classic pose with the leg extended derrière. It is the natural counterpart to devant, which means “to the front.” So when a combination calls for a step derrière, it simply means that step is done toward the back rather than the front or the side.