Sauté

Sauté means jumped, and it describes a step performed while jumping in ballet. In its simplest form, a sauté is a straightforward jump off both feet and back down, and it is commonly used while closing or landing in fifth position. It is one of the building blocks of allégro, the jumping portion of a ballet class.

The word sauté is often attached to other steps to show they are done with a jump, such as an arabesque sautée. To perform a clean sauté, a dancer uses a deep plié to push off the floor, stretches the legs and points the feet in the air, and returns to a soft, controlled plié on landing. Good pliés at the start and finish are what make jumps look springy and land quietly.