Terre à Terre

Terre à terre means “ground to ground” and describes movements where the feet stay on or very close to the floor, rather than jumping into the air. It is often used to describe a dancer’s quality of movement in a step or a whole passage. When a section is danced terre à terre, the dancer glides, slides, and travels along the floor with little or no elevation, keeping a smooth, grounded feeling. It is the opposite idea to steps of elevation, which spring up off the ground. Steps like glissades and bourrées are often done in a terre à terre style.