The word "barre" itself is simply the French word for "bar" — the horizontal railing ballet dancers hold for balance. In fitness, barre refers to the entire workout method built around that piece of equipment. But barre borrows heavily from ballet vocabulary, which means your first class can feel like everyone's speaking a different language.
They're not. Most barre terms describe simple movements that you already understand — you just don't know the French name for them yet. A plié is a bend. A relevé is a rise. A tendu is a stretch. Once you know the translations, the mystery disappears and you can focus on the actual workout instead of decoding your instructor's cues.
This glossary covers every term you're likely to hear in a barre class, from the most basic positions to the more advanced movements. Each entry includes a pronunciation guide, a plain-English definition, and what it looks and feels like when your instructor cues it.
A
Arabesque
ah-ruh-BESK
A position where you stand on one leg while extending the other leg straight behind you. In ballet, arabesques can be dramatically high. In barre fitness, the lift is typically modest — a few inches to a foot off the ground — with the focus on engaging the glutes and maintaining a level, square-hipped alignment rather than achieving height.
Attitude
at-ih-TOOD
Similar to arabesque, but with the extended leg bent at the knee rather than straight. The bent-knee position shifts the work more directly into the glute of the lifting leg and is generally more accessible for beginners than a straight-leg arabesque.
B
Barre
BAR
Two meanings. First, the physical equipment: a horizontal railing, typically mounted to a wall at waist height, used for balance during standing exercises. At home, a sturdy chair back, kitchen counter, or desk serves the same purpose. Second, the workout itself: a low-impact, full-body fitness method combining principles from ballet, Pilates, and strength training. The workout takes its name from the equipment. Read our full guide to barre fitness.
C
C-Curve
SEE-kurv
A spinal position where you round your back into the shape of the letter C, typically during seated or floor-based core work. The C-curve engages the deep abdominal muscles and creates a strong contraction through the entire front body. It's similar to the position you'd be in at the bottom of a Pilates roll-up.
Changement
shahnj-MAHN
A small jump where you switch the position of your feet in the air. Rarely used in traditional barre (which is low-impact), but occasionally appears in high-energy or Ballerobica-style classes that incorporate cardio bursts. If your class includes changements, it's a more advanced or cardio-focused format.
D
Dégagé
day-gah-ZHAY
A movement where the foot brushes along the floor and lifts slightly off the ground, typically to the front, side, or back. It's essentially a tendu that continues into a small lift. In barre class, dégagés are used to target the inner and outer thighs, hip flexors, and glutes depending on the direction.
Développé
dayv-law-PAY
A movement where you draw your foot up along your standing leg (through passé) and then extend the leg outward — to the front, side, or back. In barre fitness, développés build hip flexor strength, inner thigh control, and balance. They're typically slower and more controlled than in ballet.
E
Engage
en-GAYJ
To actively contract a muscle group. When your instructor says "engage your core," they mean consciously tighten your abdominal muscles as if bracing for a light punch to the stomach. Engagement is the foundation of barre — every exercise requires deliberate muscle activation rather than passive movement.
F
First Position
furst puh-ZIH-shun
A foot position where your heels touch and your toes point outward, forming a V shape. In ballet, first position requires full external rotation from the hips. In barre fitness, a comfortable V with about 45 degrees of turnout from each foot is standard — you don't need (and shouldn't force) full ballet turnout.
Fondu
fawn-DOO
French for "melted." A movement where you slowly bend your standing leg while simultaneously extending the working leg. The name describes the quality of the movement — smooth, controlled, melting down rather than dropping. Fondus build serious single-leg strength and balance.
G
Grand Plié
grahn plee-AY
A deep bend of the knees where the thighs drop to parallel with the floor (or below). "Grand" means large, so a grand plié is a full-depth version of the standard plié. In first position, your heels will naturally lift off the floor at the bottom. In second position, heels stay down. Grand pliés appear less frequently than regular pliés in barre class because they require more mobility.
I
Isometric Hold
eye-soh-MET-rik
Holding a muscle in a fixed, contracted position without moving the joint. Isometric holds are the signature technique of barre fitness — they increase time under tension, which builds muscular endurance and creates the deep burn and shaking that barre is known for. A plié hold, a wall sit, and a static lunge are all isometric exercises. Why your muscles shake during these holds.
N
Neutral Spine
NOO-trul spine
The natural alignment of your spine when standing with good posture — maintaining the small inward curve of your lower back, the gentle outward curve of your mid-back, and the inward curve of your neck. Neutral spine is the default position for most standing barre work. Your instructor will cue you to find neutral spine and then maintain it while your legs and arms do the work.
P
Parallel Position
PARE-uh-lel
A foot position where both feet point straight forward, hip-width apart. Unlike first and second position which use turnout, parallel position keeps the legs in their natural alignment. Parallel work targets the quadriceps and outer hips differently than turned-out positions, which is why barre classes alternate between the two.
Passé
pah-SAY
A position where the foot of the working leg is placed at the knee of the standing leg, with the knee turned out to the side. Passé is a transitional position used in many barre exercises and a balance challenge on its own. You'll often hear "through passé" when your instructor wants you to draw your foot up past the knee on the way to extending the leg.
Plié
plee-AY
French for "bent." A controlled bend of the knees while maintaining an upright torso. Pliés are the most fundamental movement in barre — they appear in virtually every class and target the quadriceps, glutes, inner thighs, and calves simultaneously. The depth and speed of the plié varies: a slow, deep plié held at the bottom creates isometric burn, while quick plié pulses build muscular endurance through repetition.
Port de Bras
por duh BRAH
French for "carriage of the arms." Any movement or positioning of the arms. In barre class, port de bras refers to the arm section of the workout — overhead presses, lateral raises, bicep curls, and other controlled upper-body movements performed with light weights or no weights at all.
Pulse
PULS
A tiny, controlled, repetitive movement — typically up and down or in and out — performed within a very small range of motion (usually one to two inches). Pulses keep the target muscle under constant tension and are one of the most effective ways barre builds muscular endurance. When your instructor says "pulse," they mean: move less, not more.
R
Relevé
rel-uh-VAY
A rise onto the balls of the feet (the metatarsals), lifting the heels off the floor. Relevés build calf strength, ankle stability, and balance. In barre class, you'll often hold a relevé while performing other exercises — pliés in relevé, for example — which dramatically increases the difficulty and engages the entire lower leg.
Rond de Jambe
rawn duh ZHAHMB
French for "circle of the leg." A circular movement of the working leg, either on the floor (à terre) or in the air (en l'air). In barre class, rond de jambes are used to target the hip joint through its full range of motion and work the glutes, hip flexors, and inner thighs from multiple angles in a single exercise.
S
Second Position
SEK-und puh-ZIH-shun
A wide stance with feet placed wider than hip-width apart, toes turned out. Second position is used for wide pliés (often called "sumo" position in other fitness contexts) that target the inner thighs and glutes more intensely than first position. The wider your stance, the more inner thigh engagement. Second position pliés are one of the most signature and challenging movements in barre.
Sous-Sus
soo-SOO
A position where you rise to relevé with both feet together, squeezing the inner thighs and calves tightly. In ballet, sous-sus is performed in fifth position. In barre fitness, it's typically done with feet together in parallel, creating an intense calf, inner thigh, and core challenge. Often used as a finishing position or hold at the end of a barre sequence.
T
Tendu
tahn-DOO
French for "stretched." A movement where you slide one foot along the floor, extending the leg until only the tip of the toe remains in contact with the ground. The foot never fully leaves the floor (that would be a dégagé). Tendus develop foot articulation, ankle strength, and inner thigh engagement. In barre class, tendus are often combined with other movements or used as a warm-up for standing leg work.
Tuck
TUK
A posterior pelvic tilt — a slight rotation of the pelvis underneath you, as if you're trying to flatten the curve in your lower back. The tuck is one of the most frequently cued positions in barre fitness and serves two purposes: it engages the deep core muscles (particularly the transverse abdominis) and protects the lower back during standing exercises. The tuck is small and controlled — not a dramatic movement, but a subtle activation. Full guide to tucking in barre.
Turnout
TURN-owt
The outward rotation of the legs from the hip joint, which causes the feet to point away from the center of the body. Turnout is the foundation of first and second position. In ballet, turnout is extreme (up to 180 degrees combined). In barre fitness, a comfortable turnout of 45 degrees per leg is typical and safe. Turnout should originate from the hips, not by forcing the knees or feet into position — rotating from the knees can cause injury.
W
Wide Second
wyde SEK-und
An extra-wide version of second position, with feet placed significantly wider than shoulder width. Wide second pliés create an intense inner thigh and glute burn and are often the climax of the thigh section in barre class. The wider stance increases the range of motion of the plié and recruits more adductor (inner thigh) muscle fibers.
Now You Know the Language
You know what a plié is. You know what tuck means. You know why you'll shake. There's only one thing left — actually doing it.