relevé

[ rel-uh-vey; French ruhluh-vey ]

noun

, Ballet.

1. a rising up onto full point or half point from the flat of the feet.

Word History and Origins

Origin of relevé¹

1925–30; < French: literally, raised, past participle of relever; relieve

Example Sentences

With quick turns in relevé, they drifted across the floor like pieces of slender grass caught in bursts of wind.

From New York Times

A woman emerges from the floor — as if it were soil, Sánchez Ruíz said — while another dancer stands in relevé.

From New York Times

We’re not up on relevé, we’re not straight legged; we’re plié, pelvis low, using our glutes and quads to get that strength from the floor and exude power together.

From Los Angeles Times

“I thought it would be easier,” Roberts said, “but there is actually a time of execution that I had never had to consider before. It takes a certain amount of time for somebody to go from plié,” in which the body goes down onto bent legs, “to passé relevé,” in which the body rises up onto one pointe with the other foot raised to the knee.

From New York Times

“I was showing everybody how to do relevé,” she said, the ballet term for rising on the toes.

From New York Times