Thursday word: ballon

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

ballon (ba-LAWN) - n., the lightness and grace of movement that makes a dancer appear buoyant.


If not exactly as bouncy as a balloon, though the word (as used in ballet) is directly from French, where it means literally balloon. The term is particularly associated with ballet, where it is prized as part of that genre's aesthetic, but is also part of other styles of dance. Dancers do not, of course, actually hover in mid-air, but by moving their arms and legs counter to the parabolic motion of their center of mass, they can make it appear as if they defy the laws of physics.


Thanks, Wikimedia

She was tall and slender, with a superb ballon and effortless flight in air.

---L.