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In our Tuesday Ballet Terms series, this week’s term is Frappé! Have you done Frappé’s in class? How did you like last week’s Changement article?

Frappé

[frah-pay']

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Translation: To Strike

• Frappé, short for battement frappé is a battement where the foot moves from a flexed position next to the other ankle, and extends out to a straight position, by doing so hitting the floor.
  In the Russian school the foot is wrapped around the ankle, rather than flexed and does not strike the floor and frappè is given by the working foot striking the ankle of the supporting leg.
• This move imitating the movement of a jump is one of the best ballet exercises to build strengths towards the start of jumps and pointe work.
• Frappés are also good for developing speedy petit allegro

Ballet Videos with Frappé – I am going to share some videos depicting the simple looking but finely detailed movement.

Below is the link to a video demonstrating the Frappé moves beginning with both flexed foot and wrapped foot.

Here are few more videos showing the Frappé moves:

3 Tips on How to Improve your Frappé – Below are 3 tips for improving your Frappé move that benefit both the working and supporting legs.

1. For beginners, this is a great video showcasing the steps to do a Frappé.
2. Throughout the execution, the upper leg should remain quiet and well turned out.
3. For doing battement Frappé a la arriere, you must degage with a strong brush to the back, jump, change the body position of the pelvis slightly, stay strong in the core, relaxed in the neck and arms, and then land assembled, everything back in place.

I would like to hear your tips on Frappé and any particular problems you face. Do you start your Frappé’s with a flexed or wrapped foot?

For other resources on Frappe, please see ABT’s Frappe article and Wikipedia’s Ballet Glossary.

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