Ballon () is the appearance of being lightweight and light-footed while
jumping
Jumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotics, robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jumping can be distinguished from running, gallo ...
. It is a desirable aesthetic in
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...
and other dance genres, making it seem as though a dancer effortlessly becomes airborne, floats in the air, and lands softly. The name is widely thought to be derived from the French word ''ballon'' (meaning "balloon"), though it has been dubiously claimed that the name was inspired by French ballet danseur
Claude Balon
Claude Balon (also Ballon, often incorrectly named Jean; 1671–1744) was a French dancer and choreographer. The ballet term ballon
Ballon may refer to:
Places
*Ballon, County Carlow (''Balana'' in Irish), a village in Ireland
*Grand Ballon
...
, who was known for performing exceptionally light leaps.
Physics
A dancer will appear to defy the
laws of physics when ballon is exhibited effectively. For example, during a
grand jeté, the dancer may appear to hover in the air. Physically, the dancer's
center of mass
In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space (sometimes referred to as the balance point) is the unique point where the weighted relative position of the distributed mass sums to zero. This is the point to which a force may ...
follows a
ballistic trajectory
Projectile motion is a form of motion experienced by an object or particle (a projectile) that is projected in a gravitational field, such as from Earth's surface, and moves along a curved path under the action of gravity only. In the part ...
, as does any
projectile
A projectile is an object that is propelled by the application of an external force and then moves freely under the influence of gravity and air resistance. Although any objects in motion through space are projectiles, they are commonly found i ...
, but observers have limited ability to reckon center of mass when a projectile changes its configuration in flight. By raising the arms and legs while ascending and lowering them while descending, the dancer alters the apparent path of the center of mass and, in so doing, seems to observers to be momentarily floating in the air.
Dancers strive to exhibit ballon in large jumps as well as in small, quick jumps such as petite allegro steps. For example, ballon is a characteristic of
pas de chat. The dancer starts from a
plié (bent knees) and then, during the ascending phase of the step, lifts each knee in succession with hips turned out, so that for a moment both feet are in the air and the dancer appears to be suspended in air. To give the appearance of lightness when landing, the dancer pliés and rolls the foot from toe to heel.
References
{{Reflist
Ballet technique
Ballet terminology