Full length ballets are divided into several acts (usually between 2-4). Each act is a bit like a chapter in a book. A one act ballet is shorter and runs without a break.

From the Italian for slow or slowly – in dance this refers to slow and sustained movement.

The department at The Royal Opera House that makes and maintains all of the weapons used as props in dance and opera productions.

The part of the theatre where the audience sits in order to watch the performance.

The person who teaches and rehearses the dancers. At The Royal Ballet the ballet master or mistress is mostly responsible for rehearsing the dancers in the corps de ballet – the principals are rehearsed by a répétiteur.

The floor of the stage.

The musical score in which the stage manager writes all the cues for the dancers’ entrances and exits, set and lighting changes etc.

From the Italian word meaning brave. Bravura refers to dance or music that is particularly virtuosic or showy, where the performer demonstrates brilliance in performance.

Someone who creates dances. A choreographer is the equivalent of a composer in music.

Hanging scenery – usually made of painted fabric.

Someone who writes music. A composer is the equivalent of a choreographer in dance.

Literally the “body of the ballet” or company. The corps de ballet is made up of dancers who usually dance together rather than performing solo roles.

A record of all the costume designs, fabrics, and sources used in creating the costumes for a particular production. Each ballet or opera production will have its own costume bible that is referred and added to each time the production is mounted on stage.

A cue is a signal or prompt for action that is to be carried out during a performance – this may be an entrance or exit onto stage by a dancer, or a change in lighting or scenery. Cues are recorded in the book by the stage manager and will be called by them during the performance in enough time so that the dancers and/or technicians can be ready.

The bows taken by the performers at the end of a performance.

The area of the stage closest to the audience.

Someone who helps the dancers to get into their costumes before they go on stage. A dresser may also help with quick costume changes during the performance.

Fabergé was a jeweller in Imperial Russia, famous for a series of intricate enamelled Easter eggs which opened to reveal a surprise of some kind. They were initially commissioned as gifts for the Czarina Maria starting in 1885. Yolanda Sonnabend’s sets for Swan Lake are inspired by Fabergé designs.

Scenery that is hung on bars above the stage, and can be lowered and lifted using a system of pulleys and ropes.

To lift a piece of scenery or set piece above the stage.

A spotlight that “follows” a main character on stage.

A series of whipped turns with one leg opening to the side and coming in to the knee for each rotation. Fouettés are usually performed in a series, with the most famous example being Odile’s 32 consecutive fouettés in Act III of Swan Lake.

The process of loading the scenery, set pieces, and any technical equipment into a theatre in preparation for a show. At the end of the show the process is reversed during the “Get Out”.

A theatre is sometimes referred to as a house.

The lights in the auditorium which are dimmed at the start of the performance.

The small curtains that hang at the side of the stage, creating the wings, and the exit and entrance spaces for the dancers or actors.

A rope.

A hat maker.

A scale model (usually 1:25) of a set design which the stage designer will use to show how their designs will look in three dimensions.

Someone who treats and prevents injury using physical exercises.

The staging or presentation of a ballet. Also the department that oversees all technical aspects of the ballet including set design and creation.

The place at the side of the stage where the stage manager sits to coordinate the action on stage during a show and to prompt the performers and technicians as required. Traditionally the prompt corner is located on the stage left side of the stage, however in The Royal Opera House it is situated to stage right.

An item used during a performance that may be carried by a performer. Props are usually smaller items as distinct from set or scenery pieces. They may be ordinary everyday items or may be made to represent real items – for example being made larger so that they can be seen well from the audience.

The archway at the front of the stage which the audience looks through to see the action on stage. In a proscenium arch theatre the audience face the stage directly.

In the Royal Opera House a red light is illuminated at the side of the stage when work is taking place on the stage. This tells the dancers and anyone else backstage that it is not safe to be on the stage itself.

The coach who works with the dancers, often rehearsing the solo and principal parts in the ballet.

A ballet production that has been performed in the past, and is being brought back into the current repertory.

An moveable area of the stage that enables scenery to rotate.

A written record of dance or music. The musical score is written in music notation. The dance score is written in one of several dance notation systems. The Royal Ballet uses Benesh notation.

The scenery for a production.

Putting all of the scenery, set pieces, lighting, and other elements of a production in place in preparation for a performance or reversing the process to dismantle a production after the performance.

A floor designed to absorb impact. Ballet companies usually use a floor that gives slightly with the movement of the dancers, so that it acts as a shock absorber.

A rehearsal on stage.

The door where theatre employees and performers enter the building. The stage door for the Royal Opera House is located on Floral Street.

The left side of the stage from the performers’ perspective. Stage left is on the audience’s right.

The person responsible for running the show. The stage manager’s responsibilities vary but often include recording and calling stage cues in the book, coordinating stage rehearsals, liaising between different departments involved in the performance, and keeping everything running smoothly.

See 'Props'

The right side of the stage from the performers’ perspective. Stage right is on the audience’s left.

Matching fabrics to costume designs or existing costumes.

The main curtains at the front of the stage.

A hidden door in the floor of the stage.

The area of the stage furthest from the audience.

The area at the side of the stage from where the dancers make their entrances and exits. Each side of the stage is usually divided into several wings by hanging fabric legs.