In ballet, a beating movement of the leg, where the working foot brushes past the supporting leg in a controlled, rhythmic motion.
From French 'battement,' meaning 'beating' or 'flapping,' derived from Latin 'battuere' (to beat). The term was adopted directly into ballet vocabulary from 17th-century French court dance.
The 'battement' is one of the most fundamental movements in ballet training—dancers spend years perfecting the speed and control of these leg 'beats,' and you can instantly judge a dancer's technical level by how clean and fast their battements are.
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