Throughout Life in Motion, author and ballerina Misty Copeland constantly compares her life to certain ballet moves. To make these easier to understand, I compiled what they all mean and GIFS or pictures of ballerinas demonstrating them.
Assemblé: "assembled;" a step in which the working foot slides along the ground before being swept into the air
Ballon: "balloon;" to bounce, when a dancer jumps into the air and pauses, and lands of the ground only to jump again
Brisé: "Broken, beating;" a small beating step in which the movement is broken
Chaînés: "chains, links;" a series of fast turns on pointes or d
emi-pointe s in a line or circle Épaulement: "shouldering, the placing of the s houlders;" bringing one shoulder forward and the other back with the head turned or inclined over the forward shoulder
Fouetté: "whipped;" a short whipped movement of the raised foot as it passes rapidly in front or behind the supporting foot or the sharp whipping around of the body from one direction to another
Grand Battement: "beating;" a beating action of the extended or bent leg
Pas de Deux: "dance for two"
Piqué: "pricked, pricking;" executed by stepping directly on the point or demi-pointe of the working foot in any desired direction or position with the other foot raised in the air
Pirouette: "whirl or spin;" a complete turn of the body on one foot, on point or demi-pointe