battements

Battement is a French term used across several fields, most notably in ballet, music, and physiology, where it denotes a beat, stroke, or beating action. In English-language usage it is often associated with ballet, but in French it can refer more broadly to pulses or heartbeats as well.

In classical ballet, a battement refers to a movement in which the working leg is extended from the hip and then returned to the starting position with a beating action. It is a core element of barre work and training, aimed at developing turnout, control, and extension. Major forms include petit battement, a quick, small beating action typically performed near the ankle; grand battement, a large beating of the leg from the hip through full extension; battement tendu, where the foot slides along the floor from a closed position to an extended position without lifting; battement dégagé, where the foot rises slightly off the floor; and battement frappé, a sharp beating of the foot that strikes the floor or the ankle with a pronounced snap.

In music, battement denotes the beat or rhythmic pulse that organizes tempo and phrasing. The term appears in French musical prose to describe timekeeping and can be analogous to the English word beat. In medical or physiological usage, battement can refer to a heartbeat or pulse, as in battement du cœur.

Etymology-wise, battement derives from the French battre, meaning to beat or strike, itself linked to Latin roots expressing striking or pulsating. The plural battements is used when referring to multiple such movements or pulses.