levé

Levée is a French term meaning "raised" or "lifted," derived from lever (to raise). It appears in several distinct senses across language, art, ceremony, and geography.

In ballet, levé denotes a rise from the floor onto the ball of the foot or onto pointe or demi-pointe. It is typically performed from a plié and serves as a basis for transitions, leaps, and turns. Variants include demi-levé (a half lift) and grand levé (a higher lift). In English-language ballet vocabulary, the term is often encountered as part of phrases such as relevé.

In a ceremonial context, levée (often written levee in English) refers to a formal morning reception at a royal or noble court, during which courtiers presented themselves to the sovereign. The levée was a routine event in many Ancien Régime courts, with practices that varied by era and ruler and sometimes carried political significance.

Geographically and civilly, the French levée can denote a raised riverbank or embankment; in English, the corresponding term is levee. Such structures are built along rivers to prevent flooding, and the term reflects the same root meaning of “raised.”

As a general term, levé remains part of French usage and appears in borrowed phrases across disciplines, including music, dance, and administration. The word’s core idea—something that has been raised or elevated—permeates its diverse applications.