One of the most popular
ballet positions, in which a dancer supports their weight on one foot and extends the other leg behind them, either
à terre (on the
ground) or
en l'air (in the
air). Different styles of arabesques utilize different arm positions or the bending of the supporting leg.
Written with some help from Ballet Basics (4th edition) by Sandra Noll Hammond, © 2000 Mayfield Publishing Company.