What is the English meaning of 'À la Seconde'?

What is the English meaning of 'À la Seconde'?

• A. To the second
• B. To the first
• C. To the third
• D. To the fourth behind

Answer: (A)

À la Seconde means to the second. In ballet, a lot of terms come from French and “à la” translates to “to the” or “at,” while “la seconde” refers to the second position. This phrase is used to indicate moving into or placing effort in the second position, most often with the arms held out to the sides (arms in seconde) or the leg extended to the side toward second position. So it’s a directional cue pointing you to the second position rather than to the first, third, or another arrangement.

À la Seconde means to the second. In ballet, a lot of terms come from French and “à la” translates to “to the” or “at,” while “la seconde” refers to the second position. This phrase is used to indicate moving into or placing effort in the second position, most often with the arms held out to the sides (arms in seconde) or the leg extended to the side toward second position. So it’s a directional cue pointing you to the second position rather than to the first, third, or another arrangement.