Passe is the term that means passed. In Cecchetti vocabulary, passé describes the moment when the working foot passes the supporting leg, usually near the knee or ankle as the leg remains turned out. This directly conveys the idea of something having been passed. The other terms describe different ideas: en bas means low, en haut means high, and glissade is a gliding step. So the term that expresses "passed" is passe.

Turnout is the outward rotation from the hip that you must keep active as you move through centre work. The goal is to maintain that turnout consistently, moving through each position with the hips square to the front, thighs rotated, and the pelvis held level and controlled. When you keep the turnout through every transition, your lines stay long and your balance stays solid, while the joints stay aligned and protected because the rotation comes from the hips rather than wobbling knees or shifting parts of the body. Rotating the hips randomly disrupts the steady line and balance you’re building. Trying to increase turnout at every step isn’t realistic or safe and tends to distort the alignment. Relying on turnout only at the beginning means the rotation will be lost as you move, so the posture won’t hold through the sequence.

In Cecchetti, retire (retiré) is a withdrawn, compact position where the working leg is turned out from the hip and drawn up so the knee of the working leg comes to rest near the knee of the supporting leg. The emphasis is on turnout, a bent knee, and a pointed foot held close to the supporting leg to create a clean, poised line. That’s why describing it as the working leg being raised with turnout and the foot placed near the knee of the supporting leg fits best. If the leg were described as straight in front, that would be a different movement and line, not retirement. Lifting the leg behind the back describes a rear variation, which isn’t the general retire position. Placing the foot on the ankle misplaces the foot entirely, since retirement requires the foot to meet the knee area, not the ankle.

Plie means to bend. In ballet, a plié is bending the knee joints while keeping the spine tall and the turnout engaged, with the weight flowing through the feet. It comes from the French verb plier, to bend. There are two common forms: a smaller bend called a demi-plié and a deeper bend called a grand plié. This bending action is foundational for almost every movement, helping with alignment, balance, and preparation for jumps or transfers. The other options point to actions like extending or other positions, which aren’t what plié describes.