Relevé refers to rising onto which part of the foot?

• A. Demi-pointe or pointe; used in many barre and centre movements.
• B. The heel only.
• C. The inside edge of the foot.
• D. The toes only.

Answer: (A)

Relevé means rising onto the part of the foot that bears weight in ballet. In most barre and centre movements you lift up onto the ball of the foot (demi-pointe), and you can go further to rise onto the tips of the toes (pointe). This transfer of weight to the front of the foot is what defines relevé, with the heel lifting off the floor as you rise. It’s not about the heel, the inside edge, or the toes alone in any general sense—the standard motion is weight-bearing through the ball of the foot, and, in pointe work, onto the toes themselves.