Which term would be used to say 'to the second' in Cecchetti nomenclature?

• A. Dessus
• B. Dessous
• C. À la Seconde
• D. À la Quatrième derrière

Answer: (C)

In Cecchetti, moving to a specific positional destination is named by saying “à la” plus the position name. Saying “to the second” uses the term à la seconde, which is the standard way to indicate reaching the second position with the feet turned out and spread to the side. The other terms refer to different ideas: dessus and dessous describe whether the working leg passes over or under in a given movement, not the final position you end in, and à la quatrième derrière means the fourth position behind, which is a different target than the second. So the phrase used to say “to the second” is à la seconde.