Fondu meaning ‘to melt’ is a common step which involves bending one leg. This is different to a plié which bends using both legs. This can be performed en l’air (in the air) with the supporting leg bent and the working leg extended devant, derrière or à la seconde. Or à terre with the supporting leg bent and the working leg extended on the ground devant, derrière or à la seconde. When at the barre a common exercise takes the working leg to a petit retiré position whilst the supporting leg is bent. Both legs then extend at exactly the same time to either the devant, derrière or a à la seconde position. When performing this exercise devant or à la seconde coming from the front the petit retiré position would be in front of the ankle. When performing this fondu derrière or a la seconde coming from the back the petit retiré position would start at the back of the ankle. This exercise can be executed à terre or en l’air. See the diagram below for the exercise à terre.
At Balletic we follow the bbodance ballet syllabus which in turn uses the ‘Gail Grant Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet‘ for all of it‘s terminology. Diagrams may be different to what you are used to based on the school of ballet that you follow.