Ballon means “to bounce,” and in ballet refers to a dancer showing lightness and ease in jumps. Ballon describes the quality of jump, not the height. A ballet dancer who has great ballon would appear to pause at the height of a jump before descending and landing. Ballon also makes jumps easier overall, because to have great ballon means you must quickly engage your muscles and maintain your position in the air. This makes your muscle function very efficient and functional when jumping.
