Ballet Glossary: Tendu After pliés, we tendu! Learn what a tendu means and how to use it in your next dance class or workout: Tendu means "tight or stretched." A tendu is one of the fundamental movements in ballet where the working leg is extended along the floor until only the tip of the toe remains touching the floor. It can be performed to the front, side or back and usually begins in 1st or 5th position. Tendu is the common abbreviation for battement tendu and often used in preparation for larger movements like grand battement. Mary Helen incorporates tendus frequently throughout the Ballet Beautiful workouts. In this video she shares what a tendu looks like and how we use them to tone your ballet muscles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXytNZxmiCI Practice your tendus and work those ballerina muscles in our new Ballet Beautiful Body - Legs workout!