May someone explain me exactly how to do this step named tombé? My teacher said I jump forward and that is not correct, he says I have to jump up. Also he says I do not plie enough after the jump. I think this plie action conditions my mind to think the jump has to go forward. It seems like an easy step but I can't get it. Actually, is there something easy in ballet? I do not think so! Thank you for your help. I hope I make sense, English is not my first language.

As far as I know, tombé is never actually a jump. In French, the originating language of most ballet terms, tombé means fall. The experience I've had with the step (which isn't very much, since I am a student) agrees with that (meaning that I've never seen the term used to refer to a step that goes up).

I know this isn't very helpful, and remember that I may be completely wrong (as I said, I'm a student), but I hope I've shed a bit of light on the situation.

Yes tombé would be a loss of balance (but planned ahead ) towards the front leg for eg (so, it's when you lift a leg in the air, and step forward onto that leg, at the end of which you bend your knee into fondu). It does not involve a jump at all...
Unless it's a kind of jump followed by a tombé but if that's the case, you must 'cut' the 2 movements into:
1. the jump -land and plié
2. the tombé

Hi Tul -

I always think of tombe as a kind of "lean" in passe, (in the direction that I plan to travel) followed by a "fall" (controlled, of course) onto the next foot.

When I do it (and the way I have always seen it done) there is a small plie action of the supporting leg to give you a little bit of a push onto the foot that you are going to land on, and you end up in a small plie on the leg you travel to. It's a small movement, just enough to get you to your other leg.

Plies act as a kind of "cushion" for the joints when you end a jump.

i have just the teenyist amount of ballet experience, but i do remember tombes from class! we would do a little combo to the side that went: tombe>padaburet>plie (pardon my spelling if it's incorrect).

tigger's explaination of tombe seems right on with what i've learned. you passe with one leg, rise to demi with the other, then kinda fall towards the passe-ed leg but catch yourself with it as you put it down into a slide into 2nd position.

Now I got it! What I was missing was that "small" plie from where the action begins.
Our tombé comes from a coud de pied, not yet a passé, but I think this is another way to do it.
Thank you all for your help!

Just for spelling's sake...

tombe>padaburet>plie = tombé>pas de bourrée> plié

And it's 'cou de pied'...

Nitpicking only!