Pronounced
pawr duh brah a
French phrase meaning "
carriage of the
arms".
In Ballet, port de bras can refer to either (a) the way in which the arms are moves from one position to another, or (b) exercises desiged to make the movement of the arms more graceful.
In either case, the carriage of the arms must be smooth and flowing. The movement of the arm should come from the shoulder. The arms should be rounded so that there is no obvious angle or point in the elbow or wrist. The movement of the hands should be simple and graceful; never showy. The head and shoulders should come in to play, but only a little.
The grand port de bras is (big surprise here) the same thing, only bigger, with the legs and waist coming in to play.