The word lyrical refers to a lilting, poetic feel associated with the movements and the steps flow from the one to the next.
[citation needed] The technique is that of ballet abiding by the rules of turnout and body alignment in which is also incorporated the different Soviet ballroom dance steps.
A distinguishing feature of lyrical ballet as opposed to lyrical dance is that it does not make any departure from the classical style and takes no liberties with its rigid structure.
Therefore, it is unlikely to find the turning-in of legs or finger-gestures that are common in jazz dance choreography.
The costume of this dance is a flared skirt (usually knee length between the long ball-gowns and the short tutu) allowing free flow of movement between the legs.