What is arabesque? What is arabesque? A ballet position in which the dancer bends forward while standing on one straight leg with the arm extended forward and the other arm and leg extended backward.A complex, ornate design of intertwined floral, foliate, and geometric figures.Music An ornate, whimsical composition especially for piano.An intricate or elaborate pattern or design: "the fluctuating shapes of a cloudscape, the complex arabesque of a camera movement, the blink of a character's eye” ( Nigel Andrews). In the fashion of or formed as an arabesque.