Pas de deux
In ballet, a pas de deux [pɑ d(ə) dø] (French, literally "step of two") is a dance duet in which two dancers, typically a male and a female, perform ballet steps together.[1][2] The pas de deux is characteristic of classical ballet and can be found in many well-known ballets, including Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Giselle.[1] It is most often performed by a male and a female (a danseur and a ballerina) though there are exceptions, such as in the film White Nights, in which a pas de deux is performed by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines.[1]
This article is about the ballet term. For other uses, see Pas de deux (disambiguation).
History[edit]
Elements of the grand pas de deux first appeared in the early 18th century as opening acts of operas and ballets in which a couple would perform identical dance steps, sometimes while holding hands. At that time and throughout the Baroque period, ballet partner dancing was evolving to show more dramatic content. For example, in The Loves of Mars and Venus ballet of 1717, Mars (the male dancer) strove to portray gallantry, respect, ardent love, and adoration, while Venus showed bashfulness, reciprocal love, and wishful looks.[3]
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a romantic pas de deux emerged that involved closer physical contact, with ballerinas dancing on their toes in the hands of their partners. As the 19th century progressed, the form became a showcase for the skills of the increasingly sophisticated ballerina.
The ballets of the late 19th Century—particularly of those of Marius Petipa—introduced the concept of the grand pas de deux, which often served as the climax of a scene or an entire performance. This involved a consistent format of entrée and adagio by a pair of leading male and female dancers, followed by virtuosic solos (first by the male and then the female) and a finale.[3] During the 20th century, the grand pas de deux became more integrated with the story of the ballet, with increasingly acrobatic content.[3]
