Ballerinas: Partners

In ballet, a “pas de deux” is a dance duet in which two dancers perform ballet steps together. It is mostly, but not always, performed by a male and a female. With a strong partner, the ballerina can balance for longer, jump higher and perform more pirouettes. The pas de deux is characteristic of classical ballet and can be found in many well-known ballets such as Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake.

Another partner dance in ballet is the “pas de trois“. This is a dance with three people. Typically, this dance consists of five parts: the opening number for the three dancers, a solo for the first dancer, a solo for the second dancer, a solo for the third dancer and then a finale (usually set to music of a quick tempo) in which the dancers bring the piece to a spectacular finish. I think this one is my favorite partner dance. There is just something about three people dancing together… Beverly