In ballet, a grand pas (; literally, big or large step) is a suite of
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...
s that serves as a showpiece for lead dancers,
demi-soloists, and in some cases the
corps de ballet
In ballet, the ''corps de ballet'' (; French for "body of the ballet") is the group of dancers who are not principal dancers or soloists. They are a permanent part of the ballet company and often work as a backdrop for the principal dancers. ...
. It usually consists of an ''entrée'' (introduction), a ''grand adage'', sometimes a dance for the corps de ballet (often referred to as the ''ballabile''), optional variations (solo dances) for the
demi-soloists, variations for the lead ballerina or danseur or both, and a ''coda'' (sometimes referred to as a ''coda générale'' or ''grand coda''), which concludes the suite.
Formats
The grand pas appears in a variety of formats and may employ varying numbers of dancers. For example, a ''
grand pas de deux'' is performed by only two dancers; this typically serves as the