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ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
, a ( French, literally "step of two") is a dance
duet A duet (italian language, Italian: ''duo'') is a musical composition for two Performing arts, performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a har ...
in which two dancers, typically a male and a female, perform ballet steps together. The ''pas de deux'' is characteristic of
classical ballet Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique (such as en pointe, pointe work, turnout (ballet), turnout of the legs, ...
and can be found in many well-known ballets, including ''
Sleeping Beauty "Sleeping Beauty" (, or ''The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood''; , or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess curse, cursed by an evil fairy to suspended animation in fi ...
'', ''
Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoje ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, links=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failu ...
'', and '' Giselle''. 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.


''Grand pas de deux''

A ''grand pas de deux'' is a structured ''pas de deux'' that typically has five parts, consisting of an ''entrée'' (introduction), an ''adagio'', two variations (a solo for each dancer), and a ''coda'' (conclusion). It is effectively a suite of dances that share a common theme, often symbolic of a love story or the partnership inherent in love, with the dancers portraying expressions of affectionate feelings and thoughts between romantic partners. It is often considered to be the '' pièce de résistance'' and bravura highlight of a ballet and is usually performed by a leading pair of principal dancers.


''Entrée''

A ''grand pas de deux'' usually begins with an ''entrée'' (literally "entrance"), which serves as a short prelude to and also unequivocally denotes the beginning of the dance suite. During the ''entrée'', the dancers first appear on the stage and, typically with great pageantry, acknowledge each other and position themselves near each other in preparation for the subsequent ''adagio''. Depending on the
choreography Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...
, the ballerina and danseur may enter the stage simultaneously or at different times.


''Adagio''

The ''adagio'' or ''adage'' (meaning "slowly") part of a ''grand pas de deux'' features graceful and elaborate partnering by the dancing pair. In the ''adagio'', the ballerina performs elegant, often slow and sustained movements while the danseur supports her. The danseur, in turn, strives to maintain a display of poise and seemingly effortless strength while providing support for the ballerina. The danseur may support the ballerina in a variety of common ways, including lifting her, holding and steadying her during turns, and offering a steady arm or hand for her to use as a "virtual barre" when she performs balancing feats that would be difficult or impossible without assistance. Because of this support the adagio is sometimes called ''supported adagio''. File:Penché.gif, Arabesque penché to attitude File:NutcrackerSnowPas.JPG, Fish dive File:Pirouette .gif, Partnered pirouettes


Variations

Upon completion of the ''adagio'', the dancers separate and each dancer, in turn, takes center stage and performs a ''variation'' (a solo dance). In general, the variations are intended to showcase spectacular,
acrobatic Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro ...
leaps and turns, as well as the skills and athleticism of the individual dancers. The danseur's variation is usually performed first, followed by the ballerina's variation. File:Tomoaki Nakanome - Don Quichotte, Basile - Prix de Lausanne 2010.jpg File:Chenxin Liu - Don Quichotte, Kitri - Prix de Lausanne 2010-7 edit.jpg


Coda

The ''coda'' (literally "tail") is the concluding segment of a ''grand pas de deux''. Typically, it is a recapitulation of earlier segments of the ''grand pas de deux'', consisting of elements that are characteristic of the ''adagio'', variations, or both, and ends during a grand musical climax.


History

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 The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
period, ballet partner dancing was evolving to show more dramatic content. For example, in ''
The Loves of Mars and Venus The ''Loves of Mars and Venus'' by John Weaver was arguably the first modern ballet, the first dance work to tell a story through dance, gesture and music alone. Its first performance was at London's Drury Lane Theatre on Saturday 2 March 1717 ...
'' 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. 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 Marius Ivanovich Petipa (; born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa; 11 March 1818) was a French and Russian ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. He is considered one of the most influential ballet masters and choreographers in ballet history ...
—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. During the 20th century, the ''grand pas de deux'' became more integrated with the story of the ballet, with increasingly acrobatic content.


Notable ''pas de deux''

* ''White Swan Pas de deux'', from the second act of ''
Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoje ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, links=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failu ...
'' * ''Black Swan Pas de deux'', from the third act of ''
Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoje ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, links=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failu ...
'' * ''Bluebird Pas de deux'', from the third act of '' The Sleeping Beauty'' * '' Coppélia Grand Pas de deux'' * '' Diane and Actéon Pas de deux'', from the ballet ''Le Roi Candaule'' * '' Flower Festival in Genzano Pas de deux'' * '' La Sylphide Pas de deux'' * '' Le Corsaire Pas de deux'' * ''
Don Quixote , the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...
Grand Pas de deux'' * ''
The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' (, ), Opus number, Op. 71, is an 1892 two-act classical ballet (conceived as a '; ) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child's imagination featuring a Nutcracker doll. Th ...
Grand Pas de deux'' * '' Paquita Grand Pas de deux'' * '' The Talisman Pas de deux'' * '' Harlequinade Pas de deux'' * '' La fille mal gardée Pas de deux''


See also

* Pas de trois, a dance for three dancers * Pas de quatre, a dance for four dancers * Grand pas


References


External links

*


Further reading

* Richard Elis and Christine Du Boulay, ''Partnering - The fundamentals of pas de deux'', Wyman and sons 1955 * Anton Dolin, ''Pas de deux - The Art of Partnering'', Dover Publications 1969 * Charles R. Schroeder, ''Adagio'', 1971 Regmar Publishing Co. * Kenneth Laws and Cynthia Harvey, ''Physics, Dance and the Pas de Deux'', Schirmer books 1994 * Nikolaij Serebrennikov, Marian Horosko, ''Pas De Deux: A Textbook on Partnering'', University of Florida, 2000 * Suki Schorer, ''On Balanchine Technique'', ''Partnering'' section, p. 383, Knopf 1999, {{Authority control Ballet terminology Partner dance