Pas is a classical ballet term meaning “step.” This is why many classical ballet steps begin with pas! Most ballet terms that have pas in the beginning are describing a ballet step that has a transfer of a weight, just like you do every time you take a step as you walk! Simple, right?
The ballet term pas is also often used as a shortening of “pas de deux.” (Which means ‘step for two’) For example, a dancer may say, “I have pas rehearsal…” They would likely be meaning “I have partnering or pas de deux rehearsal” as opposed to the direct translation of “I have step rehearsal…”
Example of ballet terms with “pas” include:
- pas de bourrée
- pas de chat
- pas de basque
- pas de cheval