Pas de trois
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pas de Trois. French term usually referring to a dance in ballet between three people. Typically a Pas de Trois in ballet consists of 6 parts -
- The Entrée (the opening number for the 3 dancers, usually preceded by a short introduction)
- Variation (or solo) for the 1st dancer
- Variation for the 2nd dancer
- Variation for the 3rd dancer
- the Coda (a finale usually set to music of a quick tempo in which the dancers bring the piece to a spectacular finish)
Today, the most celebrated Pas de Trois in the classical ballet repertory are derived from the works of the great choreographer Marius Petipa, who was Maître de Ballet of the Romanov's Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg, Russia from 1870 until 1903. Although the Balletmaster created many Pas de Trois for the near 150 ballets he created throughout his career in Russia, only three survive - the Grand Pas de Trois des Odalisques from his revival of the ballet Le Corsaire (set to the music of Adolphe Adam and Cesare Pugni, choreographed for 3 women), the Paquita Pas de Trois added to his 1881 revival of the ballet Paquita (set to the music of Léon Minkus; sometimes referred to as the Golden Pas de Trois or Minkus Pas de Trois; choreographed for 2 women and one man), and the Pas de Trois from the first act of his 1895 revival of the ballet Swan Lake (choreographed for 2 women and one man).
Typically Petipa fashioned the Entrée of a Pas de Trois in such a way so that the dancer who performs the first variation exits the stage about 3 quarters of the way through in order to rest and prepare for his or her solo.
[edit] Video
- The Paquita Pas de Trois (AKA Minkus/Golden Pas de Trois'). Danced by Yelena Pankova, Irina Sitnikova, and Grigory Chicherin of the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet -
