Pas de quatre (ballet)

A Pas de Quatre featuring Lucile Grahn, Carlotta Grisi, Fanny Cerrito, and Marie Taglioni.

Pas de quatre is a French term usually referring to a dance in ballet among four people, literally translating as "step for four."[1] It is generally seen as a ballet with no plot, performed for the sake of the art itself.

Origins

Pas de quatre appear in many ballets, between different combinations of female and male dancers. The most famous was Pas de Quatre, the first ballet choreographed by Jules Perrot to music by Cesare Pugni. It was performed by Lucile Grahn, Carlotta Grisi, Fanny Cerrito, and Marie Taglioni,[2] to which only four shows were made by the group due to difficulties of ego-clashes between the 4 superstar ballerinas of the time. During the third show at Her Majesty's Theatre in London Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were present, from the first to last shows the audiences and critics were left speechless.[3]

Another pas de quatre is the Danse des petits cygnes in Swan Lake, among four swans. The swans are normally demi-soloists from the corps de ballet or actual soloists.

References

  1. ↑ "pas de quatre". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  2. ↑ "Pas de Quatre". www.thessalyballet.gr. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  3. ↑ "Pas de Quatre". michaelminn.net. Retrieved 15 November 2012.