Ballet Terms

Pas de chat

Pronunciation: /pɑ d(ə) ʃa/

What does “Pas de chat” mean in ballet?

( ; 'step of the cat.') A traveling sideways jump where while mid-air the legs are successively bent, brought to retiré, feet as high up as possible, knees apart. The Dance of the Cygnets from Swan Lake involves sixteen pas de chat performed by four dancers holding hands, arms interlaced. In the Cecchetti and French schools, this may be referred to as a saut de chat ('jump of the cat').

See also

New to ballet? Read our ballet guide — history, the five positions, class structure and how adults can start.

Definition adapted from Glossary of ballet on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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