pas de deux
3
9.5
- noun
- /ˌpɑː də ˈdɜː/
- Specialized
:
pas de deux
- She excelled in her role, especially during the challenging pas de deux that required both grace and coordination.
- a grand pas de deux
- a ballet pas de deux
- performed the pas de deux
Examples
-
I was transported: Mozart; my favorite prima in a pas de deux.
Fiction book (1992) -
I want to tell Madame I can't or I won't do the pas de deux.
Fiction book (1996) -
Two nights later, without having spoken a word in the interim, we performed the pas de deux.
Fiction book (1996) -
The two perform a beautiful and graceful pas de deux.
Fiction book (1999) -
The big, dramatic pas de deux music from the Nutcracker starts to play.
Fiction book (1990) -
It's the big, dramatic pas de deux music from "The Nutcracker."
Fiction book (1990) -
As he stands, she rises with him; they could be executing the first movement in an elegant pas de deux.
Fiction book (1995) -
There was a brilliantly understated pas de deux for Marianela Nuez and Ryoichi Hirano, sitting so comfortably within the music it almost hurt to watch.
Blog text (34) -
The two dancers performed a stunning pas de deux that captivated the audience.
-
During the ballet performance, the highlight was the romantic pas de deux between the leading dancers.
Synonyms
31
3.1
A performance by two people together, usually singing or playing
How Many
Surface Forms
Morphology
pas + de + deux
The phrase literally composes as French 'pas' (step) + 'de' (of) + 'deux' (two), so a learner who knows those constituents can infer 'a step/sequence for two people' and thus a dance duet. Although it is a French loanword in English, the internal composition directly maps onto the meaning, making it predictable for learners familiar with the parts.
Etymology
Pas de deux comes from French ballet: the words pas 'step' and deux 'two' give the simple picture of two people moving together. That's why pas de deux now means a 'dance duet' where two performers, often a ballerina and a partner, dance as one.