By: Taegan Hardy
A beautiful aspect of ballet I’ve always admired is the Pas de Deux. It is the dance of two people
and most commonly found in classical ballets such as Swan Lake, the Nutcracker, Coppélia,
and many more.
and most commonly found in classical ballets such as Swan Lake, the Nutcracker, Coppélia,
and many more.
I’ve never had the privilege of dancing a pas de deux, however I’ve seen plenty of gorgeous
ones performed by my fellow dancers and famous ones I’ve found on youtube. One that always
comes to mind is the Royal Opera House Sugar Plum Pas de Deux, danced by Marianela
Nunez and Vadim Muntagriov. The beauty of the set, costumes, and their movements together
immediately mesmerized me. The two make the dance look very easy and elegant, but I can
confidently say ballet is a very difficult artform.
Pas de deux’s require a lot of cooperation with your dance partner. Many of these dances are
very romantic. (I would recommend watching a variation of the Romeo and Juliet Balcony pas
de deux, one of my favorites). It reminds me somewhat of figure skating in the sense that
friends or even just acquaintances are able to make their dance have so much romantic tension,
making it very alluring to the audience. Without teamwork, the story you’re trying to tell may not
translate to the viewers.
I have so much admiration and respect for the dancers who perform pas de deux’s. I hope one
day I’m able to dance one, but for now I am content with watching the beauty from the audience.
