In ballet, 'pas de deux' refers to a dance for two people. In the 19th century, the 'pas de deux' developed into the show piece for the male and female star dancer. In addition to the dance for two, the 'grand pas de deux' also included solos in which the dancer could demonstrate her balancing skills on the tips and the dancer could show a series of impressive jumps. In the 20th century, the 'pas
… de deux' became more intimate and sometimes downright passionate. The emphasis shifted to complicated, if not break-neck, lifting work. The variation is great. Sometimes it is about the form (the lines that the two dancers make together), sometimes it is about the story and the dancers must be able to act well. The development of the 'pas de deux' from the 19th to the 21st century can be seen beautifully on this DVD from the Royal Ballet. , , and . Another plus is that the DVD shows the best dancers of the Royal Ballet from 2006-2015. (CP)more
