Looking for a Dance Lesson? Here’s Your Guide on How to Do Common Dance Steps
Dancers make it look easy; they fly and twirl across the stage wearing gorgeous costumes and look graceful doing it.
If you’ve ever taken a dance class, you probably know, though, how hard dancing is. You have to have so much strength, control, and cardio endurance to perform!
That said, if you’re reading this article, you probably want to try some basic dance moves. Maybe you’re inspired after seeing a ballet performance or a custom dance performance at a corporate event for work. Even after just taking a few dance classes, your posture and gracefulness will improve immensely.
Before you head into class, here are a few terms to know and the basics of how to do some moves so you’re not completely lost. Keep reading to learn the basic breakdowns of moves like a pirouette, pas de bourre, chasse, and grande jete.
More Advanced Dance Steps
The following are slightly more advanced beginner dance steps. If you are completely new to dance, check out our basic dance tutorial article!
What’s a Pirouette?
The pirouette is iconic. But did you know there are multiple types of pirouettes? Ballet dancers pirouette with a turned out passé; jazz dancers turn in a parallel position; Bollywood dancers turn on their heel.
In jazz and ballet technique, you’ll turn in a passé position. To practice for your pirouette, first try balancing in a passé position with your supporting leg in a releve. From there, you can try preparing for the pirouette with both feet on the floor in a fourth position. Next, push your back foot of the floor and into a passe position. While this is happening, turn towards your back leg, and spot the front of the room.
What’s a Pas Deux Bouree?
A pas de bourree is a basic dance step. It’s three steps (you can say back side front in your head to replicate what the feet are doing.) Alternating feet, you step behind yourself, then to the side, and then to the front.
How to Chasse
A chasse is a traveling step. It is typically used as a prep before jumps or turns. For a basic chasse, start with one foot in front of the other in a tendu. Next, step onto the front foot, allowing the back foot to come up behind the from foot (in a jump) in a tight fifth position. Immediately after hitting the fifth position in the air, land with the back foot and then the front foot.
How to Leap (Grande Jete)
The crowd always loves a grande jete. Before you attempt a grande jete, which is a jump in the splits, make sure you stretch your hamstrings. Of course, don’t feel pressured to hit a perfect 180 split in the air as you’re learning.
The prep for a grande jete is usually a chasse. After your chasse, brush the front leg forward (as if you were doing a grande battement). When your leg is stretched in front of you, jump onto it, extending your back leg into an arabesque position. The timing of this is pretty quick, as you should create a picture of a split in the air.
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