Chassé

A chassé is one of the first traveling steps young dancers learn, and its name tells you exactly what happens. Chassé means “chased,” and in the step one foot chases the other across the floor, never quite catching up before the dancer glides on.

How the step works

The dancer slides the front foot out along the floor, then the back foot “chases” up to meet it, pushing the front foot to move again. The two feet come together briefly, often through a small spring or slide, before the movement continues in the same direction. The result is a smooth, gliding travel step that covers ground while staying low and connected to the floor.

A chassé can go forward, to the side, or backward, and it can be done as a gentle slide or with a light hop that lifts the dancer off the ground between slides. Because it moves the body through space so naturally, it is a favorite way to link other steps together.

Why it matters

Chassé shows up everywhere. Teachers use it as a preparation, a connector between bigger movements, and a step in its own right. A dancer will often chassé to build momentum before a leap such as a grand jeté, using the glide to gather speed and set up the takeoff. Learning a clean, even chassé, where the feet stay turned out and the travel stays smooth, gives dancers a reliable building block they will use in nearly every combination for the rest of their training. It appears in classes at every level and in choreography across the ballet repertoire.