Dessous

Dessous means “under” or “behind” and describes a leg or arm passing behind or underneath the other. It is a direction word attached to many steps to tell the dancer how the working limb should move in relation to the supporting one. When a step is done dessous, the working part travels to the back.

For example, a coupé dessous brings the working foot in behind the ankle, and a pas de bourrée dessous ends with the working foot closing behind. Its partner term is dessus, meaning “over” or “in front.” Knowing the pair helps dancers instantly understand which way a familiar step should be angled when a teacher adds the word in class.