Ballet Term
Pas de Basque
A pas de basque originated from the national dances of the basque. It involves a dancer starting from a plie on the left leg, and then extending their right leg into a tendu front croise, and then sliding their right foot in a half ron de jambe to carte back while staying in plie. Finally, the ballet dancer will transfer weight from their left leg to the right so the left is in tendu carte before finishing in the fifth position.
A pas de basque is a traveling step that shifts the weight from one leg to the other while the working leg sweeps in a half circle along the floor. Its name means “step of the Basque,” and it originated from the national dances of the Basque people before it was brought into classical ballet. The step has a rocking, three-part rhythm that makes it useful for covering ground and for linking other steps in a combination.
How a Pas de Basque Is Done
A pas de basque begins from a plié, for example on the left leg, with the right leg extending into a tendu croisé to the front. The right foot then slides in a half rond de jambe around to the side (carte) while the dancer stays in plié. From there the dancer transfers the weight from the left leg onto the right, so the left leg is left pointing in tendu. The step then closes, often finishing in fifth position. The whole movement flows as one connected phrase rather than three separate actions.
Where You See It
Because it travels and changes weight smoothly, the pas de basque appears often in center combinations and in classical variations, where it links poses and helps a dancer move gracefully across the stage. It can be performed gliding along the floor (glissé) or with a small jump (sauté) for a livelier quality. Learning the pas de basque teaches dancers to coordinate the rond de jambe of the working leg with a clean transfer of weight, which is why it is a valued connecting step.