Pas de deux

[1][2][3] It is often considered to be the pièce de résistance and bravura highlight of a ballet and is usually performed by a leading pair of principal dancers.

The adagio or adage (meaning "slowly") part of a grand pas de deux features graceful and elaborate partnering by the dancing pair.

[2] Elements of the grand pas de deux first appeared in the early 18th century as opening acts of operas and ballets in which a couple would perform identical dance steps, sometimes while holding hands.

[3] In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a romantic pas de deux emerged that involved closer physical contact, with ballerinas dancing on their toes in the hands of their partners.

The ballets of the late 19th Century—particularly of those of Marius Petipa—introduced the concept of the grand pas de deux, which often served as the climax of a scene or an entire performance.