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chasse

/ʃæˈseɪ/
IPA guide

Other forms: chasses; chassed; chasseed

A chasse is a ballet step in which one foot follows the other as the dancer glides across the floor. You can think of a chasse as a very graceful gallop.

In French, chassé means "chased." The ballet move got this name from the way one foot "chases" the other. The chasse, in which the dancer's legs bend as their second foot slides across the floor to meet the first one, is also performed by ballroom dancers, line dancers, ice dancers, and even roller skaters. It's also a verb, so feel free to chasse over to the fridge to grab a snack!

Definitions of chasse
  1. noun
    (ballet) quick gliding steps with one foot always leading
    synonyms: sashay
    see moresee less
    type of:
    dance step, step
    a sequence of foot movements that make up a particular dance
  2. verb
    perform a chasse step in ballet
    synonyms: sashay
    see moresee less
    type of:
    dance
    move in a graceful and rhythmical way
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