Pas de Deux - in Popular Culture

In Popular Culture

  • Norman McLaren chose a pas de deux as the style of dance for his groundbreaking 1968 animation of the same name.
  • WALL-E contains an outer space pas de deux between two joyous robots.
  • Reality program So You Think You Can Dance has had a pas de deux in both seasons four and five. A contemporary pas de deux, choreographed by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson was danced by contemporary dancers Katee Shean and William Wingfield in week six of season four. A classical pas de deux was danced by contemporary/hip-hop dancer Ade Obayomi and classical ballerina Melissa Sandvig in week four of season five, choreographed by Thordal Christensen and set to a score from Romeo & Juliet.
  • Pas de deux is mentioned and performed several times in the anime Princess Tutu.
  • Pas de deux is the name of a JAG episode in which several main characters pair off for various story lines.
  • Pas de deux is the name of a Law and Order: Criminal Intent episode in which Goren and Eames pursue a terminally ill bank robber who is planning a final suicide-by-cop bank job.
  • The painting Dancers, Pink and Green (1890) by Edgar Degas (1834–1917) features two dancers on stage performing their pas de deux.

Sometimes the term pas de deux is applied very loosely to a dance for two, whether it is in strict classical form or not. By this definition, any dance for two people is automatically a pas de deux, though many lovers of classical ballet would strongly disagree.

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