Pas de bourrée is a French-derived ballet step, typically executed as a quick, three-step foot pattern used to transition between moves. It involves precise toe or brush touches and a shifting weight in a small, rhythmic sequence, often performed on relevé. In practice, it conveys a light, flowing movement rather than a heavy footfall. It is foundational in classical dance technique and is commonly taught to intermediate and advanced dancers.
"The dancer executed a smooth pas de bourrée to pivot into a pirouette."
"In class, we practiced a sequence of pas de bourrée, then jeté."
"She chained several pas de bourrées to travel across the stage."
"The teacher corrected the alignment during the pas de bourrée to prevent knee collapse."
Pas de bourrée is a term derived from French, literally translating to 'step of bourrée' (bourrée being a quick, brisk dance step in the Baroque era). The phrase blends pas (step) with de (of) and bourrée (a term referring to a linked step pattern in French court dances). The bourrée itself originated in the early Baroque period in France as a lively duple-meter dance; over time, choreographers adopted its name to describe a specific quick, gliding three-step movement used in various dance repertoires, including ballet and contemporary dance. In English-speaking ballet instruction, pas de bourrée began to appear in written pedagogy in the 19th century as choreography evolved toward more complex transition movements. Today, the term appears in almost every classical ballet syllabus and often varies in exact foot placement and tempo depending on the school or stylistic tradition. The evolution from a stand-alone dance to a transitional technique reflects broader shifts in stagecraft, where dancers require efficient, graceful footwork to cover space with controlled speed. First documented uses in dance manuals date to the late 17th to early 18th centuries in French court dances, with French terminology becoming standard in ballet terminology globally.
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Words that rhyme with "Pas De Bourree"
-rée sounds
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Pronounce as: pah duh boo-REH (US: /ˌpæ dɪ buˈreɪ/; UK: /ˌpɑː də buˈreɪ/; AU: /ˌpɒ də bəˈreɪ/). Stress lands on the second element of the final syllable cluster: bourée. Begin with 'pah' (like 'pah'), then 'duh' with light schwa, and end with a crisp 'boo-REH' with the final diphthong. Keep the tongue relaxed, teeth lightly apart, and the lips rounded subtly for the 'ou' sound. For a clean French flavor, avoid anglicizing the vowels too much and focus on even, quick transitions between steps.
Common errors include over-articulating the final 'bé' as a hard 'bay' instead of the open 'ay' sound, misplacing stress so it lands on the wrong syllable, and slurring the three-step pattern into a single beat. Correction: pronounce bourrée as boo-REH with a clear, short first vowel and a crisp second syllable; keep the three-step rhythm equally spaced; and practice isolating the 'pas de' sequence with a light, quick delivery to preserve the French cadence.
In US English, you’ll hear a lighter schwa in 'Pas' and a more pronounced 'boo-REH'; UK speakers may preserve a closer French vowel quality in 'bourrée' and maintain a longer final vowel, while Australian speakers might soften the 'r' slightly and keep the overall rhythm brisk. Across all, the critical part is the bourrée ending: a crisp, accented 'REH' with minimal lingering on the final vowel. IPA guides (US /ˌpæ dɪ buˈreɪ/, UK /ˌpɑː də buˈreɪ/, AU /ˌpɒ də bəˈreɪ/) help map these subtle shifts.
The difficulty lies in maintaining the French phrasing while speaking English: the 'pas de' soft liaison, the short first vowel in 'pas', and especially the final 'bourrée' with its precise French diphthong and stress. You must coordinate mouth positions for each syllable quickly in sequence, keeping the three-step rhythm distinct, avoiding merging sounds, and preserving the light, elegant tone that reflects ballet terminology. Focus on the /buˈreɪ/ ending and the subtle glide from /dɪ/ to /bu/ to prevent cluster slurring.
No letters in 'Pas De Bourree' are silent, but the French vowels carry subtle vowel quality that English speakers often soften. Specifically, the final 'ée' yields the /eɪ/ sound in bourrée, which is pronounced as a distinct diphthong rather than a silent or muted ending. You’ll feel the need to enunciate each syllable clearly, especially the final bourrée, to avoid truncating the cadence or turning it into one elongated vowel. IPA guidance: bourrée /buˈreɪ/, with the accent on the final syllable.
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