Dancing with a partner in ballet is called Pas de Deux, which means “Step for two” in French. Dancing with a partner allows the lady dancer the opportunity to assume positions she would never be able to accomplish on her own, such as floating above the stage in her partner’s arms. The man in turn gets to show off his strength and extend the line of his body.

The man dancer actually does not do much dancing in the partnering sequences. Instead, he acts as a support for the lady, stabilizing, lifting and turning her. The audience hardly notices his lack of dancing however, because all eyes are on her as she performs exquisite movements with his assistance.

The four major techniques commonly seen in pas de deux are promenades, lifts, turns, and jumps, among others. A promenade is when the lady takes a position on pointe and the man walks around her while holding on to her, thus making her turn. While that may seem to be a simple task, keep in mind that he is keeping her in the upright position, balancing on one leg.

There a countless types of lifts which are done in ballet. One of them is the "fish" where the lady is picked up from an arabesque position and folds her bottom leg up, then is swung back by the man so her body makes a curve like a fish barely above the ground. Another lift is called a présage during which the lady is lifted in a similar position to the fish but on arm’s length over the gentleman’s head. These lifts are some of the most demanding, but also awe-inspiring moves of ballet.

When it comes to turns, it is usually the woman who does the turning when dancing with a partner, most likely a kind of pirouette. The partner is there to stabilize her and help her turn by holding her waist, thus allowing her to execute more pirouettes than she would be able to on her own.

There’s a great variety of jumps a couple can do; ranging from fun and whimsical to risky and dangerous. On the less difficult side are the lifts where a woman is jumping and the man is simply lifting her so she can gain some height. These jumps are normally used as a warm up in class and are not usually performed on stage. The riskier jumps are actually “catches”; the lady dancer jumps and the man catches her in his arms. The most dangerous of these jumps is a leap of faith; this is the when the lady takes off and turns in the air, risking a fall upon her head if she is not caught. A move like this always elicits a collective gasp from the audience.