Chasse
Chasse or chassé rarely chassée is a dance step used in many dances in many variants, all of them being triple-step patterns of gliding character, steps going basically step-together-step. The word came from ballet terminology. It is not to be confused with The Chase figure of Tango.
There is a huge variety of them in many dances:
- The direction may be sideways, diagonal or even curving.
- Sizes of steps may vary. This also concerns the second, "Together", step: the moving foot may land right beside the standing foot or leave some space, or even barely move from its previous position.
- Timing may vary. Typical timings in ballroom dances are qqS (1/4, 1/4, 1/2) and SaS ("slow-and-slow", 3/8, 1/8, 1/2).
- Footwork may vary.
Ballet
A slide with both legs bent either forwards, backwards or sideways and meeting in the air straightened. It can be done either in a gallop (like children pretending to ride a horse) or by pushing the first foot along the floor in a plié and springing into the air where both legs meet stretched.
Ice dancing or roller dancing
In ice dancing, chassés are basic dance steps which appear, for example, in many compulsory dances. The International Skating Union rules define the following variants:
- Simple chassé: a step in which the free foot is placed on the ice beside the skating foot, which is then lifted close to the new skating foot with the blade parallel to the ice. The two steps are skated on the same lobe, usually stepping from outside to inside edge.
- Cross chassé: a chassé in which the free foot is placed on the ice crossing behind the skating foot when skating forward, or in front when skating backward.
- Slide chassé: a chassé in which, instead of lifting the new free foot after the step, it slides off the ice in front when skating forward, or in back when skating backward.
Line dancing
In line dancing the term chasse is used for a triple step sequence to the side. For instance, if the chasse is to be done to the right, the right foot steps right, the left foot is placed next to the right, with the weight being tranferred to the left foot so that the right foot can complete the chasse by stepping to the right. The call is usually: "step, together, step". The step is often called the side(ways) shuffle, as the shuffle is also a "step, together, step", but is done either forwards or backwards.
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