How to do Chassés — Easy Ballet Class

A chassé is a basic ballet step where you slide your foot in a demi plié from one position to another position. Chasses are used throughout ballet class and found in pretty much all ballet performances. If you know how to do a plié, you should find this ballet step very easy to learn.

In this ballet video I’ll show you step by step how to do chassés ballet technique correctly. Here we go!

There are a few different steps in ballet that are called a chassé. This jump is called a chassé. Some people call it a gallop. This step is also called a chassé; sometimes it’s called a toe chassé sometimes a russian chassé and sometimes a tombe. In this video we won’t be covering either of those chassés. We’ll be covering this chassé.

A chassé can be performed in three directions: to the front, to the side, and to the back. In any one of those directions there are three starting positions: First, third, or fifth. I’ll explain how to do each direction from 5th because that is the most common way to do it by far. Although I won’t go into detail on the chassés beginning in the other two positions I will provide a visual reference of each chasse. The mechanics of the movements are very similar starting in any of the positions of the feet.

Let’s start with chassé front. Begin with your feet in fifth. Plié as you slide your front foot directly in front of you to fourth position. As you do this shift your weight to between both legs. Deepen the plié while shifting your weight forward. Continue shifting weight to front leg as you straighten both knees.

These are the mechanics of the step, but when you’re performing the movement, the individual steps or stages should flow together to form one seamless movement.

Chassé back is very similar to chasse front. Begin with your feet in fifth. Plié as you slide your back foot directly behind you to fourth position. As you do this, shift your weight to between both legs. Deepen your plié and shift your weight to the front foot. Straighten both knees.

That’s chasse front and back!

Here are some things to check in the mirror when doing chassés front and back.

Keep your knees tracking over your toes throughout the movement. Check this by looking at your sideways profile in the mirror.

Keep your hips pointing in the direction that you are traveling. They shouldn’t rotate at any point. One way to think of the direction of your hips is to image you have to headlights mounted on your right and left hip bone and they are pointing straight in front of you. You always want those headlights to point in the direction you are traveling towards when chassing front. When you are chassing back they should point toward the point you are moving away.

Your hips should stay level on all axis of rotation. They shouldn’t tilt, tuck or roll to either side.

Now let’s try chassé side. In a chassé side, you can lead with either your front or back leg.

Begin in fifth. Plié while sliding either your front or back foot directly beside you to 2nd position. Your weight should be evenly distributed between both legs. Deepen your plié as you shift your weight on to your other leg.

Here are some things to think about when doing chassés to the side.

Your heels should be directly opposite each other. One should not be in front of the other.

Your hips should stay level on all axis of tilt. They shouldn’t tilt forward backwards or to either side.

What you do with your working leg (the leg in tendu after you finish the chasse) depends on step the next step you will do. For instance, if you are preparing for a pirouette from fifth you may close your foot into 5th to execute it. Or maybe you would like to tendu your working leg front from a chasse front. That would require you to brush your working leg through 1st to tendu front.

Thanks for watching! Remember that the more you practice the better you’ll be. Enjoy dancing!