Chassé is a classical ballet term meaning “to chase.” Chassé is considered a basic step and is commonly seen throughout ballet and other forms of dance.
What does a Chassé look like
When a dancer is doing a chassé, they have one foot extended forward, the back foot then “chases” and meets up with the front for a quick moment before the front foot shoots forward again, all while traveling forward. They are often done one after the other in a series, but not always. The step is called chassé because the back foot literally looks like it is chasing after the front.
Chassé back or chassé derrière is also possible, where simply the back leg and foot are extended behind the dancer, and the front foot and leg must now chase the back. The dancer would then of course be moving backwards.
