Chassé

A step that does not pass the old tracing foot. A step, the completion of which does not involve or permit a trailing position of the foot, which is to become unemployed. The purpose of the chasse is to offset the forward motion of the body created by progressive runs. Thus the body is held erect with no forward or backward motion during the chassé.

• a. Crossed – A Chassé in which the free foot is placed on the floor crossed behind the engaged skate when skating forward and crossed in front when skating backward. The skate leaving the floor should not be lifted over the skating foot, but passed closely around the toe (or heel when backward) to the “and “ position.
• b. Dropped (Cut Step) – A Chassé during the execution of which the new free foot is moved against or into the line of travel.
• c. Swing Dropped – A dropped Chassé where the free foot moves (past the employed foot) to the leading position before becoming the employed foot at the `AND’ position.
• d. In Line – A Chassé for the execution of which the new tracing foot takes the surface in line with the old.
• e. Raised – A movement in which the free foot, during the period of becoming the skating foot, does not pass the original skating foot but is placed on the floor beside the skating foot with the new free foot remaining alongside the new skating foot, In most cases Chassé are not more than one beat in length.