The grand pas appears in a variety of formats and may employ varying numbers of dancers. For example, a
grand pas de deux is performed by only two dancers; this typically serves as the
pièce de résistance for the principal male and female characters of a full-length ballet. A grand pas for three soloists is a
grand pas de trois, and for four soloists is a
grand pas de quatre. A ''Grand pas d'action'' is a grand pas that contributes to the ballet's story. A well-known example of this is the first act of
The Sleeping Beauty, consisting of the
Rose Adagio grand adage,
Dance for the Maids of Honor and Pages, Princess Aurora variation, and coda which is abruptly interrupted by the evil fairy Carabosse, who gives Princess Aurora a poisoned spindle. This grand pas d'action tells an integral part of the story, with Princess Aurora choosing between four prospective princes and receiving a rose from each. In a
grand pas classique, classical
ballet technique prevails and the piece itself does not carry the action of the ballet forward. A well-known example of such a piece is the grand pas created by
Marius Petipa in 1881 for his revival of the ballet
Paquita, known today as
Paquita Grand Pas Classique. ==References==