Entertainment Performing Arts How Ballet Dancers Retire (While Still Dancing) If you want to pirouette, you'd better learn this dance pose Print Caiaimage/Martin Barraud/Getty Images Performing Arts Ballet Gear Favorite Ballets Singing Acting Musical Theater Dance Stand Up Comedy By Treva Bedinghaus Treva Bedinghaus Treva L. Bedinghaus is a former competitive dancer who has studied ballet, tap, and jazz. She writes about dance styles and practices and the history of dance. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 05/15/19 The retiré is a common pose in ballet in which one leg is raised to the side, with the knee bent so the toe is pointed next to the supporting knee (on the front, side or back). The retiré is the position used for performing a pirouette. Practicing this pose will help to improve balance. The Difference Between Retiré and Passé Retiré is often interchanged with passé, although passé is the actual movement that ends in a retiré, and retiré is the final position. Although passé and retiré don’t mean the same thing, they’re often interchanged and it’s widely acceptable to do so. Although the “passé leg” is commonly associated with ballet, you can perform both passé or retiré in a variety of dance styles, including jazz, contemporary and modern. Small but Mighty Although the retiré may seem like a small and unexciting pose, mastering it is actually vitally important for a ballet dancer because it is involved with many different leg movements. Having a beautiful, high passé adds a lot to your dance, but it’s not as easy to develop as it may appear. It can take years of training and practice before a dancer can master the move. More About the Word How to pronounce retiré: reh-tur-a