Variation
A solo dance in a ballet, usually short and designed to show a dancer's skill.
Also: solo
In ballet a variation is a solo, usually about one or two minutes long. It often forms part of a pas de deux, where each of the two dancers has one. A variation is built to show particular strengths, such as high jumps and beaten steps in one and fast pointe work and turns in another. Well-known variations, such as those of Kitri in Don Quixote or the Sugar Plum Fairy, are learned by students everywhere and are standard pieces at ballet competitions.