entractes

Entr'acte is a term from French theatre meaning "between the acts." It refers to the interval between two acts of a play, opera, or ballet, and to the music, dance, or other entertainments performed during that interval. Historically, entr'actes were sometimes separate short pieces—instrumental, vocal, or choreographic—that provided transition, contrast, or relief between acts. In 18th- and 19th-century theatre and opera, the entr'acte could be a concert-style orchestral piece, a short ballet, or even a light revue performed during the intermission. The English usage sometimes uses entr'acte to refer to the intermission itself, or to the music that bridges acts; intermezzo is a related Italian term for such a piece.

In opera and ballet, the entr'acte may function as a bridge or a formal pause, often performed by the orchestra while the stage is reset. It can be a stand-alone musical work later published as an independent composition, or a continuous musical number that introduces the next act.

A notable cultural reference is the 1924 short film Entr'acte by René Clair, associated with the Ballets Suédois' Relâche. The film, with a score by Erik Satie and imagery by Francis Picabia, is widely cited as an early example of Dada/Surrealist cinema and was designed as an entr'acte for the ballet.

See also: intermission, intermezzo, overture, curtain raiser.