QCAA Dance key terms

The art and craft of selecting, arranging and structuring movement and other elements into a dance work with deliberate intent, shape and meaning for an audience.

The purpose or idea a choreographer wants a work to communicate, guiding choices about movement, space, sound, costume and staging throughout the creative process.

The starting point that inspires a dance work, such as an image, poem, personal experience, piece of music or social issue, from which movement ideas are generated and developed.

A short, recurring movement idea that carries the work's theme and can be repeated, varied, fragmented or developed to build unity and meaning across a dance.

The process of changing a motif through devices such as embellishment, inversion, retrograde, canon, changing levels or dynamics, so the original idea grows without losing its identity.

A short sequence of linked movements with a clear beginning and end that functions as a building block, combined and sequenced with other phrases to form longer sections.

Spontaneous movement created in the moment, often guided by a task or stimulus, used to generate raw material that may later be selected, refined and set into choreography.

A choreographic device where dancers perform the same movement sequence starting at different times, creating overlapping layers that build texture and visual interest.

Two or more dancers performing the same movement at the same time, often used to create impact, clarity and a sense of group unity or shared intention.

Performing a movement sequence backwards, from its final action to its first, a development device that can create new meanings or a sense of reversal.

A development device that turns a movement upside down or reverses its spatial orientation, such as swapping high and low or left and right, to refresh familiar material.

The arrangement of dancers in relation to one another on stage, such as lines, circles, diagonals or clusters, shaping how the group is seen and how space is used.

The route a dancer or body part travels through space, which may be straight, curved, zigzag or spiral, and which contributes to the flow and visual design of movement.

The height at which movement occurs, usually described as high, middle or low, and used to create variety, emphasis and contrast within a dance.

The line or course in which movement travels, such as forward, backward, sideways, upward, downward or diagonally, influencing spatial interest and staging choices.

How dancers and movement are placed and organised in the performance space, including proximity, grouping, pathways and use of levels, to shape relationships and focus.

The qualities of movement energy, such as sharp, sustained, percussive, swinging, vibratory or collapsing, which give movement expression and emotional colour.

The force and quality with which movement is performed, ranging from light and floating to strong and explosive, and central to how a dance communicates feeling.

The continuity of movement, described as bound when controlled and stoppable or free when released and continuous, affecting how phrases connect and feel.

The speed at which movement or music is performed, which can be fast, moderate or slow and can shift within a work to create contrast or tension.

A deliberate emphasis placed on a particular movement, beat or body part through increased force, sharpness or timing, drawing the audience's attention to that moment.

The pattern of movement in time, including the arrangement of strong and weak beats, pauses and durations, which organises choreography and relates it to accompanying sound.

The dancer's sensitivity and responsiveness to music, including phrasing, timing and accent, shown when movement and sound connect with intention rather than coincidence.

The shaping of movement or music into breaths and sentences with rises, peaks and releases, giving a dance a sense of pacing and expressive contour.

The movement or moment linking one phrase or section to the next, which should be smooth and intentional so the dance reads as a continuous, coherent whole.

The overall organisation of a dance into sections, such as binary, ternary, rondo, narrative or theme and variation, giving the work shape and coherence.

Deliberate difference within a work, such as fast against slow, high against low or group against solo, used to sustain interest and highlight important ideas.

Partnering in which dancers give and take weight through physical contact, requiring trust, shared balance and clear communication to move safely and expressively together.

The correct stacking of body parts so that bones, joints and muscles work efficiently, supporting balance, safe technique and expressive control in performance.

The behaviours and preparations that prevent injury, including warm-up, cool-down, appropriate technique, suitable flooring, hydration and attention to individual physical limits.

The expressive and technical standard a dancer brings to the stage, including focus, projection, commitment, clarity of line and connection with the audience and other dancers.

The dancer's use of energy, focus and presence to communicate intention to an audience, extending expression beyond the body to fill the performance space.

Where a dancer directs their gaze and attention, whether inward to the body, outward to the audience or toward a partner, shaping meaning and stage relationships.

A non-movement component of a dance work, such as lighting, sound, costume, set or staging, chosen to support and enhance the choreographic intent.

The planned use of light, including colour, intensity, direction and special effects, to create atmosphere, define space, focus attention and support the work's meaning.

The clothing worn by performers, designed to support the choreographic intent, allow freedom of movement and communicate character, era, mood or concept.

The placement and movement of performers within the performance space, including entrances, exits, spatial relationships and use of set, to shape how the work is seen.

The mood or feeling created by a dance through combined movement, sound, lighting and design choices, which colours how the audience experiences the work.

The close examination of how a dance is constructed and performed, breaking it into components such as movement, structure, production and performance to explain how meaning is made.

An explanation of the meaning a dance may hold, supported by evidence from the movement and production elements and acknowledging that different viewers may read a work differently.

A judgement about the effectiveness or quality of a dance, made against clear criteria and supported by specific evidence rather than personal taste alone.

The standards or benchmarks used to judge a dance work, such as clarity of intent, coherence, originality and quality of performance, guiding fair and consistent evaluation.

The reasoning that supports an analytical claim or judgement, linking evidence from the work to the stated opinion so that the response is persuasive rather than merely descriptive.

Specific, observable details from a dance work, such as a named movement phrase, formation or lighting cue, used to support analysis, interpretation or evaluation in written responses.

The recognisable movement signature of a choreographer or dancer, formed by recurring choices in dynamics, spatial design, phrasing and thematic interests across works.

The range of movements a choreographer uses within a work, which can be described and analysed to reveal the style, themes and intentions of the dance.

The circumstances surrounding a dance's creation and reception, including the choreographer's background, cultural setting, historical period and performance conventions, which inform interpretation.