TASC Dance cheat sheet

Alignment principle: stack the body's weight-bearing segments (foot, knee, hip, rib cage, ear) over the base of support; turnout originates at the hip, not the feet, so forced turnout strains knees.

Warm-up raises core temperature and blood flow and prepares joints through progressive range of motion; static stretching held before explosive work can temporarily reduce power output.

Dynamic balance depends on three systems: vestibular (inner ear), somatosensory (joint and muscle feedback), and visual; removing vision increases sway, so spotting relies on a fixed visual reference.

Muscular roles: agonist produces the prime movement, antagonist opposes it, synergist stabilizes or assists; eccentric contraction lengthens under tension and is the main source of delayed-onset muscle soreness.

Anatomical planes: sagittal (flexion/extension, e.g., plié), frontal (abduction/adduction, e.g., à la seconde), transverse (rotation, e.g., turning).

Injury-prevention rules: increase workload gradually, land toe-to-heel through a bent knee to absorb force, and never force a joint past its passive range without control.

Breathing rule: exhale on exertion, keep the rib cage and pelvis stacked rather than gripped, and avoid prolonged breath-holding during sustained balances.

Hydration and fueling: dance demands both aerobic and anaerobic energy; carbohydrate supports high-intensity intervals, and fatigue impairs proprioception and balance control.

Romantic-era ballet (early 1800s) is characterized by pointe work, tutus, and ethereal themes; the Classical era (late 1800s) by full-length story ballets, mime, and virtuoso technique.

Pointe work requires sufficient ankle strength and a properly fitted shoe; the shank and box support the foot, and shoes break down and must be replaced regularly.

Modern dance emerged in the early 20th century as a departure from ballet's codified vocabulary, emphasizing weight, breath, and individual expression; its founders developed distinct techniques.

Choreographic devices include repetition, retrograde, inversion, canon, augmentation, and theme-and-variation; they develop a movement motif into a phrase and a phrase into a section.

ABA and rondo forms use contrast and return; narrative works rely on character and mime, while abstract works rely on space, time, and energy for meaning.

Stage directions from the dancer's perspective: upstage is away from the audience, downstage toward it, stage right is the dancer's right when facing the audience.

Energy (dynamics) descriptors - sharp, sustained, percussive, swinging, suspended, collapsing - communicate intent and are distinct from tempo, which is speed.

Safe performance practice: mark sections during spacing rehearsals, respect wing and crossover rules, and use proper bows and curtain calls without stepping on set pieces.