TASC Dance flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Turnout

Rotation of the legs outward from the hip joint, enabling a wider base of support and classical line. Forced turnout from the feet or knees risks joint injury.

Plié

A bending of the knees over the toes while the torso stays lifted. Demi-plié keeps heels down; grand plié lowers the heels in most positions.

Eccentric contraction

A muscle action in which the muscle lengthens while producing tension, such as lowering a jump. It absorbs force and is linked to delayed-onset muscle soreness.

Proprioception

The body's sense of joint position and movement, fed by receptors in muscles, tendons, and joints. It underlies balance, alignment correction, and safe landing.

Spotting

Fixing the gaze on one point while turning and whipping the head around last. It reduces dizziness and keeps orientation, using a stable visual reference.

Sagittal plane

The plane dividing the body into left and right halves. Flexion and extension, as in a plié or a forward bend, occur within it.

Agonist muscle

The muscle that produces the prime movement at a joint, such as the quadriceps extending the knee. It works with antagonists and stabilizers.

Dynamic warm-up

Progressive movement that raises core temperature and rehearses joint ranges before dancing. It prepares the nervous system better than long static holds before explosive work.

Balance systems

Postural control integrates vestibular, somatosensory, and visual information. Removing one input, such as closing the eyes, increases sway and reduces stability.

Landing mechanics

Jump landings should pass through the ball of the foot into a flexed knee and hip, spreading force over time. Stiff, straight-legged landings concentrate stress.

Transverse plane

The horizontal plane dividing the body into upper and lower parts. Rotation, as in a pirouette or spiral, occurs within it.

Anaerobic energy

Short, high-intensity effort fueled without relying on oxygen, as in a jump sequence. It is limited in duration and requires recovery between repetitions.

Core support

Coordinated engagement of deep trunk and pelvic muscles that stabilizes the spine during balances and lifts. It allows limbs to move without collapsing alignment.

Range of motion

The extent of movement available at a joint. Active range is produced by the dancer's own muscles; passive range is reached with external assistance.

Pointe shoe structure

The box supports the toes, the shank stiffens the sole, and the vamp covers the forefoot. Breakdown of these parts reduces support and increases injury risk.

Romantic ballet era

Early nineteenth-century ballet featuring pointe work, bell-shaped tutus, and supernatural themes. It emphasized ethereal mood over the virtuoso spectacle of later eras.

Classical ballet era

Late nineteenth-century ballet centered on full-length story works, mime, and demanding technique. Its legacy includes the codified vocabulary still taught today.

Modern dance origins

A twentieth-century departure from ballet's codified steps, valuing weight, breath, and personal expression. Its founders each built distinct techniques and philosophies.

Choreographic canon

A device in which one dancer or group performs a phrase and others enter in sequence with the same movement, creating overlapping layers of the same material.

Retrograde

Performing a movement phrase in reverse order, from the last action to the first. It is a compositional device for varying known material.

Motif

A short, memorable movement idea that can be repeated, varied, or developed. It is the smallest unit from which longer phrases and sections are built.

Upstage

The area of the stage farthest from the audience. Moving upstage takes a dancer away from the audience and can weaken focus.

Downstage

The area of the stage closest to the audience. Downstage positions are strongest for focus and are used for important moments.

Stage right

The side of the stage on the dancer's right when facing the audience. It is the audience's left, so directions are always given from the performer's view.

Energy quality

The dynamic character of movement, described as sharp, sustained, percussive, swinging, suspended, or collapsing. It differs from tempo, which is speed.

ABA form

A structure in which an opening section returns after a contrasting middle section. The return provides resolution and makes the contrast more noticeable.

Mime

A stylized gesture language used in classical story ballets to convey plot and emotion, distinct from the abstract movement vocabulary of the dance itself.

Spacing rehearsal

A rehearsal that sets positions and pathways so dancers avoid collisions and stay visible. Dancers often mark rather than perform full-out during it.

Theme and variation

A compositional form in which a core idea is stated, then restated with changes in level, direction, timing, or energy, generating variety from limited material.

Improvisation

Spontaneous movement generated in the moment, often guided by a prompt such as a body part, image, or quality. It can supply raw material for choreography.

Dance phrase

A series of linked movements with a beginning, middle, and end, treated as a single unit. Phrases combine into sections and full dances.

Performance focus

Directing attention and gaze intentionally toward the audience, a partner, or a point in space. It shapes how viewers read the movement.