TASC Dance key terms

Any movement that carries the body from one place to another, such as walking, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, leaping, sliding, or galloping. Dancers use these to travel through space.

Movement performed in place without traveling, such as bending, twisting, stretching, swinging, or turning. These actions develop body control and are often combined with traveling steps in a phrase.

Movement organized around the body's own central line, including bending, twisting, and rotating while staying rooted to one spot. The term is often used interchangeably with nonlocomotor movement in dance teaching.

The height at which movement occurs in space, usually described as high, middle, or low. Choreographers shift levels to create contrast, interest, and dramatic emphasis within a dance.

The route a dancer or body part travels through space, such as straight, curved, zigzag, or circular. Pathways may be floor patterns traced by traveling or shapes drawn in the air by limbs.

The arrangement of dancers relative to one another on stage, such as a line, circle, wedge, or scattered grouping. Changes of formation shape the visual design of a group dance.

Standard terms locating dancers on stage relative to the audience: upstage is away from the audience, downstage is toward it, and stage right and left are the performers' own right and left.

The planned placement and movement of performers on stage, worked out so that the action stays visible and balanced. Directors and choreographers set blocking during rehearsal and record it for consistency.

The stacking of body segments so that weight passes efficiently through the skeleton. Good alignment supports balance, reduces strain, and underlies safe technique in every dance style.

Outward rotation of the legs from the hip joints, allowing the knees and feet to face away from the body's center. Turnout is fundamental to ballet technique and must be developed gradually to avoid injury.

A bending of the knees performed with the legs turned out and the heels remaining on the floor in first, second, and fourth positions. It builds leg strength and cushions landings from jumps.

Rising onto the balls of the feet or the toes while keeping the legs straight. Dancers use releve to develop calf strength, balance, and the elevation needed for turns and jumps.

A technique for turning in which the dancer fixes the eyes on one point and whips the head around ahead of the body. Spotting prevents dizziness and keeps the turn controlled and on balance.

A turn on one leg, typically performed in ballet with the working leg held in retire or passe position. Success depends on a strong releve, a tight turning position, and consistent spotting.

Moving one body part independently while the rest of the body stays still, common in jazz and hip-hop styles. Isolations train body awareness and create sharp, precise visual accents.

Creating movement spontaneously in the moment rather than performing set choreography. Dancers improvise to explore ideas and generate material that may later be shaped into a composed dance.

The art of designing and arranging movement into a dance. A choreographer selects, sequences, and refines steps and uses compositional tools such as repetition, contrast, and transition.

A short, memorable movement phrase that serves as a seed for a longer dance. Choreographers develop motifs through repetition, variation, inversion, and embellishment to unify a work.

A brief, coherent sequence of movement that reads as a unit, roughly comparable to a sentence in language. Phrases combine into longer sections and often follow the musical structure.

The connective movement linking one phrase or section to the next. Smooth transitions make a dance read as continuous and help the audience follow changes in energy, direction, or focus.

The overall structure of a dance, such as binary, ternary, rondo, or theme and variation. Form gives a work coherence by organizing how material is introduced, repeated, and contrasted.

Two or more dancers performing the same movement at the same time. Unison creates visual power and clarity and is often contrasted with canon or other layered group textures.

A compositional device in which dancers perform the same phrase one after another, each entering at a different time. Canon produces overlapping, layered movement from identical material.

Performing a movement phrase backward, starting with the final action and ending with the first. Retrograde is a common choreographic tool for varying a motif while keeping its original shape.

The ability to hear and respond to rhythm, phrasing, and accent in music through movement. Musical dancers match steps to beats and use timing choices to shape expression.

The speed at which music or movement unfolds, usually measured in beats per minute. Dancers adjust tempo to change energy and must follow deliberate shifts such as accelerando or ritardando.

The pattern of durations and accents that organizes sound or movement in time. Rhythm may be counted aloud, clapped, or embodied, and it forms the timing framework for choreography.

The simultaneous use of two or more contrasting rhythmic patterns within one piece of music. Dancers may embody different patterns in different body parts or groups of performers.

The quality of energy in movement, described with words such as sharp, sustained, percussive, or swinging. Varying dynamics gives a phrase expressive range beyond its steps and timing.

In Laban movement analysis, the inner attitude toward weight, time, space, and flow that shapes how a movement is performed. Effort qualities make identical actions look forceful, light, or lingering.

The three-dimensional environment a dancer moves through, described by level, direction, pathway, and size. Awareness of space lets performers project to an audience and share the stage safely.

A preparatory period of gradually increasing activity that raises heart rate, warms muscles, and mobilizes joints before dancing. A proper warm-up reduces injury risk and improves performance quality.

Gentle activity and stretching performed after dancing to help the body return to rest. It aids recovery, reduces stiffness, and is considered part of safe dance practice.

Any written system for recording movement so a dance can be preserved and restaged. Examples include Labanotation and Benesh notation, which use symbols to encode body, space, and timing.

The practice of describing, analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating a dance performance. Critics support judgments with specific evidence from the work rather than personal preference alone.

A choreographic approach that moves away from literal narrative or pantomime toward pure movement qualities and patterns. Abstract dance invites audiences to respond to form, energy, and design.

A dance tradition rooted in a particular community's history, values, and social practices, such as folk, classical, or ceremonial dance. Learning its context shows respect and prevents misrepresentation.

The expected professional conduct of performers, including punctuality, backstage quiet, respect for stage crew, and proper care of costumes and props. Etiquette supports a safe and collaborative production.