CSET: Dance key terms

The stacking of body segments so that bones support weight efficiently against gravity, reducing strain on muscles and joints. Teachers cue it through landmarks like ears over shoulders or hips over ankles.

Engagement of deep trunk muscles to stabilize the pelvis and spine during movement. It allows free limbs to move without losing balance and underlies safe turns, lifts, and balances.

The dancer's internal sense of where body parts are and how they move in space, built from proprioceptive feedback. It supports self-correction and safe, expressive execution without mirrors.

A slow, sequential attention practice moving awareness through the body to release unnecessary tension. Used in warm-ups and cool-downs, it builds the internal sensation dancers need for efficient technique.

Sequenced activity that raises core temperature, mobilizes joints, and rehearses movement patterns before demanding work. A general pulse-raiser followed by dynamic, dance-specific movement is standard practice for injury prevention.

Gradual reduction of activity after dancing, often with light movement and static stretching, to ease heart rate and restore range of motion. It is a recovery routine, not a substitute for warm-up.

Controlled movement through a joint's range, such as leg swings or lunges, performed as part of a warm-up. It raises tissue temperature and rehearses patterns rather than holding end-range positions.

Holding a muscle at its lengthened position for a sustained period, typically after activity. It improves flexibility but can reduce power output if done immediately before explosive dancing.

Technique of fixing the eyes on a point while turning and whipping the head around to refocus, preventing dizziness and keeping orientation. It is essential in pirouettes and traveling turns.

A turn on one leg, usually in retiré or passé position, driven by a coordinated plié and rotation of the whole body. Spotting and a strong vertical axis keep it balanced.

Bending of the knees with turnout maintained, used as a spring and landing action. Demi-plié keeps heels down; grand plié lowers the heels in most positions. It cushions jumps and initiates turns.

Outward rotation of the legs from the hip sockets, enabling classical positions and lines. It must come from the hips, not the knees or feet, to avoid injury.

The height a dancer achieves in jumps, produced by plié, leg push, and coordinated arm swing. It is judged alongside landing control and clarity of shape in the air.

Absorbing a jump through toes, balls of the feet, and a controlled plié while maintaining alignment. Soft, quiet landings protect joints and demonstrate technical control to observers.

Movement that travels through space, such as walking, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, sliding, galloping, and leaping. It contrasts with movement performed in place.

Movement organized around the body's own axis without traveling, including bending, twisting, stretching, swinging, and turning in place. It is often called non-locomotor movement in standards.

The floor or air route a dancer traces, such as straight, curved, zigzag, or spiral. Pathways shape spatial interest and are a core element in composition and observation.

The vertical position of movement relative to the floor, usually described as high, middle, and low. Varying level creates contrast and communicates weight, mood, and spatial intent.

The quality of energy in movement, described through force, speed, flow, and weight. Terms like sharp, sustained, percussive, or swinging help dancers and students name expressive intent.

In Laban movement analysis, the qualitative use of weight, time, space, and flow that gives movement expressiveness. Effort combinations distinguish actions like pressing, flicking, or gliding.

A framework describing movement through Body, Effort, Shape, and Space. Dance educators use it to analyze, describe, and generate movement with shared vocabulary.

The configuration of the body in space, described as curved or angular, symmetrical or asymmetrical, open or closed. Shape choices convey meaning and create visual variety in composition.

A short, coherent sequence of movements with a beginning, development, and ending, analogous to a sentence. Choreography is built by combining, repeating, and varying phrases.

A memorable movement idea or short theme used as a seed for development. Choreographers vary, fragment, invert, or repeat a motif to create unity and interest.

Systematic alteration of a movement idea through changes in space, time, dynamics, level, or body part. It is a standard composition exercise that builds craft and generates material.

The overall architecture of a dance, such as AB, ABA, rondo, theme and variation, or narrative. Form organizes phrases into a whole that an audience can follow.

The arrangement of dancers on stage, including lines, circles, diagonals, and clusters. Formation choices direct focus and shape group compositions.

A compositional tool such as repetition, retrograde, canon, augmentation, inversion, or abstraction. Devices transform material and create structural clarity and surprise.

Movement created spontaneously in response to a prompt, score, or internal impulse. It generates raw material for composition and develops responsiveness and personal voice.

A partnered form exploring weight sharing, momentum, and rolling contact points. It develops listening through touch, balance, and shared responsibility for movement.

Distilling movement or narrative into essential qualities rather than literal depiction. It invites audiences to interpret meaning through form, dynamics, and spatial design.

A written system recording movement for preservation and restaging, such as Labanotation or Benesh Movement Notation. Notation allows works to survive beyond a dancer's memory.

Restaging a historical dance from notation, film, or written description while interpreting missing details. It raises questions about authenticity and the role of the reconstructor.

Early nineteenth-century ballet style emphasizing ethereal, supernatural themes, pointe work, and long tulle skirts. La Sylphide and Giselle are central examples of the genre.

The late nineteenth-century tradition, especially the Russian imperial repertory, featuring codified technique, mime, and grand ensemble structure. Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake exemplify it.

Dancing on the tips of fully extended feet in reinforced shoes, requiring years of strength and alignment training. It is a defining feature of classical and romantic ballet.

Twentieth-century concert dance reacting against ballet convention through bare feet, weight, and personal expression. Its founders, including Graham, Humphrey, and Cunningham, built distinct techniques.

A mid-twentieth-century movement using everyday movement, task, chance, and pedestrian presence, often performed in nontraditional spaces. It questioned virtuosity and the boundaries of what counts as dance.

A modern dance technique built on contraction and release of the torso, spiral, and expressive floor work. It trains breath-driven power and dramatic intention.

The social, historical, and ritual setting that gives a dance meaning, including music, costume, and audience role. Studying it prevents treating dances as detached steps.

Presenting a cultural dance with fidelity to its community's practice, including music, dress, and intent. It requires research and respect rather than surface borrowing.

Taking elements of a marginalized culture's dance without context, credit, or reciprocity. Educators distinguish it from appreciation by examining power, permission, and benefit.

Community-based dance passed down informally and tied to regional celebration or ritual. Steps and music carry cultural identity and often vary by village or family.

A scoring guide listing criteria and performance levels for a dance task. Clear descriptors make evaluation consistent and give students concrete targets for improvement.

Ongoing checks during learning, such as observation, peer feedback, or exit tickets, used to adjust instruction. It is low-stakes and informs next steps rather than assigning grades.

Evaluation at the end of a unit that measures achievement against standards, such as a final performance or written analysis. It documents learning for grades and reporting.

Specific observable qualities used to judge a dance, such as clarity of shape, rhythmic accuracy, or focus. Well-written criteria name what a viewer can actually see.

Structured response from classmates guided by prompts or criteria. It builds observation skills and vocabulary while giving performers immediate, low-stakes input.

Published expectations defining what students should know and be able to do in dance at each grade level. They guide curriculum, instruction, and assessment design.

Designing instruction and performance so dancers of varied bodies and abilities can participate meaningfully. It includes adapted cues, equipment, and roles beyond the traditional virtuoso part.