MTEL Dance flashcards
MTEL Dance · Build recall with a focused review session.
33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Locomotor movement
- Movement that travels the body from one location to another, such as walking, running, jumping, hopping, leaping, skipping, galloping, sliding, and rolling. Contrasted with axial movement.
- Axial movement
- Non-locomotor movement performed in place around the body's own axis, including bending, twisting, stretching, swinging, turning, rising, and falling. The base of support stays roughly fixed.
- Elements of dance
- The four-part framework of body, space, time, and force/energy used to describe, analyze, create, and evaluate movement. Teachers use it to build vocabulary and observation skills.
- Level
- A spatial element describing vertical position of the body or a body part: low (near the floor), middle (standing range), and high (reaching or airborne).
- Pathway
- The spatial line traced by a moving body or body part through the air or on the floor, described as straight, curved, or zigzag.
- Bound flow
- An effort quality in which movement is controlled and stoppable at any moment, often associated with precision or restraint. Contrasts with free flow, which is released and harder to arrest.
- Syncopation
- A rhythmic device that places accent or stress on a normally weak beat or between beats, disrupting the regular metric pattern and creating rhythmic tension.
- Canon
- A choreographic device in which the same movement phrase is performed by dancers starting at staggered times, creating overlapping imitation. Related to round singing in music.
- Retrograde
- A choreographic device in which a movement phrase is performed in reverse order, from the last movement to the first, without necessarily reversing each movement's direction.
- ABA form
- A three-part compositional structure in which an opening section returns after a contrasting middle section. Also called ternary form and common in short dance studies.
- Rondo form
- A compositional structure built on a recurring main theme (A) alternating with contrasting episodes (B, C, D), producing a pattern such as ABACA.
- Theme and variation
- A form in which a core movement phrase is restated multiple times, each time altered through changes in space, time, force, or body use while retaining recognizable identity.
- Improvisation
- Spontaneous movement creation guided by a problem or prompt, often constraining one element such as level, tempo, or body part to focus exploration and discovery.
- Kinesphere
- The personal bubble of space surrounding a dancer's body, reachable by extending the limbs without traveling. A Laban concept central to spatial awareness training.
- Effort qualities
- Laban's four effort factors - space (direct/indirect), weight (strong/light), time (suddain/sustained), and flow (bound/free) - that describe how movement is performed.
- Turnout
- Outward rotation of the legs originating at the hip joint, allowing the feet to point outward. Forcing turnout from the knees or ankles risks injury.
- Warm-up purpose
- Raises core body temperature, increases blood flow and joint mobility, and rehearses movement patterns, reducing injury risk before demanding dance activity.
- Cool-down
- Gradual reduction of activity after dancing that lowers heart rate and stretches worked muscles, aiding recovery and reducing stiffness.
- Alignment
- Stacking of body segments - head over ribcage, pelvis over the base of support - so gravity is efficiently carried and joint stress is minimized during movement.
- Sprung floor
- A dance surface built with a shock-absorbing layer that flexes under impact, reducing force on joints during jumps. Preferred over concrete for repeated jumping.
- Formative assessment
- Ongoing, low-stakes gathering of evidence during instruction, such as observation checklists, exit tickets, or video review, used to adjust teaching rather than assign a final grade.
- Summative assessment
- Evaluation at the end of a learning sequence, such as a performance rubric or composition portfolio, measuring achievement against stated criteria.
- Aesthetic response
- A structured reaction to dance that first describes what is observed, then interprets meaning, and only then evaluates using explicit criteria rather than personal taste alone.
- Choreographic devices
- Tools that develop movement material, including repetition, retrograde, inversion, augmentation, diminution, canon, and abstraction. They create variety and structure.
- Abstraction
- A choreographic approach that distills ideas or emotions into movement qualities and shapes without literal narrative or pantomime, emphasizing form over story.
- Chance choreography
- A compositional method in which decisions such as order, spacing, or timing are determined by random procedures, associated with Merce Cunningham and postmodern dance.
- Contact improvisation
- A duet form in which dancers share weight and momentum through points of physical contact, exploring balance, roll, and counterbalance spontaneously.
- Bharatanatyam
- A classical dance tradition of southern India characterized by codified hand gestures (mudras), rhythmic footwork, and expressive narrative repertoire rooted in Hindu temple practice.
- Flamenco
- A performance tradition from southern Spain combining percussive footwork, guitar, song (cante), and palmas (hand clapping), with roots in Andalusian Romani culture.
- Hula
- A Hawaiian dance tradition in which movement and chant (mele) transmit genealogy, history, and story; it carries cultural significance beyond entertainment.
- National Core Arts Standards
- Voluntary national standards organizing dance learning into four artistic processes: Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting, each with anchor standards and grade-level performance indicators.
- Dance rubric criteria
- Explicit descriptors of performance quality, such as clarity of movement, use of elements, spatial accuracy, rhythmic precision, and expressive intent, shared with students in advance.
- Adapted dance instruction
- Modifying tasks, equipment, or demonstration modes so students with disabilities can meet the same artistic objective, such as seated versions of a traveling phrase.