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Key Terms Accent: The stress put on any one beat in music, usually meant to signal to dancers that they must pivot or move in a new way. Backspin: Putting weight on the upper body and pushing away with the hands or legs to create a spinning motion. Ballroom dance: A highly formalized dance with a focus on choreography, with little or no improvisation. Battle: A hip-hop or rap competition involving singing, chanting, and/or dancing. Choreography: Specific dance movements, usually practiced intensely, that must be followed to properly execute the dance itself. Chorus: A group of singers. Circle dance: A dance where participants arrange themselves in a circle, sometimes with a dancer or pair moving into the center. Continuity: The act of moving consistently from step to step in a dance, without pause. Costume: Clothing worn by dance participants. Dance floor: The physical stage, whether crafted or natural, for a dance. Drop: The support of most or all of the follower’s body weight by the leading partner. Elevation: The vertical aspect of dance, involving leaping or holding upright. First position: The beginning of a dance, usually referring to ballet. Follow, or follower: The dancer in a partner pair who does not direct the movement and follows the motion. Gyrate: Rotate a body part. Heelspin: A pivot move where a dancer puts weight on the heel and turns. Improvisation: Movement that is made up on the spot by a dancer, without adherence to any formalized route. Jig: A simple song in 6/8 time. Lead, or leader: The dancer in a partner pair who takes the initiative and directs the movement. Line: A dimension of body running from head to toe that dancers must achieve with movement. Line dance: A dance where all participants arrange themselves in lines, usually two lines facing each other. One step: A dance with no change in rhythm. Rhythm: Beat of music that dictates how and when dancers will move. Tempo: Speed of music.

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DANCE