Dance KS3 Vocab
Acceleration
Speeding up the movement.
Accompaniment
The sound that you hear during a dance. For example, percussion.
Actions
What a dancer does e.g. travelling, turning, elevation, gesture, stillness, use of body parts, floor-work and the transference of weight.
Alignment
Correct placement of body parts in relation to each other.
Appreciation
Recognition and understanding of the qualities of dance.
Artistic intention
The aim of a dance; what the choreographer aims to communicate.
Balance
A steady or held position achieved by an even distribution of weight.
Canon
When the same movements overlap in time.
Choreography
The art of creating dance.
Contrast
Movements or shapes that have nothing in common.
Control
The ability to start and stop movement, change direction and hold a shape efficiently.
Coordination
The efficient combination of body parts.
Costume
Clothing worn by dancers in performance.
Dance film
Where dance and film are both integral to a work; this includes documentary, animation, dance for camera and a screen adaption of a stage work.
Dance for camera
Where the choreographer collaborates with (or is) the film-maker; where the intention is to produce a dance work in a multi-media form that cannot be achieved in live performance.
Dancewear
What the dancer wears for class and rehearsal.
Deceleration
Slowing down the movement.
Development
The way in which movement material is manipulated.
Direction
The facing of a movement.
Duet
Two performers.
Dynamics
The qualities of movement based upon variations in speed, strength and flow.
Elements of dance
Actions, space, dynamics and relationships.
Elevation
The action of ‘going up’ without support, such as in a jump.
Execution
Carrying out actions with the required intention.
Expressive skills
Aspects that contribute to performance artistry and that engage the audience, such as focus and musicality.
Extension
Lengthening one or more muscles or limbs.
Facial expression
Use of the face to show mood, feeling or character.
Features of production
Lighting, set, properties, costume and aural setting.
Flexibility
The range of movement in the joints (involving muscles, tendons and ligaments).
Focus (use of)
Use of the eyes to enhance performance or interpretative qualities.
Formations
Shapes or patterns created in space by dancers.
Improvisation
Exploration or generation of movements without planning.
In-the-round
A performing area with the audience seated on all sides.
Intention
Aim or desired outcome.
Isolation
An independent movement of part of the body.
Levels
Distance from the ground: low, medium or high.
Mobility
The range of movement in a joint; the ability to move fluently from action to action.
Narrative
Dance that tells a story.
Performance
The presentation of dance to an audience.
Performance (personal)
Acquisition and development of physical and expressive skills.
Phrase
A short sequence of linked movements.
Physical skills
Aspects enabling effective performance such as posture, alignment, balance, coordination, control, flexibility, mobility, strength, stamina, extension and isolation.
Posture
The way the body is held.
Professional work
Original choreography by an individual or company that is recognised nationally or internationally.
Projection
The energy the dancer uses to connect with and draw in the audience.
Prop/property
A portable object that is used in a dance, for example a suitcase.
Proscenium
The arch or opening that creates the effect of a picture frame and separates the stage from the auditorium.
Relationships
The ways in which dancers interact; the connections between dancers.
Repetition
Performing the same action or phrase again.
Retrograde
Reversing a movement phrase.
Rhythmic content
Repeated patterns of sound or movement.
Safe execution
Carrying out actions safely.
Safe working practice
Personal care, respect for others, safe execution and preparation and recovery from dancing.
Sensitivity to other dancers
Awareness of and connection to other dancers.
Solo
One performer.
Space
The ‘where’ of movement such as levels, directions, pathways, shapes, designs and patterns.
Spatial awareness
Consciousness of the surrounding space and its effective use.
Staging/set
The presentation of dance in the performing space including set, furniture, props, projection and backdrop.
Stamina
Ability to maintain physical and mental energy over periods of time.
Strength
Muscular power.
Structure
The way in which material is organised to create the whole.
Structuring devices
The ways in which a dance is made, built, ordered or organised.
Style
Characteristic way of dancing.
Style fusion
The combination of features of two or more styles.
Technical skills
These include accuracy of action, timing, dynamic, rhythmic and spatial content and the reproduction of movement in a stylistically accurate way.
Timing
The use of time or counts when matching movements to sound and/or other dancers.
Transitions
Links between dance phrases or sections.
Unison
Two or more dancers performing the same movement at the same time.
Unity
A sense of ‘wholeness’ or harmony.
