Dance Terms Used in Dance Classes that Every Beginner Dancer Should Know

 

Have you ever been to a dance class for the first time and wondered what certain terms that teachers were saying were leaving you scratching your head? 

Today, I wanted to discuss those terms with you and what they mean. These terms are often used in every dance genre and will be good to know and useful in all the classes that you attend in the future. 

 Pas De Bourrée- A fundamental ballet move with 3 steps, and translated to English means "step of the bouree". This move is often used for traveling, smooth transitions between larger movements, and also for changing direction or preparing for turns and jumps. It's often performed in many other dance genres like Modern dance, Jazz, Commercial, Musical Theatre, Ballroom, and many other styles. 

Pow Wow, aka The Basic Step- A move used in breakdancing and house dance styles. Most commonly used as a way to step in time with the beat, usually moving clockwise. One foot lifts or steps on each beat with a slight bounce or grounded feel. This move keeps dancers in sync with the beat within the choreography. 

Ball Change- This move refers to the weight transfer from one ball of the foot to the other. It is often a very small yet quick step that keeps the heels mostly lifted. It's often done either in place or while traveling slightly. Teachers often use this move as a way to help dancers with coordination, weight transfers, and help students connect to bigger moves that happen later in the choreography. 

Rond De Jambe- This move is a classical ballet move where one leg makes a smooth circular motion while the dancer's body stays still and controlled. Translated to English, it means Rond = circle and Jambe = leg, literally circle of the leg. Dancers need to know this move because it can help build hip mobility, improve their turnout control, strengthtens your balance and coordination, and also prepares dancers for turns and extensions in choreography. 

Passé- This move is a classical ballet move, and translated to English means "to pass". The move is often used in dance with one foot passing by or resting near the knee of the supporting leg. It is used in many aspects, but is most commonly used as a transition between steps and before or during turns. The dance styles it is used in the most are ballet, jazz, and contemporary. 

 Relevé- This move is a fundamental movement where a dancer rises onto the balls of their feet or tips of their toes from a flat-footed position. The word translated to English means "raised". The move is often used for strengthening calves, ankles, and feet, improving balance and control, and is often prep for jumps and turns in choreography. 

Kickball Change- This move is a fundamental 3-step move that adds rhythm and often focuses on hitting accents between main beats. It involves you taking one foot forward, landing on the ball of the foot as you bring it back, and then stepping on the other foot to shift your weight. It is often a 1 and 2 step type of move. The kick (1), the ball (and), and the change (2), you can do this move on both sides. This move is commonly used in breakdancing routines as well as other hip-hop styles.

Body Isolations- Isolations are movements where you control one or more body parts at a time, like the head, ribcage, or hips, to move independently while the rest of your body stays still. The idea is to focus on that part to emphasize the specific movements and also showcase creativity in choreography. The main purposes of these are to help dancers build body awareness, coordination, fluidity, create texture, and expression through the movements. This is often used in many styles of dance, like jazz and hip-hop.

Bounce- This is a small up-and-down motion, usually with both the knees and body relaxed. It is a fundamental, rhythmic movement that creates a grounded, effortless groove that syncs with the music's beat.  It's all about building momentum and fluidity, not force, but generating energy. It's often used for transitioning between downbeats (bending knees) and upbeats (straightening). This allows for natural flow and variations like the rock, roll, and bounce that enhance expression and rhythm. This is used in many styles, especially hip-hop. 

Groove- This means finding your natural, rhythmic connection to the music, involving often repetitive foundational movements that feel good and sync with the beat, which creates your own personal "flow" or "pocket" within the song's core pulse, making you want to move and express yourself effortlessly.  The flow that gives you an internal sense of making dance feel natural and fun. The pocket is the center of the rhythm, grounded, and in sync with the music's core. This is used in many styles and can be beneficial to every dancer. 

Tick/Staccato- This is used in hip-hop/street dance techniques, it is described as sharp, short hits in coordination with the music. It is often performed with staccato movements (sharp, detached, and abrupt) with quick bursts of energy, with clear stops that contrast with a smooth, flowing, and connected style that translates from one move to another. It's often used to create punchy, defined, or powerful accents to choreography. 

Pop/Hit- This is a hip-hop/street dance technique that is used to create a quick contraction and release of the muscles to create a "hit" in the body. It is a way to use the body as a musical instrument and create rhythms through sharp, strong, and often abrupt movements in time with the music, using a particular muscle group, like the arms, neck, chest, and legs. This makes the body jerk or freeze in a pose. 

8-Count/Count- This refers to the music being counted in sets of 8 beats in structured choreography. It is a fundamental rhythm unit usually representing two measures of 4/4 at a time. Dancers will use this count of 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 to time steps and movements, often starting the phrase with a strong "1" or "5" beat. It helps dancers learn complex choreographies and be in sync with musical phrases.

Plié -This is a fundamental French ballet move, which, translated to English, means "to bend". It refers to bending your knees either partially or fully in any of the ballet foot positions. It is often used to warm up, build strength, and prepare for jumps or turns by keeping the joints, being able to move with graceful flexibility, ease, and fluidity. It is often used in jazz and contemporary styles.

Combo- A short sequence of steps/choreography. This is commonly used in dance classes with short time frames, like an hour or so. This also doesn't matter what style is being taught.

Marking- Practicing the steps you learned lightly without full effort/energy. This is a good thing to do when you are fully analyzing choreography in class.

Across the Floor- Performing steps/a combo traveling across the studio. This is commonly used in jazz, contemporary, ballet, heels, and foundational dance classes to warm up.

Full Out- Performing with 100% energy and performance. Teachers use this phrase to emphasize the speed of the choreography they are expecting by the end of class, during filming, or in groups/solos.

Cleaning-Polishing details and precision in choreography. Teachers often encourage their students to focus on particular movements or steps that have certain importance in choreography, like fluidity moments, pops, hits, character, etc. 

Dynamics- The quality of the movement. Some examples would be Sustained (slow and smooth), Percussive (sharp and sudden), Swinging (pendulum-like), Suspended (holding balance), Vibratory (shaking), and Collapsed (releasing into gravity). These are important for dance because they can add texture, emotion, and musicality, which turn simple steps into more impactful, expressive performances.

Musicality- This word means how a dancer interprets, hears, or expresses the music through the movement. It can showcase the dancer's understanding of musical elements like melodies, tempos, rhythm, emotions, etc. The choreography comes to life, and it makes performances unforgettable. 

Working/Supporting Leg- Your working leg can refer to the leg that is going to be lifted/moving around, while your supporting leg is the one that is firm on the ground and not moving, therefore supporting all of your weight. 

Switching Lines- When the class rotates from front to back, and vice versa, to give everyone a chance to be in the front and to allow the teacher to see the learning styles of all the students from different areas of the space.

Texture/Flavor- When a teacher/choreographer says to add texture/flavor, it means that they want you to add your own individuality to the choreography to showcase your dance style and personality.

Groups- When the class is divided into smaller sections, and each group takes turns come into perform the choreography while other students watch.

Tempo- This means the speed of the music. When you are often learning a choreography in class, the teacher/choreographer will teach it at a slower tempo, then go up to a medium tempo, and then the full tempo, aka the real speed of the song. This is commonly used in all styles of classes, especially K-Pop classes when learning group or soloist choreographies. 

First Position-This means having your heels together with your toes pointed out. This is often used in jazz and contemporary styles, but can be applied to all styles.

Point Move- Typically used in K-pop classes, this means the signature dance move/moves that are the most impactful in the choreography.

These are some that I have heard in dance classes in the past that I have heard and have come to understand. But I hope that these are helpful to anyone who is going into dance classes for the first time/relatively new to dance. These terms are great to pay attention to, and I think they will benefit every dancer throughout their dance journey.