Jazz Quiz 1

Jazz Attire

Clothing should highlight body lines and allow free movement.

Jazz Footwear

Jazz shoes, jazz sneakers, dance trainers, ballet shoes.

Pre-Warm-Up

Gentle, slow movements to align and prepare the body. Often done independently before class begins.

Warm-Up

Stimulates circulation and gradually stretches and strengthens muscles. Performed standing, seated, lying down. Isolation exercises are introduced here.

Isolation Exercises

Involve controlling and moving one specific body part independently — like the head, shoulders, or hips — without affecting the rest of the body.

Locomotor Movements

Traveling steps that move the dancer across the floor, such as leaps, runs, or turns, often used to build technique and spatial awareness.

Combinations

Culmination of the class; choreographed sequences combining technique, rhythm, and style. Taught in short segments with counts and spacial directions. Performed in small groups with music. Encourages observation, memory, and refinement. Often followed by a cool-down to prevent soreness.

Lyrical Jazz

Ballet-influenced; flowing, expressive movements with extended body lines. Emphasizes emotion and musicality.

Musical Comedy/Theater Jazz

Jazz used in stage musicals; integrates character-driven movement, storytelling, and often props like hats or canes.

West Coast Jazz

Angular, pedestrian style with isolations and social dance influences.

Contemporary/Modern Jazz

Draws from modern dance techniques; features contractions, flexed feet, and off-center shapes for expressive, grounded movement.

Latin Jazz

Fast, syncopated footwork with hip and shoulder movements; uses Latin steps like salsa, mambo, and cha-cha.

Afro Jazz

Rooted in African and Caribbean dance; earthy, rhythmic, and often barefoot with drum accompaniment.

Hip-Hop

Street-style dance with freestyle, popping, locking, and breakdancing; high energy, strong attitude, and influenced by rap music and urban culture.

Importance of Alignment

Proper skeletal alignment ensures balance, ease of movement, and injury prevention. It supports fluid transitions in dance and helps maintain stamina and control. It is most effectively developed during the warm-up phase of class.

Alignment

How body segments are stacked and related to each other — like the head over shoulders, pelvis over knees — to create efficient posture and movement.

Placement

Where the body’s weight is centered which affects balance and readiness to move. Ideally weight is slightly forward over the ball of the foot.

Alignment Reference Points

Top of ear → middle of shoulder girdle → center of hip → back of kneecap → front of anklebone

Postural Deviations

When the body lacks proper alignment, habitual misalignments can lead to three main spinal deviations.

Lordosis

Excessive inward curve of the lower back; causes a tilted pelvis, protruding abdomen and buttocks, and often a forward head. Especially in the lumbar spine.

Kyphosis

Exaggerated outward curve of the upper spine; leads to rounded shoulders, sunken chest, and forward head posture. Especially in thoracic spine.

Scoliosis

Lateral curve of the spine; creates uneven shoulders, hips, and rib cage, often shifting body weight to one side.

Cervical Vertebrae

Located in the neck, at the top of the spine (C1–C7), just below the skull and above the thoracic vertebrae.

Thoracic Vertebrae

The twelve bones (T1–T12) located in the mid-back, between the cervical vertebrae in the neck and the lumbar vertebrae in the lower back.

Lumbar Vertebrae

The five large bones (L1–L5) in the lower back, located below the thoracic vertebrae and above the sacrum.

Turnout

Outward rotation of legs from the hips enhances balance and movement. Must originate from the hip joint, not just the feet.

Ballet Arms

Arms are held rounded and relaxed, forming a graceful line

Sacrum

A triangular bone at the base of the spine whose wedge shape helps stabilize pelvic alignment by fitting securely between the hip bones.

En bas

Low

En avant

Front

En haut

High

Pliés

Bend. Strengthens inner thighs, lower legs, and Achilles tendon. Movement should be continuous, with spine lengthened.

Relevé

Rising onto the balls of the feet with straight legs and erect torso. Weight should be centered over first and second toes. Movement must be smooth and continuous.

Battement

Leg extensions that brush the foot along the floor.

Battement tendu

Stretched beating. Stretch of the feet. Foot remains on the floor, building strength and flexibility.

Battement dégagé

Disengaged beating. Disengaged feet. Quick brush slightly off the floor. Trains speed.

Grand battement

Large beating. High leg lift, emphasized control and strength.

Developé

Begins in first or fifth positions, unfolds to 45 degrees or higher. Strengthens abdomen, legs, and lower back. Requires control and helps sustain leg extension. Pelvis tilts slightly depending on direction of extension.

Rond de Jambe

Leg traces a semicircle on the ground or in the air. Improves hip flexibility and turnout.

En dehors

Front to back

En dedans

Back to front

Arabesque

One leg supports, other extended back. Arms create a long line. Keep torso upright, avoid arching back.

Attitude

One leg supports, other bent and lifted. Thigh parallel to floor, toe near knee height.

Coupé

Foot wraps ankle (front) or heel touches ankle (back). Used as a transition or prep step.

Passé

Bent leg touches knee of standing leg. Can be turned out or parallel.

Weight Shifting

Must occur without pelvic tilt. Engage abs to stabilize.

Pointing the Foot

Maintain a straight line from knee to toe; toes should be long and extended — not curled or dangling.

Creates a straight line from the knee through the ankle to the big toe, ensuring proper alignment and strength.

Begings at the top of the knee, travels through the ankle, and finishes at the toes.

Jazz Hand

Fingers spread wide.

Inverted Arm

Elbows down, wrist extended or flexed.

Jazz Fifth

V position; arms lifted diagonally, palms up or down, elbows extended.

Flat Back

Bend forward at hips, back parallel to floor, don’t lock knees, align neck with spine.

3 checkpoints are back alignment — spine should be flat from skull to tailbone; neck position — keep neck in line with spine, don’t lift your head; knees — slightly bent to avoid strain, never locked.

Lunge

Keep weight centered over the bent knee. Bent knee must align with the ankle and toes.

Jazz Arms

Arms straight, fingers spread wide, elbows extended.

Shifting Weight

To perform a tendu or dégagé, shift weight without tilting pelvis. Engage abdominal muscles to keep the pelvis horizontal and weight lifted out of the legs. Maintain centered balance over the supporting leg. Lift up, shift to one hip while keeping everything in alignment.