Dance Final

Dance

A performing art form displayed through the human body, using movement as the primary medium of expression.

Intention

The deliberate reason behind an artistic choice or action in a dance work.

Choreographer’s Intention

The message or purpose the choreographer aims to communicate through movement.

Performer’s Interpretation

How a dancer personally understands and expresses the choreographer’s intention.

Antiquity

Early historical period when dance was integral to religious and cultural practices in ancient civilizations.

Ancient Egyptian Dance

Dance closely tied to religion, ceremonies, and rituals, evidenced in tomb art such as Tutankhamun’s.

Mesopotamian Dance

Dance performed in temples and festivals as part of religious practice.

Medieval Dance History

A period where most dance knowledge is inferred due to lack of written instruction before the 15th century.

Illiteracy (Medieval Period)

A major reason why everyday dance practices were not documented.

French Ballet

A 17th-century dance form shaped by political power and social order under King Louis XIV.

King Louis XIV

French king who used ballet as a political tool and helped formalize ballet technique.

Académie Royale de Danse

Founded in 1661; the first official ballet institution (Paris Opera Ballet).

Pierre Beauchamp

First ballet master who codified ballet technique and created the five foot positions.

Five Positions of Ballet

The foundational foot positions standardized by Pierre Beauchamp.

Classical Ballet

A ballet style developed in Imperial Russia emphasizing technique, high legs, leaps, and narrative works.

Platter Tutu

A flat, rigid tutu associated with classical ballet.

Grand Pas de Deux

A featured duet in classical ballet showcasing technical skill.

Marius Petipa

Influential classical ballet choreographer known for large-scale narrative ballets.

Swan Lake

Classical ballet choreographed by Petipa, centered on a fairy-tale narrative.

Modern Dance

Early 20th-century movement style rejecting classical ballet in favor of natural, expressive movement.

Improvisation

Spontaneous movement creation used heavily in modern and contemporary dance.

Isadora Duncan

Pioneer of modern dance who emphasized natural movement and emotional expression.

Barefoot Technique

Duncan’s rejection of pointe shoes to allow freer, more natural movement.

Jazz Dance

A dance style influenced by entertainment, rhythm, and popular culture.

Vaudeville

Early 20th-century entertainment platform that nurtured diverse dance styles.

Broadway Dance

High-energy dance style developed in musical theater, central to storytelling.

Composition

The arrangement of movement, space, time, and energy in choreography.

Pantomime (Ballet)

Gesture-based storytelling used extensively in Petipa’s works.

Alvin Ailey

Choreographer who blended modern technique with African American cultural experiences.

Bob Fosse

Choreographer known for stylized movement, sexuality, and signature props.

George Balanchine

Neoclassical choreographer known for musicality and minimalism.

Music Visualization

Balanchine’s approach of matching movement directly to musical structure.

Martha Graham

Modern dance pioneer who rejected ballet and adapted myth-based narratives.

Merce Cunningham

Choreographer who created movement independent of music and used chance methods.

Chance Dance

Choreographic method using randomness (coin flips, dice) to determine movement.

Theater

A building designed for performance and presentation of the performing arts.

Stage

The area where performers present a dance or theatrical work.

Backstage

Hidden performance area for costumes, props, sets, and crew.

Wings

Areas just out of audience sightlines used for entrances, exits, and equipment.

Crossover

Space behind or beneath the stage allowing performers to cross unseen.

Aesthetics

Principles that guide the beauty, meaning, and emotional experience of a performance.

Stage Directions

Spatial terms based on the performer’s perspective (downstage, upstage, stage right, stage left).

Neoclassical Ballet

A 20th-century ballet style blending classical technique with modern influences and minimal storytelling.

Romantic Ballet

A highly theatrical ballet style that neoclassical ballet reacted against.

Frederick Ashton

Neoclassical choreographer known for Cinderella and La Fille Mal Gardée.

Jerome Robbins

Choreographer who blended ballet and Broadway dance.

Contemporary Ballet

A modern ballet style that combines classical technique with modern dance elements.

Floor Work

Movement performed on or close to the ground, common in contemporary dance.

Turned-In Legs

A modern dance element incorporated into contemporary ballet.

Spinal Articulation

Use of the spine for expressive movement in modern and contemporary dance.

Effort (Contemporary Dance)

Visible physical exertion emphasized for artistic intent.

Non-Eurocentric Influence

Dance styles and traditions beyond Western Europe that shape contemporary ballet.

Silence as Music

The use of no music as a valid choreographic choice in contemporary dance.