Dance Forms and Elements Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering dance forms, foundational B.A.S.T.E. elements, spatial concepts, timing, and energy qualities drawn from the lecture notes.

Folk Dance

Indigenous dance of the common people of a specific community.

Ballroom Dance

Dance form combining art and sport that develops body and mind discipline for dance athletes.

Ballet

Classical dance blending movement with poetry, music, and painting.

Street Dance

Hip-hop based style performed informally, often on streets.

Tap Dance

Dance performed in shoes fitted with metal taps, producing rhythmic toe-and-heel sounds.

Elements of Dance

Foundational concepts—Body, Action, Space, Time, and Energy—used to create and analyze movement.

Body (dance element)

The dancer’s physical instrument—arms, legs, head, torso—used to form shapes, lines, and motions.

Action (dance element)

Any movement of the body such as leaping, walking, or gestures; includes locomotor and non-locomotor actions.

Non-locomotor Movement

Axial movement that stays in one spot, e.g., bend, stretch, swing, twist.

Locomotor Movement

Movement that travels through space, e.g., run, jump, slide, hop.

Space (dance element)

The area in which the body moves, encompassing personal and general space.

Personal Space

Area large enough for one individual that others do not simultaneously occupy.

General Space

Larger shared area used by multiple dancers or a whole class.

Direction (space concept)

Path of movement—forward, backward, sideways, up, or down.

Size (space concept)

Magnitude of body shape or movement ranging from small to large.

Pathways

Patterns traced through the air or on the floor; straight, curved, or zigzag.

Levels (space concept)

Vertical distance from the floor—high (above shoulders), medium (knees to shoulders), low (below knees).

Shapes (space concept)

Forms created by the body’s position—open/closed, symmetrical/asymmetrical, angular or curved.

Relationship (space concept)

Spatial positioning of dancers relative to each other—near/far, in front/behind, over/under, connected/alone.

Orientation (space concept)

Direction the dancer faces while moving or posing.

Time (dance element)

Relationship of movement to rhythm and duration, structured through various timing concepts.

Clock Time

Measured duration of movement in seconds, minutes, or hours.

Timing Relationship

When dancers move before, after, or together relative to one another.

Metered Time

Movement organized to a regular rhythmic pattern such as 2/4 or 4/4 tempo.

Free Rhythm

Movement performed without predictable meter, relying on cues rather than steady beats.

Energy (dance element)

Quality or effort behind movement that shows how dancers move.

Attack (energy quality)

Character of initiation—sharp and sudden or smooth and sustained.

Weight (energy quality)

Sense of heaviness or lightness in movement, reflecting force and momentum.

Flow (energy quality)

Degree of tension—bound and controlled or free and relaxed; smoothness of transitions.

Quality (energy aspect)

Descriptive texture of movement such as swinging, suspended, collapsed, vibratory, or smooth.