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Dance Terminology
Abstract movement Movement to represent an action – not mime
Air Pathway A pattern made in the air by the use of body parts (e.g. arm, leg, head)
Asymmetry A shape that has no line of reflection (mirror line), uneven in space or time
Augmentation A dance device where movements are made larger in space or time
Beat An underlying pulse in a piece of music (usually 3 or 4 beats in a bar)
Body Base The body part/s on the floor (such as 2 feet, or 1 hand and 1 foot etc)
Canon A dance device where a movement is repeated by other dancers at different times
Elements of Dance Awareness of: Body, Space, Time, Energy and Relationships
Embellishment Add detail to a move, such as a hand gesture or an arm movement
Energy The way in which movement is performed using weight, time and flow
Floor Pathway A direction taken across the floor (zigzag, curved, straight, diagonal)
Focus Where a dancer is looking; concentration on the task
Gesture An action such as a wave, a nod or a bow
Genre A dance style (e.g. Kapa Haka, ballet, hip hop)
Improvise Make up movement on the spot – no rehearsal
Levels The height in space at which a dancer moves (e.g. high, medium, low)
Literal movement Mime. The opposite to abstract movement
Locomotor Movement A travelling movement across the floor
Mirroring Reflecting the movements of another person as if they are a mirror image (facing each