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1. Modern Dance- developed in the early 20th century (1900s) and usually referring to concert dance in the West; rebelling against classical ballet technique, and structured costumes/shoes, early modern pioneers began to practice "free dance" (includes Loie Fuller, Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, and Jose Limon)
2.Technique- proper execution of skills within a given dance form
3.Improvisation- movement that is created spontaneously, ranging from free form to highly structured environments, but always with an element of chance
4.Core- muscular and skeletal structures in the center of the body, including the abdomen, spine, and pelvis
5. Prance- transferring the weight of the body from one leg to another while moving through the toe, ball, and heel of the foot
6. Flat back- a strengthening and stretching exercise where the top half of the body hinges or bends at the waist so that it is suspended into space as if it were a table top; developed in the Lester Horton technique
7. Choreographic Form- the specific compositional forms which movement is structured to create a dance (ie- how we order or structure a dance)
8. Unison- movements which are performed simultaneously (at the same time) and identically by more than one dancer (everyone does the same dance at the same time)
9. Canon- movement which is performed identically but with multiple entry points (everyone does the same dance but starts at different times)
10. Retrograde- a compositional manipulation in which the movements in a phrase are performed from the end to the beginning as if rewinding the movements (the dance is performed backward)
11. Rearrange- to change the ordering of the movements in a dance phrase from its original phrase order (to mix up the movements in a dance and do them in a different order)
12. Call and Response- an African tradition which refers to a dance leader who calls out or demonstrates dance steps to which the group responds by repeating or performing the correct steps or combination (one person performs the movements and the group repeats the same steps or does the next part of the dance)
13. ABA- a three part compositional form in which the second section contrasts with the first section; the third section is a restatement of the first section in condensed, abbreviated, or extended form (the "sandwich" form)
14.Musicality- the attention and sensitivity to the musical elements of dance while creating or performing
15.Projection- a confident presentation of one’s body and energy to vividly communicate movement and meaning to an audience; performance quality
16.Style- a distinctive manner of moving; the characteristic way dance is done, created, or performed, that identifies the dance of a particular performer, choreographer, or period
17.Contemporary- dance as it is being explored by current choreographers
18.Extension- stretching or elongating the limbs or torso
19.Pirouette-in ballet, a spin or turn of the body on one leg; can be done en dehors (turning away from the supporting leg) or en dedans (turning toward the supporting leg)
20.Arabesque- in ballet, a pose held on one leg with the other leg and both arms extended away and up from the center of the body
21.Tilt- in modern dance, a movement like an arabesque except that the trunk leans away from the extended leg toward the floor
22.Marley- a type of smooth, slip resistant, synthetic flooring designed especially for dancing
23.Sprung Floor- a specially designed floor that has a quality of resistance; it is valuable for dancers as it absorbs some of the strain placed on their bodies during jumps and other movements
24.Performing Arts- art that is performed such as dance, theater, music, and opera
25.Tableau- a “picture” created by a group of dancers in stillness
26.Site-specific work- a work created and performed in a non-traditional setting
27.Repertoire- the collection of choreographic works that an individual artist or dance company may perform
28.Kinetic awareness- sensory perception of the body in motion
29.Aesthetic- qualities that are considered both beautiful and highly prized; a set of principals underlying a work of art
30. Rectus Abdominus- adominal/stomach muscles that allow for flexing of the lumbar spine (lower back) and create the “six pack” look of the stomach
31. 1920s Steps- Charleston, Long legged Charleston, Boogie, Scarecrow, Pickin’ cherries, Eatin’ cherries, Sugarfoot, Shorty George, Scoot, Truckin’, Screwball, Shim Sham
32. 1950s Steps- Basic swing step (quick quick, slow, slow), Hand jive, Conga line, Bunny hop, The Madison, The Stroll
33. 1960s Steps- the Twist, the Jerk, the Monkey, the Pony, the Swim, the Shimmy, the Mashed potatoes, the Skate, the Egyptian, the Hitch-hiker, Temptation walk, the Locomotion
34. 1970s Steps- Night Fever, the Bus stop, the Bump, the Funky Chicken, Step Touch (together, behind, or in front), Lazy Leg, Four Corners, YMCA, the Hustle
35. 1980s Steps- The Running Man, the Snake, the Janet, the Roger Rabbit, the Robo Cop, Wavin, the Cabbage Patch, the Troop, the Whop, the Robot, the Moonwalk, New Kids Move, Kick and out, Funky twist, up rockin’, the Pac-man
36. 1990s Steps- the Electric Slide, the Macarena, the Hammer Dance, vogueing, Cotton Eyed Joe, the Carlton, the Butterfly, Apache (Jump on it)