100+ Dance Words

December 15, 2023

Dance allows us to tell stories and share emotions physically—with or without music. There are many styles of the art form, and each one comes with specific dance words that define them. So, whether you’re studying dance, are an amateur dancer, or are looking to augment your dance vocabulary, this list can help you master the basics. Read on to brush up on your whirling lingo.

Related:

Words Related to Art

Table of Contents

Choreography

Like a well-written novel, a well-choreographed dance has flow. With choreography, movement combinations are typically set to a harmony or beat.

If you’ve ever watched “Dancing with the Stars,” you’ll know how important structure is to formal dance. Choreography allows the dancers to tell a story. For instance, choreographers, another word associated with dancing, will often use slower movements to express strain or anguish. A choreography can also be quick and frenzied to express high emotion, energy, or chaos.

Ballet

Ballet requires form and symmetry. If you took ballet lessons as a child, you may remember the attention it requires.

Arguably the most poised dance style, classical ballet requires excellent posture and strength – strong back, arm, leg, and torso muscles are critical to achieving balance. For instance, ballet dancers specialize in going “en pointe.” This technique requires ballerinas to balance fully on the tips of their toes.

Elaborate costumes and dramatic sets are characteristic of classical ballet. If you’ve seen “The Nutcracker,” you know the pomp and drama the art form offers. Classical ballet is set to instrumental music. Ballerinas, not musical lyrics, tell a story through graceful motions.

Waltz

The Viennese waltz is the oldest style of ballroom dance. You can perform this type of dance in triple-time—think “one, two, three; one, two, three.” This makes the waltz quicker than other dances. Another distinct characteristic of the dance worm? Dancers should be in close contact.

If you’ve ever been to a wedding, you’ve likely seen a waltz. Its intimate, gliding style and smooth tempo make the waltz ideal for newly married couples looking to put their best feet forward.

“On the Beautiful Blue Danube” by Johann Strauss, Jr. is arguably the world’s most famous waltz. This is where the Viennese waltz gets its name, as it expresses the liveliness and sophistication of 19th-century Austria.

Tango

Tango is playful, passionate, and rich in drama. Different from waltz timing, the “tango beat” consists of two or four beats per measure.

Improvisation is another aspect of tango, and there is a clear leader and follower element to the genre. Dancers play off one another in a call-and-response fashion, allowing this dance style to be more spontaneous than other dances. In other words, it takes two to tango.

Tango is also known for its elaborate costumes and intense music. If you’ve never witnessed tango in action, you can watch “Moulin Rouge” or “Shall We Dance.”

Jazz

Comprised of quick shifts from one foot to another, jazz is distinct from traditional dance forms. Like jazz music, jazz dance is heavily improvised; dancers often spontaneously change their movements in response to the music. And like ballet, jazz dancing incorporates coordinated hand and body movements. If you’ve ever heard the term “jazz hands,” you get the idea.

Modern jazz, popularized by choreographers like Bob Fosse and Jack Cole, is dramatic, lively, and complex. Just watch “La La Land” with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone to see a contemporary celebration of the genre. While antiquated, well-known forms of classic jazz dances include the Charleston, Cakewalk, and Lindy hop.

Ballroom Dance

While not all styles require two or more dancers, ballroom dancing is truly partner-based. The waltz is the oldest form of ballroom dancing. Other styles include salsa, quickstep, rumba, cha-cha, and foxtrot. Music is key to the couple-based styles that characterize the ballroom dancing category.

Often competitive, ballroom dancers can be professional and nonprofessional. However, the genre is rigorous despite the level of expertise and competition.

If you want to watch ballroom dancing, tune into “Dancing Queens” on Bravo. The reality show is a fun way to observe the many types of ballroom dances and the lives of amateur performers.

Port de Bras

French for “carriage of the arms,” Port de Bras is a set of arm movements. It is a classical ballet term, not to be confused with arm positioning.

Ballet revolves around long lines formed by synchronized leg, arm, and body movements. Port de Bras, while focused on intentional arm motions, has much to do with posture. Instructors often focus on a dancer’s squeezed shoulder blades and connection between arms, hands, and back to achieve the method.

Improvisation

Have you ever heard a song and wanted to break out some moves? That spontaneous desire to dance is improvisation! Improv dance is void of choreography; you can move freely without structure or planning.

Lack of planning doesn’t mean improvisation is for novices. Formal dance styles like jazz, salsa, rumba, and tap include a great deal of improvisation.