All AQA Definitions Flashcards
What is an accessory in dance?
An additional item of costume, for example gloves.
What are actions in dance?
What a dancer does, e.g., travelling, turning, elevation, gesture, stillness, use of body parts, floor-work, and the transference of weight.
What does acceleration mean in dance?
Speeding up the movement.
What is accompaniment in dance?
The sound that you hear during a dance, for example, percussion.
What is accumulation in dance?
When a dancer performs a series of movements and others join in at different times until all perform in unison.
What is an air pattern?
A design that is traced in the air by part of the body.
What does alignment refer to in dance?
Correct placement of body parts in relation to each other.
What is appreciation in dance?
Recognition and understanding of the qualities of dance.
What are choreographic devices?
Methods used to develop and vary material.
What is choreographic intention?
The aim of the dance; what the choreographer aims to communicate.
What are choreographic processes?
Activities involved in creating dance such as improvisation, selection and development.
What is choreography?
The art of creating dance.
What is a climax in dance?
The most significant moment of the dance.
What does complementary mean in choreography?
Perform actions or shapes that are similar to but not exactly the same as another dancer’s.
What are constituent features of choreography?
Characteristics of choreography such as style, stimulus, subject matter, number/gender of dancers, action content, choreographic principles, form and structure, physical and aural settings.
What does contrast mean in choreography?
Movements or shapes that have nothing in common.
What is artistic intention?
The aim of a dance; what the choreographer aims to communicate.
What does artistry refer to?
Creative skill.
What does auditory mean?
Relating to sound.
What is an aural setting?
An audible accompaniment to the dance such as music, words, song and natural sound (or silence).
What is balance in dance?
A steady or held position achieved by an even distribution of weight.
What does binary refer to in dance?
A composition in two parts or sections.
What is a canon in choreography?
When the same movements overlap in time.
What is a choreographic approach?
The way in which a choreographer makes the dance.
What is deceleration?
Slowing down the movement.
What is development in dance?
The way in which movement material is manipulated.
What does direction refer to in dance?
The facing of a movement.
What is a duet?
Two performers.
What are dynamics in dance?
The qualities of movement based upon variations in speed, strength and flow.
What are the elements of dance?
Actions, space, dynamics and relationships.
What is elevation in dance?
The action of ‘going up’ without support, such as in a jump.
What is an end-stage performance space?
A performance space with the audience on one side; also known as ‘end-on’.
What does episodic mean in choreography?
A choreography with several sections, linked by a theme.
What is Execution?
Carrying out actions with the required intention.
What are Expressive skills?
Aspects that contribute to performance artistry and that engage the audience, such as focus and musicality.
What does Extension refer to?
Lengthening one or more muscles or limbs.
What is Facial expression?
Use of the face to show mood, feeling or character.
What are Features of production?
Lighting, set, properties, costume and aural setting.
What is Flexibility?
The range of movement in the joints (involving muscles, tendons and ligaments).
What is Focus (use of)?
Use of the eyes to enhance performance or interpretative qualities.
What is Form?
The overall shape and structure of a dance.
What are formations in dance?
Shapes or patterns created in space by dancers.
What is fragmentation in dance?
Use of parts of a phrase or motif.
What are highlights in a dance?
Important moments of a dance.
What does ideational mean in dance?
Relating to ideas or concepts.
What is improvisation in dance?
Exploration or generation of movements without planning.
What does in-the-round refer to in performance?
A performing area with the audience seated on all sides.
What is intention in dance?
Aim or desired outcome.
What does interpretation mean in dance?
Finding the meaning that is in the movement or finding the movement that is in the idea.
What is isolation in dance?
An independent movement of part of the body.
What is Kinaesthetic?
Sensory perception (or awareness) of movement and position.
What are the levels of distance from the ground in dance?
Low, medium or high.
What does lighting refer to in a performance area?
The illumination of the performance area.
What is logical sequence in dance?
The flow of phrases or sections of a dance.
What is manipulation of number in dance?
How the number of dancers in a group is used.
What is mental rehearsal?
Thinking through or visualising the dance.
What are mental skills in dance?
These include commitment, concentration, confidence, movement memory, systematic repetition, mental rehearsal, rehearsal discipline, planning of rehearsal, response to feedback and capacity to improve.
What is mobility in dance?
The range of movement in a joint; the ability to move fluently from action to action.
What is a motif in dance?
A movement phrase encapsulating an idea that is repeated and developed throughout the dance.
What is motif development?
Ways in which a movement phrase can be varied.
What is movement material?
The matter of dance: actions, space, dynamics and relationships.
What is movement memory?
The automatic recall of learned movement material, without conscious thought.
What is musicality in dance?
The ability to make the unique qualities of the accompaniment evident in performance.
What is narrative in dance?
Dance that tells a story.
What are pathways in dance?
Designs traced in space (on the floor or in the air).
What are spatial patterns?
A repeated design traced in space (on the floor or in the air).
What is Performance?
The presentation of dance to an audience.
What is Performance (personal)?
Acquisition and development of physical and expressive skills.
What are Performance environments?
Different settings for dance such as in-the-round, proscenium and site-sensitive.
What is a Phrase in dance?
A short sequence of linked movements.
What is Phrasing?
The way in which the energy is distributed in the execution of a movement phrase.
What are Physical skills?
Aspects enabling effective performance such as posture, alignment, balance, coordination, control, flexibility, mobility, strength, stamina, extension and isolation.
What is Posture?
The way the body is held.
What is Professional work?
Original choreography by an individual or company that is recognised nationally or internationally.
What is Projection in dance?
The energy the dancer uses to connect with and draw in the audience.
What is a Prop/property in dance?
A portable object that is used in a dance, for example a suitcase.
What is a Proscenium?
The arch or opening that creates the effect of a picture frame and separates the stage from the auditorium.
What is Rehearsal discipline?
Attributes and skills required for refining performance such as commitment, systematic repetition, teamwork, responsibility and effective use of time.
What are Relationships in dance?
The ways in which dancers interact; the connections between dancers.
What is Repetition in dance?
Performing the same action or phrase again.
What is Retrograde in dance?
Reversing a movement phrase.
What is Rhythmic content?
Repeated patterns of sound or movement.
What is a Rondo?
A music or dance form with alternating and repeating sections, e.g., verse and chorus.
What does safe execution mean?
Carrying out actions safely.
What is safe working practice?
Personal care, respect for others, safe execution, and preparation and recovery from dancing.
What does sensitivity to other dancers refer to?
Awareness of and connection to other dancers.
What does site sensitive mean?
Dances that are designed for (or relate to) non-theatre spaces.
What is a solo in dance?
One performer.
What does space refer to in dance?
The ‘where’ of movement such as levels, directions, pathways, shapes, designs, and patterns.
What is spatial awareness?
Consciousness of the surrounding space and its effective use.
What is spatial design?
The way that elements of space have been considered, utilised and designed (can be personal space and general space).
What does staging/set refer to in dance?
The presentation of dance in the performing space including set, furniture, props, projection and backdrop.
What is stamina in the context of dance?
Ability to maintain physical and mental energy over periods of time.
What are stimulus/stimuli?
Inspiration for an idea or movement.
What does strength mean in dance?
Muscular power.
What is structure in dance?
The way in which material is organised to create the whole.
What are structuring devices?
The ways in which a dance is made, built, ordered or organised.
What is style in dance?
Characteristic way of dancing.
What is style fusion?
The combination of features of two or more styles.
What is systematic repetition?
Repeating something in an arranged or ordered way.
What does tactile mean?
Relating to the sense of touch.
What are technical skills in dance?
These include accuracy of action, timing, dynamic, rhythmic and spatial content and the reproduction of movement in a stylistically accurate way.
What is a ternary composition?
A composition in three parts.
What is timing in dance?
The use of time or counts when matching movements to sound and/or other dancers.
What are transitions in dance?
Links between dance phrases or sections.
What is unison in dance?
Two or more dancers performing the same movement at the same time.
What does ‘Unity’ refer to?
A sense of ‘wholeness’ or harmony.
What does ‘Visual’ relate to?
Relating to sight.
