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 in dance?
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 does artistic intention refer to?
The aim of a dance; what the choreographer aims to communicate.
What is artistry?
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 mean in dance composition?
A composition in two parts or sections.
What is a canon in dance?
When the same movements overlap in time.
What is a choreographic approach?
The way in which a choreographer makes the 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 is Contrast in dance?
Movements or shapes that have nothing in common.
What does Control refer to in dance?
The ability to start and stop movement, change direction and hold a shape efficiently.
What is Coordination in dance?
The efficient combination of body parts.
What is a Costume in dance?
Clothing worn by dancers in performance.
What is Counterpoint in dance?
When dancers perform different phrases simultaneously.
What is Critical appreciation in dance?
Evaluation of dance based upon knowledge and understanding, including original insights.
What is a Dance film?
Where dance and film are both integral to a work; this includes documentary, animation, dance for camera and a screen adaption of a stage work.
What is Dance for camera?
Where the choreographer collaborates with (or is) the film-maker; where the intention is to produce a dance work in a multi-media form that cannot be achieved in live performance.
What is dance work in a multi-media form?
Dance work in a multi-media form that cannot be achieved in live performance.
What is dancewear?
What the dancer wears for class and rehearsal.
What does deceleration mean in dance?
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 ‘End-stage’?
A performance space with the audience on one side; also known as ‘end-on’.
What does ‘Episodic’ refer to in choreography?
A choreography with several sections, linked by a theme.
What is meant by ‘Execution’ in performance?
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’ mean in a physical context?
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 the focus in dance?
Use of the eyes to enhance performance or interpretative qualities.
What does form refer to in dance?
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?
Relating to ideas or concepts.
What is improvisation in dance?
Exploration or generation of movements without planning.
What does in-the-round mean in performance?
A performing area with the audience seated on all sides.
What is Intention?
Aim or desired outcome.
What is Interpretation?
Finding the meaning that is in the movement or finding the movement that is in the idea.
What is Isolation?
An independent movement of part of the body.
What does Kinaesthetic refer to?
Sensory perception (or awareness) of movement and position.
What are Levels in dance?
Distance from the ground: low, medium or high.
What is Lighting in a performance?
The illumination of the performance area.
What is a Logical sequence?
The flow of phrases or sections of a dance.
What is Manipulation of number?
How the number of dancers in a group is used.
What is Mental rehearsal?
Thinking through or visualising the dance.
What are Mental skills?
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?
The range of movement in a joint; the ability to move fluently from action to action.
What is a Motif?
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 in dance?
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?
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 in dance?
The presentation of dance to an audience.
What is personal performance?
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 in dance?
The way in which the energy is distributed in the execution of a movement phrase.
What are physical skills in dance?
Aspects enabling effective performance such as posture, alignment, balance, coordination, control, flexibility, mobility, strength, stamina, extension and isolation.
What is posture in dance?
The way the body is held.
What is professional work in dance?
Original choreography by an individual or company that is recognised nationally or internationally.
What does projection mean 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 does retrograde mean 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 eg verse and chorus.
What is safe execution in dance?
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 mean?
Awareness of and connection to other dancers.
What are dances designed for non-theatre spaces called?
Dances that are designed for (or relate to) non-theatre spaces.
What does ‘solo’ mean in dance?
One performer.
What is meant by ‘space’ 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.
What does staging/set refer to?
The presentation of dance in the performing space including set, furniture, props, projection and backdrop.
What is stamina in dance?
Ability to maintain physical and mental energy over periods of time.
What are stimulus/stimuli in dance?
Inspiration for an idea or movement.
What does strength refer to 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?
These include accuracy of action, timing, dynamic, rhythmic and spatial content and the reproduction of movement in a stylistically accurate way
What is ternary?
A composition in three parts
What is timing?
The use of time or counts when matching movements to sound and or another dancer
What are transitions
Links between dance phrases or sections
What is unison?
Two or more dancers performing the same movement at the same time
What is unity?
A sense of wholeness or harmony
What is visual?
Relations to sight
