Subject Specific Vocabulary- set by AQA Flashcards
Agility
The ability to move quickly with ease and efficiency.
Alignment of the body
The optimum placement of and balance between joints in order to allow the body to move with ease and efficiency, removing unnecessary muscular tension and effort.
Appreciation
The ability to understand the worth of a dance/choreography and value its qualities and importance within the context of the art form; a recognition of aesthetic values.
Artistic intention
Artistic intention includes a knowledge and awareness of the purposes, characteristics and principles of the art form and how these contribute to the structuring of individual choreographic intention.
Aural setting
The aural choices the choreographer decides upon in the creation of a work, i.e. music, the spoken word, sound effects, natural sound, found sound, the audible aspects of dancing and silence.
Balance
The ability to maintain equilibrium over the base of support
Binary
An AB sectional structure. Section B provides the contrast to the opening section A.
Call and response
Similar to a conversation, the music or dance ‘calls’, the other ‘responds’
Cardiovascular endurance
The capacity to sustain continuous moderate-level exercise
Constituent features
The elements which a choreographer selects in order to manipulate, develop, and structure into a coherent whole, i.e. the three movement components, dancers, aural setting and physical setting.
Critical engagement
An objective and informed enquiry into both content and context, enabling the student to develop and articulate an in-depth knowledge and understanding of dance through time and location in relation to features of a specific genre(s).
Disassociation
Dance and music are created independently of each other and when performed share only time and space.
Direct correlation
Dance and music work together sharing the same time signature, tempo, phrasing and cadences
Dynamics
The variations in the expenditure of energy in relation to the action/motion of the body.
Embodiment
A tangible or visible form of a dance/choreographic idea, quality or feeling.
Emphasis
The accents provided by the dancer at different moments throughout the dance. The accents may relate for example to energy, space and timing.
Episodic
A series of sections presented by the choreographer. The sections can be self contained but when put together will illuminate the overarching theme of the choreographic work.
Static flexibility
The range of motion possible at a joint
Dynamic flexibility
The resistance of a joint to motion
Focus
The intensity and direction of the dancers eyeline, for example to a specific point in space, to a fellow performer or to the audience.
Genre
A broad classification of a dance type, for example Ballet, Modern dance, Jazz dance.
Holistic
The parts of study (i.e. performance and choreography/practical and theory) which will only be understood by reference to the whole
Kinaesthetic awareness
A developed perception of bodily movement by the dancer
Enhancement of mood and atmosphere
This relationship aids in the communication of theme. The dancers may not be using the musical rhythm or phrasing but the aural setting is helping to evoke the mood and/or atmosphere.
Muscular endurance
The ability to produce a force against a particular resistance repeatedly
Music visualisation
Dance which aims to clarify the music, using the structure and content as its base. The dance follows the rhythmic, melodic and harmonic lines in the music.
Musicality
An interpretation of the music’s structure, rhythm, mood and meaning by the dancer in performance.
Mutual coexistence
Dance and music are created independently of each other but may share the same tempo, theme or directive
Narrative
The music and dance express an idea or tell a story.
Neuromuscular coordination
The synchronous working of muscles during complex movements.
Physical skills
The skills required by a dancer to inform technique, for example strength, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance.
Practitioner
A person actively engaged within the art form of dance, for example a performer or choreographer.
Projection
The engagement of dancer’s whole self in the communication of he dance idea; a considered use of energy to attribute perceivable qualities to the movement content.
Rondo
An ABACADA structure/form. The repetition of ‘A’ provides the recurring theme whilst the other sections provide the variety and contrast.
Strength
The maximum force generated by a muscle against resistance in a single effort
Safe practice
A full understanding and awareness of procedures which need to be implemented in relation to the development of skills either in a class, rehearsal or performance environment.
Movement style
The specific choices and manipulation of the three movement components by a choreographer which when put together become a recurring and major element in the choreographic output
Choreographic style
The consistent choices a choreographer makes in relation to all elements of choreography, for example subject matter and its treatment, use of choreographic devices, structuring, dancers, aural setting and physical setting.
Subject matter
The theme(s), narrative and/or dance ideas associated with a specific piece of choreography
Technical skills
The skills acquired by the dancer in training in order to present clear and precise movement in performance, utilising an awareness of control, alignment and physical articulation in relation to a specific genre and/or style.
Ternary
An ABA structure/form which develops on from binary by providing a return to and reiteration of the opening statement. This is thus cyclic in nature.
Theme and variation
An A, A1, A2, A3, etc structure/form. A theme is stated at the outset of the dance and the subsequent sections are all variations of this theme. The initial theme is not necessarily re-stated in its original form.
