Lexicon of dance words
(c) Carole Edrich, 2005, 2006,
2007
| Bailaora | - Dancer | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance |  |
| Baile | - Dance | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Balboa | - An eight-count swing dance that developed in the 1930s and 1940s in a ballroom on Balboa Island off the California coast. It incorporates very rapid footwork with very little upper body movement and the fun comes from the subtle communication conveyed between Lead and Follow through their touching torsos (normally chests) | swing dance |  |
| Balkan folk dance | - A general term for a wide variety of dances that come from Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Western Turkey. They generally follow a pattern without needing a partner | Balkan,folk dance | |
| Bata de Cola | - Flamenco skirt with long trail | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Bulerías |
- A very fast Palos distinguished by its very quick meter. It allows considerable improvisation. It has the same meter as the Soleá but is much faster. The meter is 123456789101112 or 123456789101112 |
Flamenco, Spanish dance | |
| Cante | - Song | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Ceilidh | - The literal translation of Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) is 'visit'. It's an informal social gathering usually managed by a Caller (who calls out the pattern and steps of each dance) for Irish or Scottish singing, folk dancing and story telling | Celtic, Celtic dance, folk dance, Irish dance, Scottish dance, | |
| Compás | - Rhythm(s) | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Contemporary dance | - Characterised by its versatility, Contemporary can be danced to almost any style of music or melded with other dance forms to create new styles and is a collection of systems and methods developed from Modern and Postmodern dance | Contemporary dance | |
| Contra tiempo | - Counter-rhythm | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Escobilla | – Solo | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Falseta | - The solo guitar playing that transitions between differrent parts of the song | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Flamenco | - Traditional dance in Southern Spain it can be traced back to a fusion of Gypsy and Andalucian traditions and is comprised principally of guitarra (guitar playing), cante (song) and baile (dance) which all interact with each other during the dance | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Flamenco Family Tree | - Diagrammatic representation of the origins of aspects of flamenco | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance |  |
| Guitarra | - Guitar playing | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Jive | - Originating among African Americans in the early 1940s, Jive is now an international competitive Swing dance. Danced mainly on the toes to lively single time music and triple steps, it still contains elements of the Lindy Hop and Jitterbug | Swing | |
| Juerga | - Literally a party (Spanish). In Spain a Flamenco Juerga provides the opportunity for anyone to show what they can do and improvisation is encouraged | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Llamada | - The call; used as a signal to the guitarist that the dancer wants to make a change | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Keet, Dame Marina | - Recognised by the King of Spain for her services to Spanish Dance, she was a founder member of the Spanish Dance Societ. Currently President of SDS Europe she was creator of the first comprehensive syllabus on Spanish Dance |
Flamenco,People, Spanish, Spanish dance |
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| Morris dancing | - Much older than Rapper Dancing, Morris is usually danced outside. Choreographed figures are performed by a group of rhythmically stepping dancers who may also wield swords, pipes or handkerchiefs | English country dance | |
| Palmas | - Clapping. Literally “palms of the hand” | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Palos | – Rhythmical form or style of flamenco. A kind of subset of flamenco, each is recognisable through its rhythm, accent and speed | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance |
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| Programme | - A portfolio of projects, planned and managed in a coordinated and structured manner that aims to achieve a strategic goal | General | |
| Project | - A specific suite of work aimed at aquiring a specific product, unique outcome or series of outcomes that should be aligned to a specific business case to ensure viability | General | |
| Quadrille | - A dance performed by four couples in a square formation. It originated in the courts of Europe and was danced in Jamaica by the gentry during the time of slavery and can be split into Ballroom (European) and Camp (Creole) styles | Ballroom dance, Camp / Creole | |
| Rapper dance | - A linked-sword dance originating in pubs and taverns in Northumberland and Durham. Five people form a chain through connections by short, two-handled flexible swords (rappers) and the dance is characterised by jigs and rapid running steps. The more athletic performers jump or somersault as they weave in and out, twisting the swords to form locks and breastplates | English country dance | |
| Remate | - Usually the last phases of a verse or dance, it indicates that the flash footwork is finished. Literally “end” or “conclusion” | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Salida | - Exit | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Salsa | - A Latin American couples dance that evolved from a number of Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances, with a six-eight pattern. Even though the music is very distinctive it is still possible to identify early influences of the slave dance són | Latin American, Latin dance, Salsa | |
| Seguirías |
- A solemn dance with matching cante, this stylised dance is comprised by light zapateados. It is often danced with castanets, bata de cola or a shawl. The meter is 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Also known as seguiriya, siguerilla, siguiriya and seguiría |
Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Seguiriya | See Seguirías | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Sevillanas | - A traditional and very popular folk dance that has evolved from the seguidilla and aquired some flamenco features. It is danced in pairs in 3/4 time and the meter is 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Silencio | – Literally “silence”, in dancing used to describe part of the dance where there is no guitar accompaniment and the speed of footwork increases | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Siguerilla | See Seguirías | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Siguiriya | See Seguirías | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Soleá |
A basic and very popular slow, solemn and melodic paso of flamenco.The meter is 123456789101112 or 123456789101112 Also known as soleares |
Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Soleares | See Soleá | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Taconeo | - Footwork | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Tacón | – “Heel”, used as an instruction in flamenco dance | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Tango | - A social dance originating in Buenos Aires and Montevideo in the late nineteenth century. It began in bars and brothels, travelled to Paris and then to America where the stereotypical image of the dance first manifested. Its purest form is considered to be that of Argentine Tango | Ballroom dance, Latin American, Latin dance, Tango |
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| Vuelta | - Literally return, a turn or change. Often used in flamenco and Spanish dance to mean a turn. | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance | |
| Zapateado | – Footwork, literally shoework | Flamenco, Spanish, Spanish dance |
(c) Carole Edrich, 2005, 2006,
2007