placement of bones in such a way that increases physiological effectiveness and health. Depending on the dance genre, the alignment can vary according to its specific aesthetic goals. Read the definitions for 'Correct alignment', 'Body placement' or 'Stance' below to expand.

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the basic unit used to measure time in both the choreographic and musical language. It is the pulse that occurs repeatedly with a certain frequency. When dancing, beats are what we count… like five, six, seven, eight! (bet you know this…). Five, six, seven, eight are the last four beats of a choreographic phrase of eight beats. Visit our page for contemporary dance music to listen to some examples and expand your understanding.

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this is an expression that we use in dance to talk about the way in which we carry our body (our selves), including the positioning and alignment of big bones (like the pelvis or spine), limbs and head as well as the micro organizations of muscles that are responsible for their positioning. Usually, every dance genre or style has its own body placement, which facilitates its technical execution and makes up the particular style.

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dancers use this word with the same meaning as musicians. It defines a compositional structure in which one same choreographic fragment is executed by several dancers who space it out in time (usually with regular intervals). Rudolph Laban identified four main types of canon used in dance: the regular canon (dancers start and end one after another), the starting canon (only the beginning of the fragment is stepped), the ending canon (only the end of the fragment is stepped), the simultaneous canon (dancers start at the same time but each one starts the fragment at a different point).

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artist who creates with the movement of humans as material. In dance terms though, a contemporary dance choreographer is usually considered as a general director of scenic art pieces that include several aesthetic languages (music, visual fine arts, architecture…), all under his creative judgment.

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term introduced by the modern dancer and choreographer Martha Graham as one of the key elements of her own dance technique. It refers to the forward curving of the spine, starting from the pelvic zone.

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this word is used to classify and differentiate types of dance in the broader way. For example, contemporary dance, classical western dance (ballet), and folk dances are three genres of dance.

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it is said of a dancer that has a good sense of gravity, i.e. efficient use of her/his body’s weight.

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: this is the action of dancing without defining movement previously; the dancer does not know what s/he will execute but moves spontaneously and freely, in opposition to composed dance, where the dancer memorizes choreography.

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imaginary space that surrounds the human body. It has a spherical shape and its size is determined by the maximum space reached by limbs in any possible direction.

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this is a word that comes from the language of aerobics and it is used by some dancers to name a movement in which you transfer the weight forward, and put half of it (or more) on one leg that advances and bends; the leg behind may stay extended or may bend too. It is like going to a wide fourth position (as we call it in dance), with legs in parallel or in a turnout position.

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this is a word that is most commonly used within the dance composition speech. It refers to a small choreographic unit (a gesture, movement or phrase) that is the main reference from which a bigger choreography (or dance piece) is built and composed.

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ability to perceive music and integrate it to the execution of dance.

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short choreographic fragment that has an intention and feeling of a beginning and an end. Phrases are commonly constructed by following rhythmic patterns (like for example the popular dancing phrase of eight beats) but they can also be defined just by means of their moves or dynamics.

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name given to a training method developed and used by contemporary dancers since the second half of the XXth century. Its main characteristic is described by its name: the dancer emphasizes on releasing the muscular tension, in order to achieve a most efficient expense of energy. This is complemented with a postural organization composed of ‘proper alignment, placement of breath and carrying of weight’ which intend to give the dancer the ability to use gravity while moving instead of muscular force.

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when a group of dancers perform the same choreography at the same time. It opposes to other forms of group timings like the canon, the counterpoint, the dialogue mode and so forth. The word is also used by musicians with the same meaning.

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this word is mostly used by ballet dancers and refers to a dance excerpt for a soloist, which makes part of a bigger ballet. The word is also used in an informal way to name short dances or choreographies that are part of a dancing class or of a compositional process.

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Name the dance movement here.

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