49 Ballroom Dance Terminologies and Definitions for Beginners

Do you ever feel overwhelmed when you attend your ballroom dance class? There are so many new terms and steps to learn that it’s easy to feel lost.

In this post, we’ll define some of the most common ballroom dance terminologies, so you can feel confident participating in class.

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Common Ballroom Dance Terms and Definitions

Here are some of the most common ballroom dance terminologies:

Amalgamation

Mixing two or more patterns and movements.

Arm Styling

The movement or position of your arms defines style and character.

Axel

Jumping while landing on the same foot.

Ball Change

The act of transferring your weight from one foot to another.

Break

Refers to as simple as the music is stopped.

Body Rise

Bracing your leg’s muscles with relaxation afterward.

Bow–bending

Slightly toward the waist signifies respect and acknowledgment.

Center

The balance point of your body.

Closed position

Change Step

Three progressing steps are usually done with the basics of the box step.

Promenade position.

Chase

The act of running after your partner.

Close

An act as simple as putting your feet back together.

Cuban Motion

Shaking the hips while alternately bending and straightening the knees.

Shadow position

Curachas

Side breaks.

Dancer’s Compass

Dancers do need to follow some movement flows. This is actually the actual diagram where they study things out.

Dancing Position

Standing directly in front of your partner, only being a few inches apart.

Outside partner position

Fan

One foot freely makes a circular motion.

Feet Apart

Just opposite the Close position, separating both legs and feet.

Figure

A regulated pattern of the dance movement.

Open position

Flex

This is probably the best word on the list, which means relaxing a part of your body.

Floor Craft

A leader’s showmanship is that he can control the dance floor, and everyone gets to follow his or her instructions.

Flick

An act where the pointed toe and the flexed knee give a sharp kick backward.

Foot Rise

Using your ankle to elevate the body.

Frame

Body posture or the way you carry yourself.

Free Spin or Free Turn

Free-spirited independent turn.

Freeze

To stop any movements.

Holds

Partners do hold hands.

Inside Turn

The follower turns under the left or right arm of the leader.

Isolation

Everything on your body is frozen except for one part, per instructions.

Line of Dance

The counterclockwise flow of movements dominates the dance floor.

Link Step

Steps that combine two or more figures.

Lilt

Soft and down movement of feet.

Lunge

Transferring the weight of the bent leg to the other extended leg.

Natural Opposite

Copying your partner’s exact movement, except that you are doing it in the opposite direction.

Natural Turn

Smooth right turn.

Open Break

Both partners do break continuously.

Open-Facing Position

Both partners stand distantly from each other while maintaining eye contact.

Promenade Position

Imagine you and your partner standing on each of the ends of the letter V. This term instructs them to meet at the V’s center point.

Reverse turn

A left turn.

Rise and Fall

From the words themselves, this means immediately reaching for your toes after the jumping.

Rock

Forward-backward-forward movement of the body while having the feet apart.

Shine

Partners dance without physically connecting with each other.

Slide

Sliding the free foot towards the weighted one.

Slow

Taking more beats from the music.

Spotting

This is a spin technique. This technique allows you to focus on one spot until you can no longer do so. This would help with the dizziness.

Sway

Body’s movement toward left or right.

Syncopate

Injecting personal touch or creativity by adding or subtracting steps from the planned choreography.

Tap

Tap the floor lightly.

Tempo

The speed of the music.

Variation

Mutated steps derived from the common ballroom steps.

Wave

A series of links far from your partner.

Last update on 2023-05-24 /Affiliate Links / Source: Amazon

It may look like the longest list you would probably ever have to remember, but that is just the beginning.

No world-class ballroom dancer would ever have reached where he/she is now if he had never focused on studying the basic ballroom terminologies during his early career.

There would be times when you mix up these terminologies in your head.

Indeed, it can be overwhelming, but do not be frustrated.

You wouldn’t be the first person ever to feel the greater benefits ballroom has to bring because you chose to study ballroom dance terminologies.

As you continue, you’ll begin to see that your endurance, flexibility, creativity, and social connectivity flourish.

You’ll be surprised that your health is in good shape too.

People who are fascinated by ballroom dancing could see the dance floor as their playground or school.

They see it as their playground because they can do what makes them happy.

On the other hand, some view it as their school in that they can learn greater things and discipline as they continue their practice.

However, those just starting their journey may find it quite confusing, especially since there are several dance terminologies that only those acquainted with this practice understand.

Finally, you’ll also notice that your discipline and concentration are higher than they used to be.

Pedia, Wiki. “Glossary of Partner Dance Terms – Wikipedia.” Glossary of Partner Dance Terms – Wikipedia, 4 May 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_partner_dance_terms.

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Last update on 2023-05-14 /Affiliate Links / Source: Amazon

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