This document defines common dance terminology used across different dance styles. It provides over 30 terms related to positions and movements of the arms, hands, feet, and body including bows, sets, do-si-dos, pivots, stamps, steps, and arm positions like bilao and reverse T. Common formation structures like cabeceras and costados are also defined.

2. DANCE TERMS COMMON TO ALL DANCES
• 1. BOW/ SALUDO- PARTNERS BOW TO EACH OTHER, TO OPPOSITE
PARTNER,OR TO THE AUDIENCE. THIS IS OF SPANISH ORIGIN.
• 2. CABECERAS- THE COUPLE OCCUPYING THE WIDTH OF THE DANCING
HALL IN A SQUARE FORMATION. THEY ARE THE HEAD COUPLES.
• 3. COSTADOS- COUPLES OCCUPYING THE LENGTH OF THE DANCING HALL IN
A SQUARE FORMATION. THEY ARE THE SIDE PAIRS.
• 4. DO- SI- DO – TWO PEOPLE WALK TOWARDS EACH OTHER, PASS BY THEIR
RIGHT SHOULDERS, STEP SIDEWARD TO THE RIGHT, AND WALK
BACKWARD PASSING BY THE LEFT SHOULDERS TO ORIGINAL POSITION.
• 5. DRAW- TO PULL ONE FOOT ALONG THE FLOOR CLOSE TO THE OTHER
WHICH HAS THE WEIGHT OF THE BODY. THE WEIGHT MAY OR MAY NOT BE
TRANSFERRED.

3. •6. PLACE – TO PUT THE FOOT FLAT ON THE FLOOR IN ANY
DESIRED POSITION WITHOUT PUTTING WEIGHT ON IT.
•7. SET- A UNIT FORMATION OF TWO OR MORE COUPLES.
•8. FREE FOOT- THE FOOT NOT BEARING THE WEIGHT OF
THE BODY.
•9. FREE HAND – THE HAND NOT PLACED ANYWHERE OR
NOT DOING ANYTHING.
•10. HANDS ON WAIST – PLACE HANDS AT THE WAIST
LINE, KNUCKLES IN, FINGERS POINTING REAR.
•11. INSIDE FOOT – THE FOOT NEAREST ONE’S PARTNER,
WHEN PARTNERS ARE STANDING SIDE BY SIDE

4. •12. INSIDE HAND – THE HAND NEAREST ONE’S PARTNER,
WHEN PARTNERS ARE STANDING SIDE BY SIDE
•13. PARTNER – GIRL AT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BOY AND
BOY AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BOY
•14. OUTSIDE FOOT – THE FOOT AWAY FROM ONE’S
PARTNER, WHEN PARTNERS ARE STANDING SIDE BY SIDE
•15- OPPOSITE – THE PERSON/ PARTNER ACROSS THE SET.
•16. CLOCKWISE- LIKE THE MOTION OF THE HANDS OF THE
CLOCK. RIGHT SHOULDER IS TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE
IMAGINARY CIRCLE.
• 17. COUNTERCLOCKWISE- THE REVERSE DIRECTION OF CLOCKWISE.
LEFT SHOULDER IS TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE IMAGINARY
CIRCLE.

5. COMMON TERMS FOR ARMS AND HANDS MOVEMENTS
1.ABRASETE- GIRL AT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BOY, HOLDS HIS RIGHT ARM
WITH HER LEFT HAND,FREE HANDS DOWN AT SIDES.
2.BILAO- HANDS IN FRONT PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AT WAIST LEVEL,
ELBOWS CLOSE TO THE WAIST, PALMS DOWN. REVERSE THE POSITION OF
THE HANDS WITH PALMS UP AND DOWN ALTERNATELY.
3.HAYON- HAYON- A VISAYAN TERM MEANING TO PLACE ONE FOREARM IN
FRONT AND THE OTHER HAND BEHIND THE WAIST.
4.JALEO- IN STANDING POSITION, PARTNERS ARE SIDE BY SIDE FACING THE
OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, ELBOWS ARE ALMOST TOUCHING EACH OTHER.
USING WALKING OR ANY DANCE STEP, THEY TURN AROUND ONCE
CLOCKWISE OR COUNTERCLOCKWISE.
5.KUMINTANG- MOVING THE HAND FROM THE WRIST EITHER IN A
CLOCKWISE OR COUNTERCLOCKWISE.

6. • 6. MASIWAK- TO TURN THE HAND FROM THE WRIST EITHER IN A
CLOCKWISE OR COUNTERCLOCKWISE DIRECTION.
• 7. ARMS IN LATERAL POSITION- TO PLACE BOTH ARM ON ONE SIDE OF THE
BODY EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT SIDE. IT CAN BE DONE ON CHEST, SHOULDERS
OR WAIST LEVELS.
• 8. PATAY- TO BEND THE HEAD DOWNWARD AND TO SUPPORT THE
FOREHEAD WITH THE R(L) FOREARM OR WITH THE CROOK OF THE ELBOW.
THIS IS DONE WITH KNEES SLIGHTLY BENT FORWARD AND OTHER FOOT IS
IN POINTING IN REAR POSITION. SEEN IN ILOCANO DANCES.
• 9. SALOK- TO SCOOP OR SWING THE ARM DOWNWARD- UPWARD IN
FRONT OF THE BODY, THE TRUNK FOLLOWING THE MOVEMENT OF THE
SCOOPING ARM.TAGALOG TERM.
• 10. SAROK- CROSS THE R(L) IN FRONT OF THE R(L) FOOT,BEND THE BODY
SLIGHTLY FORWARD AND CROSS THE HANDS DOWN IN FRONT R(L) OVER
L(R). THIS IS A VISAYAN TERM.

7. • 11. ARMS IN REVERSE “T” – ARMS ARE SIDE HORIZONTAL, ELBOWS
BENT AT RIGHT ANGLES, FOREARMS PARALLEL TO HEAD, PALMS
FORWARD OR FACING INWARD, FIST LOOSELY CLOSED.
• 12. CROSS ARMS – PARTNERS ARE FACING EACH OTHER OR
STANDING SIDE BY SIDE, THEY JOIN LEFT AND RIGHT HANDS
TOGETHER.
• 13. HAPAY- TO FLOURISH OR OFFER A HANDKERCHIEF, HAT OR
GLASS OF WINE TO SOMEBODY AS A SIGN OF INVITATION.
• 14. STAR WITH RIGHT HAND- FOUR OR MORE PEOPLE JOIN R HANDS
AT CENTER AND CIRCLE AROUND CLOCKWISE USING WALKING OR
ANY KIND OF DANCE STEPS.
• 15. STAR WITH LEFT HAND- SAME WITH STAR WITH RIGHT HAND,
BUT JOINING LEFT HANDS AND TURNING COUNTERCLOCKWISE.

8. COMMON FEET MOVEMENT
1.HEEL PLACE- TO BRING DOWN THE HEEL ON THE FLOOR WITHOUT
TRANSFER OF BODY WEIGHT.
2.PANADYAK- TO STAMP THE FOOT IN FRONT OR AT THE SIDE,
CLOSE THE SAME FOOT TO L(R) FOOT, WEIGHT OF THE BODY IS ON
THE L(R) .
3.PIVOT- TURNING THE BALL, HEEL OF ONE OR BOTH FEET ON A
FIXED PLACE. THERE ARE PIVOT WITH A POINT, PIVOT TURN, AND
CROSS PIVOT.
4.PLACE- TO BRING DOWN THE FOOT ON THE FLOOR WITHOUT
TRANSFER OF BODY WEIGHT.

9. • 5. POINT- TO TOUCH THE FLOOR WITH THE TOES ON THE FOOT,
HEELS SLIGHTLY RAISED. NO TRANSFER OF BODY WEIGHT.
• 6. SLIDE- TO GLIDE THE FOOT FORCIBLY ON THE FLOOR WITH OR
WITHOUT TRANSFER OF BODY WEIGHT.
• 7. STAMP- TO BRING DOWN ONE FOOT FORCIBLY ON THE FLOOR
WITH OR WITHOUT TRANSFER OF BODY WEIGHT.
• 8. STEP- TO ADVANCE OR RECEDE BY RAISING OR MOVING ONE FOOT
TO ANOTHER RESTING PLACE. THERE IS A COMPLETE TRANSFER OF
BODY WEIGHT. FROM ONE FOOT TO ANOTHER.
• 9. TAP- TO RAP SLIGHTLY WITH THE BALL OR TOE OF THE FREE FOOT,
FLEXING THE ANKLE JOINT KEEPING WEIGHT OF THE BOGY ON THE
OTHER FOOT. THERE IS NO CHANGE OR TRANSFER OF WEIGHT.

10. •10. TOUCH- TO PUT DOWN THE TOES OF ONE FOOT ON THE
FLOOR, HEELS SLIGHTLY RAISED.
•11. WHIRL- TO MAKE A FAST TURN BY EXECUTING SMALL
STEPS IN PLACE OR TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT.
•12. BRUSH- WEIGHT ON ONE FOOT, HIT THE FLOOR WITH THE
BALL OR HEEL OF THE OTHER FOOT AFTER WHICH THAT THE
FOOT IS LIFTED FROM THE FLOOR TO ANY DIRECTION.
•13. CUT- TO DISPLACE QUICKLY ONE FOOT WITH THE OTHER,
THUS COMPLETELY TAKING OFF THE WEIGHT