This document provides an overview of various dance terminology. It discusses popular dance types like ballet, jazz, hip hop, and tap. It also outlines three traditional dances: ballet, modern dance, and folk dance. The document defines key ballet terms like port de bras and explains that choreographers use notation systems like Benesh Movement Notation to document dance movements on paper. It concludes by noting that dance is taught through rhythm, counts, and repetition of basic movements.

1. Dance Terminology
Pat Miller

2. Popular Types of Dance (1)
• Ballet
• Jazz
• Hip Hop
• Lyrical
• Tap
• Ballroom
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3. Traditional Dances (3)
• In general, most dances follow three traditional dances
• Ballet
• Modern Dance
• Folk Dance
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4. Ballet (3)
• “Ballet comprises what can be
called classical, or formal,
dance; it is rich in tradition and
rests heavily on a set of
prescribed movements and
actions.”
• “Ballet is a highly theatrical
dance.”
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5. Modern Dance (3)
• “This label is given to a broad variety of
highly individualized dance works limited to
the twentieth century, essentially American
in derivation, and antiballetic in
philosophy.”
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6. Folk Dance (3)
• “A body of group dances
performed to traditional
music.”
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7. Popular Terms
• Rhythm- “movement or procedure with
uniform or patterned recurrence of a
beat, accent, or the like.”(2)
• Mimetic- “Movements associate with
people or animals.” (3)
• Pantomime- “Acting out of dramatic
action without words.” (3)
• Setting- “Stage designs.” (3)
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8. Ballet Terms (3)
• Port de bras
• “The technique of moving the arms correctly.”
• Grande Seconde
• “Variation on second position in which the leg is elevated in the
demihauteur.”
• Demihauteur
• “Half-height.”
• Ronds de jambe a terre
• “Rotating the leg from knee to and including the foot in a semi-circle.”
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9. Other Terms
• Most dancing terms differ depending on the type of dance. Each
style of dance has their own set of terms for their positions and
movements.
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10. Choreographer
• “A person who creates dance compositions and plans and arranges
dance movements and patterns for dances and especially for
ballets.” (4)
• A way for choreographers to track movement is by tracking the
motions on paper. In ballet, choreographers use a short hand
called Benesh Movement Notation. (5)
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11. Benesh Movement Notation
• “Devised by Rudolf and Joan
Benesh and first published in
1956, Benesh Movement
Notation (BMN) provides an
accurate three-dimensional
representation of ballet (and
dance) movement; it’s a
shorthand devised for
recording ballet & dance on
paper.” (5)
• Picture provided by website balletnews.co.uk. Picture is an example of the short hand.
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12. BMN-How to…. 12

13. How is dance taught?
• Dance is a basic movement taught through
rhythm and counts. Most dancers start
with basic movements to teach their body
rhythm and to strengthen core muscles.
Dancers are taught on an 8 count scale.
This scale is repeated for each set of
movements. This counting system makes it
easier for dancers to align their
movements so that the dance is done
simultaneously.
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14. Summary
• Dance is a compilation of various movements that tell a story.
Each movement is meant to not only give the audience a sense of
pleasure but the dancer as well.
• Choreographers work hard to master a craft and then translate it
through movements of others. Each choreographer has a different
style but similar ways of translating each movement with a
standard shorthand documentation.
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15. Quiz Questions
• What is the shorthand writing system called that is used by the Ballet?
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• What is a variation of second position?
• Benesh Movement Notation
• Grande Seconde
• Name the 3 traditional dances
• Ballet
• Modern Dance
• Folk Dance

16. Works Cited
1. http://dance.about.com/od/typesofdance/u/DanceStyles.htm
2. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rhythm
3. “Perceiving the Arts.” Sporre, Dennis J. Seventh Edition
4. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/choreographer
5. http://balletnews.co.uk/ballet-news-dancing-on-paper/
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWAlQoduBjU
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