Reference
Dance glossary
The words teachers use, explained in plain language. No jargon for its own sake, just what each term means and where you'll come across it.
Accent
A beat or note in the music that is naturally emphasised.
Adjudicator
A qualified judge who evaluates couples during a DanceSport competition.
Alemana
A turning figure in Rumba and Cha Cha where the follower rotates under the leader's raised arm.
Alignment
The direction your body and feet face in relation to the room, used to describe and navigate figures.
Amount of turn
How much a figure rotates, measured as a fraction of a full turn, such as a quarter, half or three-quarter turn.
Balance
Staying poised over your own feet through a movement, so you can move on time and lead or follow without leaning on your partner.
Bar
A small, repeating group of beats in music; counting in bars is how dancers keep their steps lined up with the rhythm.
Basic step
The fundamental movement pattern of a dance, used as the foundation for learning more advanced figures.
Beat
The steady pulse of the music that you can tap your foot to; steps are timed to land on or between the beats.
Body action
The coordinated movement of the whole body that creates efficient, expressive dancing beyond simply moving the feet.
Body flight
The controlled movement of the body's centre through space before the feet fully arrive, creating smooth travelling actions.
Callback
Advancing from one round of a competition to the next after being selected by the judges.
CBMP
A position where the moving foot steps across the body's centre line while the opposite side of the body leads the movement.
Centre
The body's core area around the pelvis and torso, from which balance, movement and power are generated.
Cha Cha
One of the five International Latin dances: playful, in 4/4 time, recognised by its 2-3-cha-cha-cha rhythm, crisp footwork and Cuban motion.
Chassé
A quick side-together-side movement where one foot chases the other, used to travel smoothly across the floor.
Check
A controlled action that stops momentum before changing direction.
Closed position
The standard partner hold where the two dancers face each other in frame, slightly offset, and travel together.
Compression
A controlled storing of energy by slightly reducing space or flexing through the body or connection before releasing into movement.
Connection
The physical communication between partners through the points where they touch, which lets a lead be felt and followed.
Contra body movement
Turning the opposite side of the body toward the moving leg to begin a turn smoothly, the natural rotation behind most turning figures.
Count
The spoken numbers or rhythm used to organise steps within the music, such as “1-2-3” or “slow-quick-quick.”
Cross body lead
A figure where the leader opens a pathway, allowing the follower to pass across to the opposite side.
Cuban motion
The natural rotation of the hips created by proper weight transfer and leg action in Latin dances.
Cucaracha
A side-to-side weight transfer in Rumba and Cha Cha featuring characteristic hip action.
DanceSport
The competitive form of ballroom and Latin dancing, combining athletic performance, musicality, technique and artistic expression under standard rules.
Delayed weight transfer
Intentionally postponing the transfer of weight to create elasticity, expression and musical interpretation.
Drill
Repeating a movement or figure multiple times to improve consistency and technique.
Fan position
A common Latin position where partners stand at an angle to one another after separating from closed hold.
Feather step
A signature foxtrot figure where the leader steps outside the partner, giving the dance its smooth, curving, feather-like flow.
Figure
A recognised sequence of steps that forms a named movement within a dance, such as a Natural Turn or New Yorker.
Floorcraft
The skill of moving around a shared floor smoothly and safely, reading other couples and adjusting so nobody collides.
Follow
To follow is to receive the lead through the frame and complete each movement, responding to it rather than deciding it in advance.
Foot pressure
The controlled pressure applied through the foot into the floor, helping create balance, power and movement.
Footwork
Which part of the foot touches the floor and when, heel, ball, or toe, as you move through a step.
Frame
The stable shape a couple holds through the upper body and arms, and the connection they lead and follow through.
Heat
One group of couples dancing simultaneously during a competition round.
Heel turn
A turn made on the heel of one foot while the other foot closes to it, used in the smooth dances, especially by the follow in the foxtrot.
Hip action
The movement of the hips that develops naturally from correct foot pressure, leg action and weight transfer.
International Latin
One of the two main disciplines in DanceSport: five Latin dances combining rhythmic footwork, expressive body action, musicality and partner interaction.
International Standard
One of the two main disciplines in DanceSport: five ballroom dances performed primarily in closed hold while travelling counter-clockwise around the floor.
Jive
One of the five International Latin dances: fast and energetic, derived from swing, full of kicks, flicks, rock steps and quick footwork.
Lead
To lead is to propose the next movement through the frame so the partner can respond, while also setting the timing and steering around the floor.
Leg action
The coordinated bending and straightening of the legs that produces balance, movement and characteristic Latin technique.
Line of dance
The counter-clockwise direction around the edge of the ballroom that couples generally travel in during progressive dances.
Lock action
A Latin foot action where one foot crosses tightly behind or in front of the supporting foot while travelling.
Lock step
A travelling step where one foot crosses tightly behind or in front of the other and briefly 'locks', used to move quickly and lightly.
Lowering
The action of lowering from the balls of the feet through the ankles and knees before beginning the next movement.
Musicality
Dancing in a way that reflects the music, its rhythm, phrasing, and mood, not just its beat.
Natural turn
A turn that rotates to the right, clockwise, one of the two basic turning figures in the ballroom dances.
New Yorker
A Cha Cha and Rumba figure where partners open outward into opposing lunging actions before returning.
Open choreography
A routine that is not restricted to syllabus figures.
Open position
A hold where partners face each other with more space between them than in closed position, often joined by one or both hands.
Outside partner
A step taken to the side of the partner rather than between their feet, so the couple can keep travelling in a straight line.
Paso Doble
One of the five International Latin dances: dramatic, inspired by the Spanish bullfight, with powerful shaping and theatrical expression.
Phrase
A complete musical idea, often lasting eight bars, that dancers use to structure movement and expression.
Pivot
A turning action where one or both dancers rotate while keeping weight over a supporting foot.
Poise
The body's overall placement and projection over the feet, creating balance, elegance and freedom of movement.
Posture
The tall, balanced carriage that dancing starts from: lifted through the spine, shoulders down, weight poised over the feet.
Practice hold
Holding frame and posture while standing or moving slowly to improve body awareness and partner connection.
Pressure
The intentional use of energy through the feet or partner connection to create movement without pushing.
Promenade position
A V-shaped hold where both partners open out toward the same direction so the couple can travel side by side.
Quickstep
One of the five International Standard dances: lively, in 4/4 time, combining fast footwork, chassés, lock steps and light hopping actions.
Reverse turn
A turn that rotates to the left, anticlockwise, the mirror image of the natural turn.
Rhythm
The pattern of long and short sounds or beats that gives each dance its unique character.
Rise and fall
The smooth vertical movement, rising onto the balls of the feet and lowering again, that gives swing dances like the waltz their gliding quality.
Rumba
One of the five International Latin dances: slow and expressive, often called the dance of love, built on Cuban motion and delayed weight transfer.
Samba
One of the five International Latin dances: lively and Brazilian-inspired, in 2/4 time, with a distinctive bounce action and continuous travelling.
Settling
The lowering of one hip as weight fully arrives onto a supporting leg, a characteristic feature of Latin technique.
Shape
The visual lines created by the body through stretching, rotation and positioning to enhance movement and expression.
Slow Foxtrot
One of the five International Standard dances: smooth, in 4/4 time, known for effortless gliding movement, long travelling steps and controlled swing.
Solo practice
Practising dance technique without a partner to improve movement quality, balance and body awareness.
Spin turn
A strongly rotating figure, often following a natural turn, where the couple pivots and keeps turning to travel and change direction.
Spot turn
A turn performed largely in one place without travelling across the floor.
Straight leg action
A Latin technique where the supporting leg straightens after weight transfer, giving Cha Cha and Rumba their distinctive look.
Styling
The individual use of body movement, arm lines and expression to enhance the character of a dance while keeping correct technique.
Sway
The gentle sideways inclination of the body used to balance momentum through turns and shape the smooth ballroom dances.
Swing
The pendulum-like movement created by body flight and rise and fall in dances such as Waltz and Foxtrot.
Syllabus
The officially recognised list of figures and techniques permitted within a particular level of dancing.
Syncopation
Placing a step off the main beat, on an 'and' count, to add rhythm and variety to a dance.
Tango
One of the five International Standard dances: dramatic, in 2/4 time, with grounded movement, staccato actions and no rise and fall.
Tempo
The speed of the music, usually measured in beats per minute, which sets how fast a dance is danced.
Ten Dance
A DanceSport discipline where couples compete in all ten International Standard and Latin dances, demanding mastery of both techniques.
Timing
The relationship between your steps and the music, including exactly when movements begin and finish within each beat.
Topline
The long, elegant line of the head, neck, and upper body in the ballroom dances, held above a steady frame.
Tracking
Keeping the feet moving along consistent pathways to maintain balance and efficient movement.
Turn
A rotational movement performed by one dancer or a couple to change direction.
Underarm turn
A turn led by raising one arm to allow the partner to rotate underneath.
Viennese Waltz
One of the five International Standard dances: fast, in 3/4 time, built on continuous natural and reverse turns that flow around the floor.
Visualization
Mentally rehearsing movements, timing and technique without physically dancing.
Waltz
One of the five International Standard dances: graceful, in 3/4 time, known for continuous rise and fall, swing and smooth travel across the floor.
Weight transfer
Moving your body weight fully from one foot to the other, the basic unit that every step is built from.
Ready to see the terms in motion? Start with the dance guides or create a free account.