Click on the term to learn.

Anticipating
Premature action taken by the follower, before signal is given by the leader. <back to top>

Balance
The correct distribution of body weight between the feet or over the standing foot. <back to top>

Beat
(1) A steady and continuous pulse in the music, within which the rhythms are formed; (2) One single pulse of music. Beats are usually arranged into groups of 2, 3, or 4, called measures. <back to top>

Center
The place on the body just below the abdomen and above the groin. Balance is determined primarily by the placement of the center in relationship to the feet. <back to top>

Choreography
A compilation of movements which make up a dance or dance routine. <back to top>

Closed Position
(1) Specifically refers to the normal hold where lead and follow are in body contact, facing each other but slightly offset; (2) In the broader sense of the term, Closed Position (As opposed to Open Position) can be any variation of dance position where partners maintain body contact. <back to top>

Connection
(1) A means of communication between partners, either visually, or as an actual physical point of contact; (2) Tension applied to a physical point of contact through the manipulation of body weight toward or away from it. <back to top>

Downbeat
(1) Refers to the very beginning of each beat. If a measure is counted 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &... then the numbers 1,2,3, and 4 are considered to be the downbeats, while the "ands" are the Upbeats; (2) Refers to the strongest beats in each measure. In 4/4 music the downbeats are the 1 and the 3. (The upbeats are 2 and 4). <back to top>

East Coast Swing
A subset of Swing derived from Lindy Hop and Jitterbug. <back to top>

Floor Craft
The ability to maneuver around the dance floor in a skilled, controlled, and courteous manner. <back to top>

Frame
The relationship between the arms, upper body, and center. <back to top>

Hustle
A fast but smooth-moving dance which originated in the nightclubs of the 1970's disco era, as a modified version of swing. Hustle is noted for its fast and elaborate spins and turns, especially for the lady. It is also very easily adapted to crowded, nightclub dance floors. <back to top>

Jitterbug
(1) Vernacular term used to describe almost any swing dancing that was done to the big band jazz of the 30?s and 40?s; (2) Modern term describing a version of swing dance with a 6 beat basic, triple-steps, usually done to faster music. <back to top>

Kick-Ball-Change
A movement involving a small kick or flick of the lower leg, followed by a ball-change action. Usually taken in a syncopated rhythm, such as 1&2. <back to top>

Leading
Effective communication of intended actions on the part of the leader, through the use of his own body movements, and through one or more connections to his partner (physical and/or visual). <back to top>

Lindy / Lindy Hop
The grandfather of all forms of Swing, named after Charles Lindberg, and originating at the Savoy ballroom in the 1930's as a modified form of Charleston done in dance position. Lindy Hop is currently enjoying a revival with a new generation of swing clubs, musicians, and dancers. <back to top>

Measure
A unit of music representing a group of consecutive beats. The number of beats in a measure is measured by the time signature, and is determined by the ratio and relative strength of the naturally strong and weak beats occurring in the music. <back to top>

Merengue
An energetic Latin-style march which originated in the Dominican Republic, which emphasizes a straight-ahead 8-count rhythm taken with Cuban Motion. Merengue is now also a subset of the modern club-style Salsa dances. <back to top>

Musicality
The ability to hear and interpret music in a way that is both mechanically correct and artistically expressive. <back to top>

Open Position
Any dance position where lead and follow stand apart or slightly apart, without taking a closed position dance hold. <back to top>

Phrase
(1) A self-contained musical statement which has a definite beginning, middle and end ; A musical passage or sentence. In dance music, the length of the phrases is often consistent and predictable, (such as 2, 4, or 8 measures), but odd-measure phrases are not uncommon; (2) A self-contained piece of choreography that has a definite beginning, middle, and end ; A dance passage or sentence. Choreography is normally either phrased to fit specific musical passages, or to match common general song structures. <back to top>

Polka
A fast and lively Bohemian dance of Polish origin, danced to traditional German "oom-pah" music in 2-4 time. The basic movement is characterized by three steps and a hop. <back to top>

Posture
The positioning of the different body parts relative to one another. Good posture is achieved by vertically aligning the different "blocks of weight" of the body (head, shoulders, abdomen, and hips), allowing for the natural curve of the spine with minimal distortions. <back to top>

Rhythm
(1) The beat value or combination of beat values of the notes and accents in a given piece of music, musical phrase, melody, or note; (2) The underlying pulse created by the various musical and percussive instruments playing a piece of music; The beat. <back to top>

Rock Step
A shifting of weight back and forth from one foot to the other, in place. <back to top>

Rumba
A slow- to medium-tempo Latin American dance in 4/4 time, which is characterized by sensual, provocative movements and gestures, Latin-style hip motion, and playful and flirtatious interplay between lead and follow. <back to top>

Salsa
A popular Latin nightclub dance which evolved as a modified form of Mambo. <back to top>

Slow Dancing
A free-form type of social dancing to slow ballad or blues music. Slow dancing has no pre-determined basic steps or stylistic interpretation, although it is typically characterized by a compact dance hold or even a full embrace, with dancers swaying back and forth in a slow, steady rhythm. <back to top>

Syncopate
To deviate from rhythmic expectation. <back to top>

Tango
Social dance originating in Argentina, which enjoyed a Golden Age roughly parallel to the evolution of Lindy Hop in the United States. <back to top>

Tempo
The speed of a dance or a piece of music, measured in measures per minute or beats per minute. <back to top>

Triple Step
A series of three consecutive steps, usually syncopated within two beats of music. <back to top>

Waltz
A ballroom style dance in 3/4 time which first developed in Vienna as a fast paced dance to Strauss and other music of the time, and later developed into the Slow Waltz and Contra Waltz. Many folk traditions have a form of Waltz, and most are still danced today. <back to top>

West Coast Swing
A slotted swing dance in 4/4 time, characterized by its smooth and linear style. The basic step of West Coast Swing is the Sugar Push. <back to top>