Neighbour
The nearest person of opposite gender other than partner, usually immediately to your side. It can also be that irritating person who has a barking dog and ignores it, or the creepy person who peers through the fence hole when you are trying to sunbathe. The latter two are known as 'bad' neighbours.
Open Position
A swingers favourite position. With regards to dance though…partners stand side-by-side and join inside hands, generally facing LOD (Line of Dance).
Open Promenade
Right- The couple are in Open Dance Position. The lady is to the right of the man. The lady's left hand is held in the man's right. They are facing the same direction, both traveling down the line of dance (LOD).
Left- The couple are in Open Dance Position. The lady is to the left of the man. The lady's right hand is held in the man's left. They are facing the same direction, both traveling down the line of dance (LOD).
Pas de Basque
This is a fancy French name for a two-step moving sideways. The timing is exactly the same. To Pas de Basque left, leap onto the left foot, cross the right foot over in front of the left foot and momentarily, while in mid-air and breathing comfortably, take the weight on it, then quickly step on the left foot in place. To Pas de Basque right, reverse the above.
Pivot
A turn on the ball of the weighted foot up to a maximum of 1/2 turn or 180°.
Plié
A movement in which the knees are bent while the back is held straight.
Point
Pointing is rude. Don't do it. However, if you insist, you may touch the floor with the pointed toes without taking weight. The toe may touch backward, sideward, forward or across in the front of the supporting foot. Pointing and giggling is even more rude.
Polka
This is a springy two-step, preceded by a hop on the supporting foot on the up-beat.
Promenade
From Closed dance position, the man and the lady step forward in a "V" position down the line of dance. See Open Promenade
Quadrille
Four couples standing on the sides of a square and facing the center of the set, ladies on the right of their partners. The couples are usually numbered in the order in which they take the lead in the dance. The top couple is couple 1, the bottom couple is couple 2, the couple to the right of the top couple is couple 3 and the remaining couple is couple 4. Sometimes other couple numbering is used for a particular dance.
Quick, Quick
A majority of men's approach to foreplay and sexual intimacy (image not available on this website). On the dance floor, however, it is represented by a "Double Rhythm Unit" which is 2 steps to 2 beats of music. In 4/4 time a "Quick Quick" would be 2 steps to 2 beats of music (stepping on each beat) and a Slow would be 1 step to two beats of music (stepping on the first beat).
Raks Sharki
Belly dance or Oriental dance. It’s one of the world’s oldest dance forms. Common throughout the Middle East and North Africa and recently gained in popularity throughout the west.
RLOD
Refers to the "Reverse Line of Dance" or "Reverse Line of Direction", typically meaning to face and moving CW (clockwise) around the room and sometimes referred to as "Back" or "Backward."
Rolling Turn
A 3/4 to full turn, while progressing in any given direction usually requiring 3 to 4 steps. It can also happen when you are not paying attention on the dance floor, and can be rather embarrassing.
Samba
This Brazilian dance was first introduced in 1917 but was finally adopted by Brazilian society in 1930 as a ballroom dance. It is sometimes referred to as a Samba, Carioca, a Baion or a Batucado. The difference is mostly in the tempo played since the steps in all three dance are very similar. The style is to bounce steadily and smoothly in 2/4 meter. The Samba was introduced in the United States in 1939 by the late Carmen Miranda.
Schottische
Sounds like someone who has had too many mixers and is referring to a native from Scotland. It involves three steps followed by a hop on the supporting foot. On the hop, the free foot may execute a swing. It is danced in even rhythm, and may be executed forward, backward, sideward or turning. On the second step, the free foot may be closed to the supporting foot, or may move past the supporting foot before taking the weight.
Scissors
Spring to the right foot as the left foot kicks forward then spring to the left foot as the right foot kicks forward. The body weight usually rests on the back foot but can rest on the front or both feet. You spring on the spot and the legs alternately kick forward and may touch the ground with the toe, heel or whole foot. The scissors appear in many rhythms.
Semi-closed Position
From a closed position, both dancers turn to face forward around the room, maintaining the same arm and hand positions.
Shadow Position
Both partners face the same general direction, one of them squarely behind or slightly shifted sideways ("in the shadow"). Sometimes referred to as "skaters position."
Shag
A word that was made popular again by the Austin Power's films. The meaning is not able to be published on this website. Neither should it be confused with the Carolina Shag, which is a slow laid back type of Swing that became popular in the late 30s along with the Jitterbug and Lindy Hop. The dance was done to up-tempo Swing or Foxtrot music and was instantly recognizable by the flicking of the feet backwards with a pronounced hopping action.
Shimmy
Started as an African-American dance of the late 1880's. It is a shaking of the shoulders and a whole body. First recreated by Gilda Gray.
Shoulder Hold
A row of dancers (usually men because they don't like holding hands) side by side, with arms straight and hands on the shoulders of neighbours.
Siding
Two dancers face, and dance forward and back, passing left shoulders as they dance forward (turn to left on 3rd step to continue facing partner), and right shoulders as they return (turn to right on third step).
Single Circle
All dancers stand in a circle, either with or without hands joined, and regardless of sex or sexual orientation. Variations: circles consists of couples, with lady on the man's right; dancers face center; dancers face clockwise; dancers face anti/counter-clockwise; dancers face out (backs to center)... You get the idea!
Slipping or Sliding
Something very easy to do when dancing on a newly finished floor! This is a step to the right or left, with the leading foot followed by the other foot closing to it and taking weight. The tempo is quick and uneven, with the leading foot moving quickly to the side after the trailing foot has closed. The feet remain near the floor and the legs are only slightly separated. The leading foot lands on the accented beat and the trailing foot takes the weight only long enough to move the free foot out to the side again.
Square Dance
An American folk dance with an even number of couples forming a square, two lines, or a circle. The dance is comprised of figures announced by a caller.
Straight Hey
No such thing. (See Irish Hey)
Strathspey
A slow Scottish dance coming from the name of the valley of the Spey River in Scotland, danced in four-four time. It is similar to the British hornpipe, but slower and more stately.
Supporting Leg
A term used by dancers and teachers for the leg which supports the body so that the working leg is free to execute a given movement; a little like a supporting actor.
Sway
A tilt of the chest to the side, without lowering the torso or stretching from the side upwards.
Sword Dance
One of the three chief English dances of Medieval times. It was a ritualistic and ceremonial drama danced by men with swords and elaborate costumes while parading through the streets. It depicted the death of the old year, of Winter, and of scarcity. It heralded in the New Year, with hope of Spring and plenty. To symbolize the death of Winter, someone must always "die" and be brought to life again as a portrayal of death and resurrection.
Tarantella
A rapid Italian whirling dance originating in southern Italy in the 19th century from the seaport "Taranto." It was so named because it was thought to be a cure for tarantism. See "tarantism."
Tarantism
A psychological
illness characterized by an extreme impulse to dance, prevalent in
Southern Italy from the 15th to the 17th century, and widely
believed at the time to have been caused by the bite of a tarantula.
Tcherkessia
Step right foot forward, step left foot in place, step right foot backward, step left foot in place.
Half Tcherkessia:
Step right foot forward, step left foot in place.
Double Tcherkessia:
Step right foot across in front of left foot, step left foot in place, close right foot to left
foot. Step left foot across in front of right foot, step right foot in place, close left foot to right foot.
Texas Two-Step
A fast
traveling dance with many turns and normally danced to country music
with
a tempo range of 170-200 beats per minute. The basic step is
like walking, except the timing is quick, quick, slow, slow.
Turkey Trot
What turkeys do
as Thanksgiving arrives to escape a most certain death. The Turkey
Trot was also a dance done to fast ragtime music popular in
the decade from 1900 to 1910 such as Scott Joplin's Maple
Leaf Rag, etc. The basic step consisted of four hopping steps
sideways first on one leg, then the other. It achieved popularity
chiefly as a result of its being denounced by the Vatican.
The dance was embellished with scissor-like flicks of the feet
and fast trotting actions with abrupt stops.
Twist
This dance was written
by an African American musician in Georgia in 1958. He and his
band members made up some twisting movements for the musicians
to do while playing the music. Then in 1960, Chubby Checker
made his first twist record, and made the Twist famous in
Philadelphia. Twist came to New York via Philadelphia and New Jersey
and then spread throughout most countries.
Two-Step
A step
with one foot, followed by a closing of the other foot, and again a
step with the originating
foot. (Left, right, left or Right, left, right). To confuse
matters, it may be danced forward, backward, sidewards, or while
turning. The rhythm is quick-quick slow, quick-quick slow.
V-Hold
A row or circle of dancers, side by side, with arms sloping down and hands joined with neighbours. There
is a slight gap between dancers so that arms look like the letter "V", otherwise it would be called a "W" hold!
Varsouvienne
Couples stand side-by-side, left hands joined in front of man's body
(man's palm up), with man's
right arm behind partner's shoulders and holding partner's
right hand above her right shoulder. Lady's right hand faces forward
with the back of the hand resting against man's palm.
Village Variations
When you screw-up royally and you don't want anyone to know, you claim that in your "village" the dance is done like you just did it. A form of relieving embarrassment.
W-Hold
A row or
circle of dancers, side by side, with elbows bent and hands joined with
neighbours at shoulder
height. Hands are slightly forward, creating a formation that
looks like the letter "W", otherwise, it would be called a "V"
hold!
Waltz
Three
steps in which the free foot is closed to the supporting foot on the
third step. It is danced in
even time, but with either three or six steps to the measure.
It may be danced forward, backward, sideward, or while turning.
Seldom is it done upside down!
Weight
You may hear it said
either, "No weight", "no body weight", "full
weight", etc. Weight refers the position a dancer finds
him/her-self at the end of the step. The dancer's center of
gravity is directly over the support foot. A simple test for a
full weight transfer is that you can freely lift the second
foot off the floor. Over-weight is a curse of the American
culture. Dead-weight is usually the result of 'over-weight.' Both
greatly hinder the dancer for performing well or thoroughly
enjoying the dance experience.
Yemenite (right)
A
person who comes from the country of Yemen. In dance terms, step to the
right with the right
foot, bending the knee. Step on the left foot slightly behind
the right foot with straight leg and on the ball of the foot.
Step with right foot back to starting position. Hold (or
close left foot). May be “repeated” with a yemenite
left, ie. opposite footwork and opposite sideways directions.