Descriptionary

isolation isolating and moving one body part in contrast to the rest of the body.

jazz hand palm out, hand facing forward with fin­gers extended.

jazz sissonne a leap starting and ending with the feet placed together.

jazz split a slide and split to the floor ending with one leg fully extended and the other bent at the knee.

knee hinge kneeling and arching or "hinging" the torso backward.

knee slide sliding across the floor on one's knees. knee turn a turn performed on both knees. leap turn a two-step turn and jete. outside turn a turn on one foot. pas de bourree a three-step series in any direction. passe moving the leg or foot from front to back. pelvis roll a circling motion of the pelvis. pirouette a spinning turn performed on one foot. plie bending at the knees.

plie-releve position a position in which the knees are flexed and the heels are raised off the floor while the arms are outstretched to the sides.

port de bras the placement or movement of the arms.

promenade a pivot on the ball of the foot.

renverse bending while making a turn.

rond de jambe performing a circling movement with the leg.

saute any jumping or leaping movement.

seat spin spinning on the seat of one's pants.

side jazz walk a sideways walk with the knees in the demi-plie position.

spiral turn a winding turn.

stag leap a leap during which the front foot is lifted to the knee of the back leg.

sundari Oriental head motions.

swastika a seated position in which one leg is flexed forward and the other flexed back, a configuration resembling a swastika.

tabletop a position in which the torso is bent over and laid out flat parallel to the floor to resemble a tabletop.

tombe letting the body fall forward, back, or to the side onto a leg in the plie position.

tour to turn the body.

triple three steps taken with two counts of the music.

Square Dancing

Alamo style a circle of dancers join hands, with every other dancer facing outward.

all around your left-hand lady a move in which the corners dance around each other right shoulder to right shoulder.

allemande a forearm grasp and a swing through made by the corner dancers.

arky couple either two men or two women.

arm swing grasping another's forearm and swing­ing around.

around one a designated couple turn their backs to one another and both move behind the nearest person.

bend the line breaking up a line of dancers by hav­ing the end dancers move forward and the center dancers move back.

break to release hands.

California twirl a move in which a couple raise joined hands to form an arch, which the lady passes under. Also known as frontier whirl.

call a singing direction for the next dance move­ment, made by the caller.

caller the person who sings or chants out dance directions.

cast off in a line of couples, the center dancers separate and move forward while the end couples join hands and move back.

centers any dancers inside the square or inside any other formation.

cloverleaf couples in a double line break off from the corners, turn back around, and describe a clover- leaf pattern while trailing couples follow.

courtesy turn a couple joins left hands and wheel counterclockwise.

crisscross one couple divides another couple, who then close and cross trails to exchange places.

curlicue while holding an arch, the gent walks around the lady, who then backs under the arch, so they end up facing opposite directions while still holding hands.

dive through two couples form an arch, which another couple passes under.

Dixie chain with couples in a single file line, the ladies pull through from right to left hands, followed by the gents, ending in a single file.

dosi around facing dancers move forward and pass around each other back to back.

do-si-do to do-si around.

fold one dancer steps forward and turns to face his or her partner.

frontier whirl see California twirl.

gents traditionally, how male dancers are addressed.

grand chain four ladies move in a right-hand star to opposite gents, who courtesy turn them.

grand right and left weaving in and out around other dancers in a circle, the ladies pulling by in one direction while the gents pull by in the other until partners meet.

hash calls freestyle calls—none of which necessar­ily rhyme—made spontaneously by the caller. Also known as patter.

hinge the couple turn to face each other, step for­ward, and join right hands.

hoedown a square dance; also, music traditionally played at a square dance.

honor a call to bow to your partner. Indian style single file.