Ballet
In ballet terminology, this movement travels outward from the hip and can be executed à terre or en l’air, describing a circular leg motion.
rond de jambe
Unlike ballet, which emphasizes turnout, jazz often uses this foot and leg alignment where the feet face forward and the legs remain straight without rotation from the hips.
parallel
This form of Hip Hop dance allows spontaneous expression, often performed individually or in a crew to show personal style.
Freestyle
A fundamental tap step where the dancer shifts weight quickly from one foot to the other, often used to transition between steps.
Ball Change
This aspect of contemporary dance involves using different heights in movement, such as high, mid, and low.
Levels
In a pirouette en dehors, the dancer rotates in this direction in relation to the supporting leg.
away from the supporting leg (or outward)
This kick is performed by lifting the leg to the side, rotating it outward at the hip, and creating a circular shape in the air while maintaining alignment and turnout.
fan kick
This style uses hand, arm, and body angles to create geometric shapes, often seen in battle and animation-inspired choreography.
Tutting
This tap step involves a brush forward with the ball of the foot followed by a step onto the same foot, creating two distinct sounds.
Flap
This skill involves spontaneous movement generation, encouraging creativity, musicality, and individual expression without pre-set choreography.
Improvisation
This step combines a brush of one leg with a jump from the other, extending through a développé position before landing — often mistaken for a grand jeté.
saut de chat
This step is a traveling jazz movement in which the dancer alternates weight quickly between feet while keeping the legs bent, often used to create rhythmic momentum across the floor.
pony
This style is high-energy, expressive, and often performed in battles, with exaggerated chest and arm movements.
Krumping
This iconic tap step, popularized in the 1920s, involves a forward brush with one foot followed by a backward brush with the other, often performed in a swinging, rhythmic pattern.
Charleston
A movement technique where the dancer supports weight on hands or shoulders, often used to create dynamic shapes.
Inversion
This choreographer, known for his musicality and speed, established a uniquely American neoclassical style with the New York City Ballet.
George Balanchine
This dancer and choreographer blended ballet technique with jazz and modern dance, creating stylized jazz pieces for Broadway shows like Cabaret.
Bob Fosse
This city and borough is widely recognized as the birthplace of Hip Hop culture in the 1970s.
The Bronx, New York City
This African-American tap dancer helped popularize rhythm tap, became one of the first African-American performers to gain national fame
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson
This American dancer and choreographer, known as the “Mother of Modern Dance,” emphasized natural movement and emotional expression over rigid technique.
Martha Graham
The five fundamental positions of the feet in ballet were first codified in the 17th century by this French dancing master at the court of King Louis XIV.
Pierre Beauchamp
This choreographer is often called the “father of theatrical jazz dance” and brought jazz into Broadway with energetic, syncopated movement.
Jack Cole
This modern Hip Hop dance crew is known for their signature white masks and gloves, synchronized choreography, and performances on Broadway, television, and competitions worldwide.
Jabbawockeez
This performer danced with Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and appeared on Broadway, becoming famous for her youthful, theatrical tap routines in early musicals.
Shirley Temple
A pioneer who developed the fall and recovery technique, exploring gravity and balance in movement.
Doris Humphrey