LESSON 3: FOREIGN FOLK DANCE TERMS

At the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

a. Define foreign folk dance and understand its elements;

b. Identify the different terminologies used in foreign folk dance;

a. Recognize the importance of these terminologies in performing dance steps. 

With each passing year, customs and beliefs of groups of people get built little by little, slowly with time forming into traditions. Folk dances represent one of the strongest ways these (sometimes truly ancient) traditions of countries and regions can be showcased to the public. Even though many traditional dances bear the name of an ethnic dance, not all of them remained folk dances, but all of them try to emphasize the cultural roots of the particular dance. Some of them morphed over time into religious dances, and as such, they are not primarily used to showcase tradition but to enhance religious ceremonies and beliefs. Such dances are often called religious or ritual dances.

Folk dances are usually danced at social gatherings (which can be formed spontaneously or during yearly celebrations) that can but are not required to have a particular dancing stage and are almost always so simple to dance that new dancers and amateurs are encouraged to start dancing with everyone else. Such dances almost never have an official governing body that is keeping the development of folk dance in check. Instead of that, the morphing of the folk dances in their countries and local regions happens spontaneously by the changes with local traditions. Modern dances that have developed spontaneously such as hip hop are not regarded as folk dance, and they are often called as “street dances”. 

FOLKDANCE

- A traditional dance originating among the common people of a nation or a region

- They are dances performed at social functions by people with little or no professional training, often to traditional music, based on traditional music.

- Their execution is dominated by an inherited tradition rather than by innovation (although like all folk traditions, they do evolve).

- It has a definite pattern of movement.

- It appeals to all ages, as movements are simple, easy and expressive.

- It is a wholesome form of entertainment.

- These are dances which are made by the people, danced by the people and were handed down from generation to generation.

FOREIGN DANCE

- It depicts from the cultures of various countries their political, economic, social, intellectual, geographical and religious nature of society. They are assigned according to the culture of the country of origin and they give the people a feeling of pride and unity.

- It is exclusive to one country.

DANCE TERMS COMMON TO FOREIGN FOLK DANCES:

ADDRESS PARTNER - is to bow to partner. Facing partner, boys bow by bending slightly from the waist as girls do curtsy.

ALEMANDE LEFT– each dancer faces his partner and extends his left hand. Both move counter clockwise in a circle around each other and return to original position.

ALLEMANDE RIGHT – The boy faces his partner, takes her right hand in his right hand and turns her once around clockwise, then falling back to places.

ALL HANDS ROUND – All eight people in the square join hands, while in four hands round call, fur people or two couples join hands together.

BALANCE FORWARD – Couples or dancers specified by the caller take two steps forward take a bow, and then take two steps backward. It can also be done backward.

BOW, HONOR OR ADDRESS – Gentleman places right arm in front and left arm behind and bows to acknowledge the lady.

BREAK – dancers who have join hands release hold or drop hands.

CABECERAS – The couples occupying the width of the dance floor in a square formation.

CAST OFF – In long ways or contra formation, all couples face front and with the head couple leading, counter march outward to the foot of the set. As the head couple meets, they form an arch through which the other dancers pass.

CIRCLE – Designated couples join and walk clock wise to the left if the instruction is circle left. Circle right is done counter clockwise. One step is taken to every count.

CLOCKWISE – Circling with the R shoulder facing the center.

COSTADOS – The couples occupying the length of the dance floor in a square formation.

COUNTERCLOCKWISE – Circling with the L shoulder facing the center.

CLOSE POSITION – The partners are facing each other but the girl is standing in the R side of the boy.

CROSS OVER – Two couples are facing each other, each couple proceeds in a straight line to the opposite place. The girls pass by their L shoulders between the boys. Boys bow to each other when the meet at the middle or about one-third of the way, then proceed to the opposite place. Upon reaching the opposite place, partners turnabout; girls stand at partner’s left shoulder.

CURTSY – It is done in response to the bow of the men. It can be done with step sideward right and pointing the left foot to the right in the rear, behind the knee, head, and trunk slightly.

DO-SI-DO – Designated dancers face each other and cross their arms holding them at chest level in front of the body. They walk forward passing right shoulders slightly beyond each other, step sideward right to right, and without turning, walk backward passing left to left to original position. Do-si-do right can be done.

DRAW – The free foot is drawn toward the supporting foot, by pressing the toes against the floor as the close is made, with or without transfer of weight

ELBOW SWING – Two partners link R elbow and swing clockwise with either springy, walking or buzz steps.A

FOLDED ARMS – Raise the hands up in front of the chest shoulder level with the one arm over the other.

FORWARD AND BACK – When all dancers take four steps forward and four steps backward.

FREE FOOT – The foot without the weight of the body.

FREE HAND – The hand not in used and holding nothing.

GRAND RIGHT AND LEFT – all couples face partners, join right hands and walk pass each other passing right shoulders. As partners pass each other, they extend the left hand to the next gentleman or lady. They continue around the circle alternately extending right and left hand to the people they meet. The figure continued until everyone returns to their original position.

HOME POSITION – The couples’ original position in a set.

INSIDE FOOT – The foot that is nearer to the partner.

INSIDE HAND – The hand close to the partner.

LADIES CHAIN – Two couples face each other. The ladies walk forward to meet at the center. They give their right hands to each other and pass shoulders. The gentleman takes the left hand of the opposite lady in his left hand, places his right hand on the lady’s waist and turns her around once counter clockwise. The figure is repeated as the ladies go back to place.

LINK ELBOWS – hook left (right) elbow with partner or any dancer.

OPEN POSITION – Partners holding in ballroom dancing, facing one direction, toward extended arms.

PARTNER – Dancers standing side by side with girl at the right side of boy.

PARTNER’S SIDE – Partners change with four light running steps passing by the left shoulders. They turn left about to face partner and return to original position, passing by the shoulders.

PLACE – To put the foot flat on the floor in any desired position without put- ting weight on it.

PROMENADE – partners are side by side, left shoulder toward the center, holding in skating position (right hands join over the join left hands) at waist level or in varsovienne position (boy’s right arm around back of girl, holding her right hand close and at level of her right shoulder, and his left hand holds her left hand in front or at the side), they walk around in counter clockwise direction until they reach their home position.

SET – it is a dance or unit formation. In square dance formation, a set is composed of four pair standing on the side of a hallow square facing the center. The boys stand at left side of their respective partners. The distance across the couples is from eight to ten feet.

SPIN – It is done by turning rapidly with the used of small steps.

STAR RIGHT AND LEFT – Also known as Mill or Wheel Right and Left. Dan- cers put their R hands in the center and walk around clockwise, and at the caller’s command, they turn right about, put the Left hands in the center and walk counterclockwise.

SWING PARTNER – Waltz around clockwise with partner in ballroom dance position R to R shoulders and facing opposite directions.