Republic of the Philippines

Bulacan State University

City of Malolos
Tel. No. (044) 919-7800 to 99 Local 1022
_______________________________________________________________________________

Physical Activity Towards Health and Fitness 3

Common Dance Terms

Brush – weight on one foot, hit the floor with the ball of the foot or heel of the other foot, and lift that
foot from the floor to any direction.
Cabeceras – the couples occupying the width of the hall when dancers are in square formation (head
couple).
Clockwise – like the motion of the hands of the clock. Right shoulder is toward the center of an
imaginary circle.
Tostados – the couple occupy the length of the hall when dancers are in square formation (side
pair).
Crossed Arms – partners facing each other standing side by side join their left hands together and
the right hands together, either right over left or left over right.
Cut – to displace quickly one foot with the other.
Do-si-do – partners advance forward, pass each other’s right (or left), step across the right (or to the
left) move backwards without turning around, pass each other left (or right) side to proper places.
Free foot – the foot not bearing the weight of the body.
Free hand – the hand not placed, or not doing anything.
Hands on waist – place hands at the waistline, knuckles in, fingers pointing rear.
Hop – a spring on one-foot landing on the other foot in place or in any direction.
Inside foot – the foot nearer the partner when partners stand side by side.
Jaelo – partners turn around clockwise with right elbows almost touching, or counterclockwise using
walking or any kind of dances.
Jump – a spring on one or both feet landing on both feet in any direction.
Kumintang – moving the hand from the wrist either in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.
Leap – spring from one foot landing on the other foot in any direction.
Outside foot – the foot is away from one’s partner when partners stand side by side.
Outside hand – the hand is away from one’s partner when partner’s stand side by side.
Place – to put foot on certain position without putting weight on it, the sole of the foot rest on the floor.
Pivot – to turn with the ball, heel or whole foot, on a fixed place or point.
Point – touch the floor lightly with the toes of one foot, weight of the body on the other foot.
Salok – swinging the arm downward-upward passing in front of the body as if scooping; the trunk is
bent forward following the movement of the arm doing the salok.
Saludo – partners with feet together bow to each other, to the audience opposite dancers or the
neighbors.
Sarok – cross the right in front of the left, bend the body slightly forward and cross hands down in
front with the right hand over the left.
Set – a dance formation like a square formation or unit formation composed of two or more pairs.
Slide – to glide foot smoothly along the floor.
Stamp – to bring the foot forcibly and noisily on the floor.
Step – to advance or recede by moving one foot to another resting place place with a complete
transfer of weight from one foot to the other.
Supporting Foot – the foot that bears the weight of the body.
Tap – to tap slightly with the ball of the foot or toe of the free foot keeping weight of the body on the
other foot. There is no transfer of weight.
Whirl – to make fast turns by executing small steps in place, right to the left.
 Basic Dance Steps in 2/4 Time Signature
Dance Step Step Pattern
A. CT. 1, 2 = 1M
Touch Step Point, close
Bleking Step Heel place, close
Close Step Step, close
Hop Step Step, hop
Slide Step Slide, close
Cross step Step, cross or Cross, step
B. Ct. 1 and 2 = 1M
Change Step Step, close, step
Cross Change step Cross-step, close, step
Contraganza Leap, cross-step, step
C. Ct. 1, 2 and
Habanera Step Step, close, step
D. Ct., and 1 and 2 = 1M
Plain Polka Raise-step, close, step
Hop Polka Hop-step, close, step
E. Ct. 1, 2 and 2 =1M
Heel and toe change step Heel-place, toe point, step, close, step
F. Ct. 1, 2, and 1 and 2
Heel and toe polka Heel-place, toe-point, raise, step, close,
step
G. Ct 1 and 2 and (do as many times
desired)
Mincing step With heels raised, take as many steps as
desired.
Shuffling step With both feet flat on the floor, take tiny
slide steps
Chasing steps With one foot leading, take successive
close steps to any direction.

Basic Dance Steps in ¾ Time Signature

Dance Step Step Pattern
A. Ct. 1, 2, 3 = 1M
Waltz step Step, close, step
Cross Waltz Cross-step, close, step
Waltz balance Step, close raise both heels, heels down
Mazurka Step Slide, cut, hop
Redoba Slide, cut, cut
B. Ct. 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3
Sway balance with a point Step, cross-step, step point
Sway balance with a raise Step, cross-step, step raise
Sway balance with a brush Step, cross-step, step brush
Sway balance with a hop Step, cross-step, step hop
Sway balance with a close Step, cross-step, step close
Sway balance with a waltz Step, cross-step, step waltz
C. Ct. 1-2, 3 = 1M
Step-swing hop Step – swing, hop
Step-brush-swing-hop Step, brush-swing, hop

Basic Dance Steps in 4/4 Time Signature

Dance Step Step Pattern
A. Ct. 1 2 3 4
Schottische Step, close, step, hop
(raise foot in front)
Escotis Step, close, step, hop, (raise foot in rear)
B. Ct. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 = 2M
Chotis Brush, raise, brush, raise, step, step,
step, close or pause