Dance move - Definition and Overview

Dance moves or Dance steps, are the building blocks of many dances. More complex dance moves are called dance patterns, dance figures or dance variations. They are usually isolated, defined, and organized so that beginning dancers can learn and use them independently of each other. Dance moves tend to emphasize the concepts of lead and follow and connection. In most cases dance moves by themselves are independent of musicality, which is the appropriateness of a move to the music (for a notable exception, see Bharatanatyam).

The names of moves are somewhat arbitrary and vary from person to person and city to city. For example, circles are also called "rhythm circles" and "reverses".

Dance moves blur into each other. For example, the move swing out from close can also be thought of as a groucho to open.

Each dance emphasizes its own moves, but often moves are shared by several dances.

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