Jazz 1

Front 1

chasse

Back 1

"chase", a sliding movement that in jazz can be analyzed as "step-together-step"

Front 2

tendue

Back 2

to stretch to a point by brushing the foot along the floor

Front 3

degage

Back 3

"disengage", a quick brush of the stretched leg through tendue to a position slightly off the floor

Front 4

grand battement

Back 4

a high, straight-leg lift or "kick", passing through tendue and degage to 90 degrees or higher

Front 5

passe

Back 5

"passed through", a balance on one leg, with the opposite leg bent and the toe pointed to touch the hallow of the knee of the standing leg

Front 6

attitude

Back 6

a balanced position in which the working leg is bent. The thigh of the bent leg is parallel to the floor and the toe is below the height of the knee

Front 7

developee

Back 7

to extend the working leg from bent to straight

Front 8

pirouette

Back 8

to whirl or spin
a) endehors-outside turn away from the body
b) en dedans-inside turn towards the body

Front 9

chaine

Back 9

"chain" or "links", 1/2 turns on the balls of the feet successively

Front 10

soutenu

Back 10

"sustained", turn in 5th position on releve

Front 11

jete

Back 11

a large leap from one foot to the other

Front 12

adagio

Back 12

at ease, slow graceful movements

Front 13

jazz dance

Back 13

a movement art which is an American form of dance, derived from rhythms and movements of the African people

Front 14

dynamics

Back 14

how a movement is performed: the intensity of its energy and dynamic qualities of its performance

Front 15

percussive

Back 15

a dynamic quality where there is a sharp, forceful initiation of movement and a definite cessation of movement

Front 16

suspension

Back 16

a dynamic quality of weightlessness or breathlessness, it is the period of time during which the motion of movement is lifted and held

Front 17

jazz slide

Back 17

initiated by displacing a hip and pulling the body along. Usually done in turned out position with the arms out at second position and the body tilted away from the displaced hip.

Front 18

jazz split

Back 18

a half split position on the floor; the front leg is straight and the back leg is bent

Front 19

accent

Back 19

emphasis on one note or chord

Front 20

syncopation

Back 20

(trademark of jazz) places the accent on normally unaccented beats of the measure

Front 21

isolations

Back 21

another trademark of jazz, the separate movement of one body part while the rest is held

Front 22

body wave

Back 22

a sequential movement of the torso starting at the base of the spine and moves sequentially up the spine

Front 23

contraction

Back 23

in a torso contraction, the front of the torso is concave so that a "C" curve is formed with the spine. The lower back is rounded and the pelvis is forward, and the stomach is hallowed with the shoulders lined over the hips

Front 24

hinge

Back 24

a tilt of the torso with an imaginary oblique line that passes from the tip of the ear through the shoulder, hip and knee (to protect our lower backs, we usually use a slight contraction)