Modern Vocabulary - Intermediate

Airplane Turn: a turn done on one leg that allows the arms and working leg to follow the
same diagonal line

Back lying: lying on the back with the knees fully extended

Barrell Turn: an aerial turn done on a diagonal axis. Both legs are in attitude, while the
dancer spots to the floor in front of them.

Body Half: a contraction that isolates one half of the body while the other remains
motionless

Diamond sit: a sitting position in which the legs form an open diamond with the knees bent
and the soles of the feet touching

Grapevine: side, back, side, front; a traveling series that is done in plié while using turnout.

Hook lying: lying on the back with the knees flexed and the feet flat on the floor

Long sit: a sitting position in which the legs are fully extended in front of the body

Overcurve: an inverted “u” shaped movement

Side lift: an upward and lateral curving of the spine; initiated at the tailbone

Spiral: separates the body on the horizontal plane so that one half begins before the other;
requires an abdominal contraction and release to execute

Stride sit: a sitting position in which the legs are fully extended on either side of the body

Tailor sit: a sitting position in which the legs are folded symmetrically so that the weight is
equally distributed on the sits bones and the sides of the feet

Undercurve: a “u” shaped movement

Weight shift: to transfer weight from one side to the other. Requires the use of plié and
that the dancer roll through the toe when stepping onto either foot.