See also: Learning Center >>

Dance terms dictionary - ballroom and Latin

In this dacne terms dictionary you will find definitions for many of the terms used on this site and in the ballroom dance community. Terms are sorted alphabetically, making this a handy reference for beginning and advanced dancers alike. Common Abbreviations are listed in their own section.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M
N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Common Abbreviations
 
 

M

mambo - Similar to salsa but "danced on the second beat of the measure."
See the Mambo Learning Area for more information >>

merengue - A festive and happy Latin dance with tempo range from about 120 to 160 BPM.
See the Merengue Learning Area for more information >>
Also see our Merengue DVD dance videos >>

military turn – The 180 degree turn that effects an “about face.” The turn consists of a prep step and a pivot. See the turn technique video!
See our free streaming video on turn technique >>

Modern Style Ballroom - The term used to describe the ballroom dances of the International Style: waltz, foxtrot, Viennese waltz, tango, and quickstep. This term has largely been replaced by the term standard.

<< Back to top