Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Dancer |
DancerNoun1. A performer who dances. 2. A person who participates in a social gathering arranged for dancing (as a ball). Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "dancer" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Food & Agriculture | A supple pole for wedging between the frame and the loading chains of a pole wagon so as to take up the chain slack. Source: European Union. (references) |
Industry | In panel presses, the vertical distance between two adjacent platens when the press is fully opened. Source: European Union. (references) |
Occupations | Dances alone, with partner, or in group to entertain audience: Performs classical, modern, or acrobatic dances, coordinating body movements to musical accompaniment. Rehearses dance movements developed by CHOREOGRAPHER (amuse. & rec.). May choreograph own dance. May sing and provide other forms of entertainment. May specialize in particular style of dancing and be designated according to specialty as Acrobatic Dancer (amuse. & rec.); Ballet Dancer (amuse. & rec.); Ballroom Dancer (amuse. & rec.); Belly Dancer (amuse. & rec.); Chorus Dancer (amuse. & rec.); Interpretative Dancer (amuse. & rec.); Strip-Tease Dancer (amuse. & rec.); Tap Dancer (amuse. & rec.). (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Dance is, in general terms, human movement with an implied purpose such as the communication of an aesthetic or emotional idea, participation with music, and/or the achievement of certain mind-body states, sometimes spiritual-mystical ones, sometimes as simple as body fitness.Dance is contrasted to utilitarian, mundane movement such as walking, hammering, typing, lifting weights, etc., that has a direct "materialistic" purpose.
A dance also refers to a specific form of this movement. Specific dances have names that are recognized, and the specifics of the dance may be formalized. Examples of specific dances or families of dances are waltz, jig and "Orange Blossom Special".
Dances develop out of a particular culture, and usually have a specific purpose, such as social dancing or performance dancing. These dances may be accepted and/or adapted by other cultures, and for other purposes. For example, the social dances of one culture and time period might become the historical reenactment dances of another culture and time period.
From the sociological point of view, dance is usually considered to be cultural rather than natural phenomenon. Therefore a possible way of classification of various forms of dance is according to the spheres of cultural activity: religion, art, sport, recreation. Of course, this classification is neither precise nor complete. For example, dance can be a form of therapy (choreotherapy). For some people, dance is simply job. Elements of dance can be found in a number of sports, such as gymnastics, figure skating, synchronized swimming.
Dance is often seamlessly blended with other types of art and sports, such as pantomime or gymnastics. Many folk and ethnic dances use steps and movements that imitate important everyday activities: agricultural, fishing, hunting, etc. However the purpose of, e.g., harvesting dance is not harvesting, rather tale about harvesting or something similar.
Dance movement is often, though not always, rhythmic, and usually requires rhythm of music, at least imaginary. Sometimes dancers by their own motion produce music (stomping, clapping, ringing the bells attached to body or garments). As art or entertainment, dancing can be done for dancers' own pleasure or as performance, i.e., for the pleasure of others. It may be danced individually, as couples or in groups.
The principal element of dance is the motion of the dancer's body. It can be more or less coordinated, slower or faster, but always purposeful. Another importann component of dance is rhythm. It is also said that dance is a form of nonverbal communication. In this sence, someone has said (bearing religious dance in mind) "Dance is prayer of feet".
The history of dance is as long as the history of mankind. We can only guess how dances looked like in earlier epochs. In European culture, one of the earliest records of dancing is by Homer, whose "Iliad" describes chorea (khoreia).
Dance is found in every human culture. Dance scholar Alfred Gell has defined dance as "a stylized deformation of nondance mobility, just as poetry is a deformation or modulation of language, a deviation from the norm of expression that enhances expressiveness (Gell, Alfred. 'Style and Meaning in Umeda Dance' in: Spencer, Paul, ed. Society and the Dance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985)."
A continuum of dance can be posited that stretches from the most extreme and solitary forms of non-technical, ritual dance (endurance/trance dancing) through a broad middle of folk dance (including everything from modern club dances to a medieval minuet), to extreme forms of performance dance such as neoclassical ballet or postmodern works employing decontextualized pedestrian movement.
When the purpose of a movement activity is not immediately clear, it is sometimes referred to as dancing. Some examples:
Dance choreography is the act of planning a dance so a dancer will move in a certain way. It is also the result of this planning.
- Boxers and fencers are said to dance around each other. Martial arts, especially Asian ones, are often rightfully compared to dancing.
- It is said that certain animals dance as part of their mating rituals. Their is still great mystery surrounding these patterns. An example is bee dance, a remarkably regular movement which a honeybee often performs in a hive. It has been a mystery since man first domesticated the bees, the purpose of which has only recently been uncovered.
A significant part of dancing culture takes erotic dance (e.g., belly dance). Often erotic dancer's clothing is limited and/or sexy or gradually decreased (striptease). An erotic male dancer with little clothes, e.g. only briefs, is sometimes called "macho dancer".
However nudity in dance is not a prerogative of erotic dance. The culture and the ability of the human body is a significant aesthetic component in many dance styles.
See also
Dance is a musical form to describe musical work composed with the aim (at least formally) of performing a dance; see Dance music and Dance as form of musical composition.
- An index list of specific dances
- Dance music
- Wikipedia:Dance basic topics.
The Dance are a mysterious fictional alien race in Marvel comics who communicate exclusively through dancing.
simple:Dance
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Dance."
Synonyms: DancerSynonyms: professional dancer (n), social dancer (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Amusement | Entertainer, showman, showgirl; dancer, tap dancer, song-and-dance man; vaudeville act; singer; musician. |
The Drama | Mountebank, Jack Pudding; tumbler, posture master, acrobat; contortionist; ballet dancer, ballet girl; chorus singer; coryphee danseuse. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Dancer |
| English words defined with "dancer": ballet dancer ♦ tap dancer. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "dancer": Boheme, bunhead ♦ DESLYS ♦ Fiddler's Money, FIGURE DANCER ♦ Golden Ball ♦ mark it, Misers, Mr.B ♦ pyg ♦ rini ♦ SALOME, secabesque. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "dancer": Unmorrised. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Who's not only a terrific dancer. Somebody who taught me that there are people willing to stick up for other people no matter what it costs them (Dirty Dancing; writing credit: Eleanor Bergstein.) He tells people he's named after a gun, but I know he's named after a famous 19th century belly dancer. (Snatch.; writing credit: Guy Ritchie) I told you I was a good dancer. Can I keep you (Casper; writing credit: Sherri Stoner; Deanna Oliver) Dancer, Prancer, Blitzen, and Fink (The Bullwinkle Show; writing credit: Allan Burns; Chris Hayward) Cooper, you're an amazing dancer, and you're a great choreographer, but as a boyfriend you kinda suck (Center Stage; writing credit: Carol Heikkinen) | |
Lyrics | And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand (Tiny Dancer; performing artist: Elton John) Gonna be a hot dancer! (You Will Be A Hot Dancer; performing artist: Incubus) I'm your private dancer, a dancer for money (PRIVATE DANCER; performing artist: Tina Turner) | |
Clever | A dancer goes quick on her beautiful legs; a duck goes quack on her beautiful eggs. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | I Am a Dancer (1972) The Biggest Dancer in the World Isadora Duncan (1966) Kumkum the Dancer (1940) The Devil Dancer (1927) Some Dancer (1917) | |
Song Titles | Dancer, The (performing artist: The Frames) Music Box Dancer (performing artist: Frank Mills) Rhythm Is A Dancer (performing artist: Snap) Private Dancer (performing artist: Tina Turner) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books | |||
Periodicals |
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Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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High Tech |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Dancer performs at Eastern States Hispanic Heritage Event. Credit: Unknown. |  | Horsford's Acid Phosphate For Mental & Physical Dyspepsia & C. : "The Little Dancer" / Schumacher & Ettlinger, New York. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |
 | Favorite authors of fiction. Oh, Mr. Cheese! What a perfectly heavenly dancer you ... Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Cafe au lait, or Cotton Club dancer. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | A tap dancer / Albert Smith. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Dancer, Harlem, 1925] / J. Van Derzee. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | A modern dancer by A.B. Wenzell. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Oriental dancer, by A. B. Wenzell. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Wedding, possibly of an Elizabeth Duncan dancer. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Unidentified dancer. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |  |
| "Fire Dancer 01" by Vaughan James Commentary: "Fire dancer spinning with two flames at early evening." | "Dancer" by Wendy Cain Commentary: "My daughter." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Emma | Austen, Jane | He was no dancer in general |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Worker Rights | Iceland | Parliament passed legislation in 2000 that closed a loophole that allowed striptease dancers to enter the country and perform without a work permit for up to 4 weeks under an exemption given for "artists." Any foreigner (except those from the European Economic Area) seeking to come to the country to work as a striptease dancer must first obtain a work permit, which is typically valid for 3 months. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Madonna | When I was a teenager I wanted to be a dancer. I wanted to move to New York and be a dancer. That was my goal, and that was my dream. It was pretty small. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| "Dancer" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 92.52% of the time. "Dancer" is used about 547 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 92.52% | 506 | 11,943 |
| Noun (proper) | 7.48% | 41 | 53,521 |
| Total | 100.00% | 547 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "dancer" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Dancer | Last name | 1,000 | 12,447 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
Expressions using "dancer": accomplished dancer ♦ ballet dancer ♦ belly dancer ♦ break dancer ♦ Clog dancer ♦ exotic dancer ♦ flamenco dancer ♦ folk dancer ♦ gandy dancer ♦ morris dancer ♦ professional dancer ♦ rope dancer ♦ social dancer ♦ square dancer ♦ tap dancer ♦ taxi dancer ♦ tight dancer ♦ trapeze dancer ♦ wire dancer. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "dancer": dancer-acrobat, dancer-artist, dancer-mimes. | |
Ending with "dancer": actor-dancer, actress-dancer, angel-dancer, artist-dancer, belly-dancer, ice-dancer, strip-dancer, tap-dancer, tightrope-dancer. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
dancer | 1,813 | dancer mp3 | 110 |
exotic dancer | 1,206 | chippendale dancer | 105 |
belly dancer | 752 | flamenco dancer | 91 |
black exotic dancer | 593 | dancer in the dark | 90 |
male dancer | 360 | dancer picture | 90 |
hula dancer | 262 | hawaiian dancer | 87 |
nude dancer | 252 | erotic dancer | 86 |
black nude dancer | 246 | exotic dancer clothing | 78 |
ballet dancer | 237 | bomb dancer sex | 78 |
dancer upstairs | 226 | female dancer | 73 |
male exotic dancer | 212 | sexy dancer | 71 |
lap dancer | 169 | sky dancer | 71 |
desktop dancer | 163 | female exotic dancer | 71 |
go go dancer | 157 | music box dancer | 67 |
topless dancer | 154 | exotic black male dancer | 67 |
dancer pole | 150 | picture of belly dancer | 62 |
tiny dancer | 146 | ballet dancer picture | 60 |
black dancer | 143 | dancer tommy | 59 |
dancer lyrics tiny | 120 | native dancer | 57 |
private dancer | 110 | animated dancer | 54 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "dancer"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | balletdanseres (ballerina, ballet, ballet dancer, ballet girl), balletdanser (ballet, ballet dancer), ballerina (ballerina, ballet, ballet dancer, ballet girl). (various references) | |
Albanian | valltar, vallëzues, kërcimtar, balerinë (ballerina, ballet dancer), balerin. (various references) | |
Arabic | الراقصة, راقص (dancing). (various references) | |
Asturian | baillarín. (various references) | |
Aymara | thoqori. (various references) | |
Bemba | kacinda. (various references) | |
Blackfoot | áítapisskatsimaa. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | танцьор (hopper, hop-picker), балетист (ballet dancer, figurant). (various references) | |
Cebuano | mananayaw. (various references) | |
Chamorro | bailadót. (various references) | |
Chinese | 舞蹈家 . (various references) | |
Cornish | donsyor. (various references) | |
Czech | taneèník. (various references) | |
Danish | danser. (various references) | |
Dutch | danseres, danser. (various references) | |
Ecuadorian Quechua | tushuc. (various references) | |
Esperanto | dancisto, dancistino. (various references) | |
Faeroese | dansari. (various references) | |
Farsi | رقاص (Jigger). (various references) | |
Finnish | tanssijatar, tanssija. (various references) | |
French | danseur. (various references) | |
Frisian | dûnser. (various references) | |
German | Tänzer (dancers). (various references) | |
Greek | χορευτής. (various references) | |
Hebrew | מחולל (doer, generator, originator, performer), רוקד, רקדן. (various references) | |
Hungarian | táncos. (various references) | |
Indonesian | penari. (various references) | |
Inuktitut | muniqti. (various references) | |
Italian | ballerino (ballet dancer), danzatore, ballerina (ballerina, wagtail). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 踊り手 , 踊り子 , 舞踊家 (dancing master), ダメ押し (dahlia, d'Alembert's paradox, Dallas, dance, dance hall, dancing, day-one, Dulmadge-type screw, dumping, dunk, lathe, making doubly sure, the best, the Dalai Lama, to make a done deal). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | おどりこ, おどりて, ダンサー , ぶようか (dancing master). (various references) | |
Korean | 무희. (various references) | |
Manx | rinkeyr, daunseyr. (various references) | |
Papago | wihnim, e wailatham. (various references) | |
Papiamen | bailarina, bailadó. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | ancerday.(various references) | |
Portuguese | dançarino (ballet dancer), dançarina (ballet dancer, dancing girl), bailarino (ballet dancer). (various references) | |
Provencal | dançaire, dançaira. (various references) | |
Romanian | dansator (artiste), dansatoare (ballerina), jucãuş (frolicsome, jocose, kittenish, lambent, playful, prankish, rolling, skittish, wanton), jucãtor (better, funambulist, gambler, gamester, man, player, rabbit), balerinã (ballerina, ballet dancer, figurante), balerin (figurant). (various references) | |
Ruanda | umutavyi. (various references) | |
Russian | танцовщик. (various references) | |
Samoan | tagata siva. (various references) | |
Scottish | dannsair. (various references) | |
Sepedi | mmini. (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | plesač, igrač (gamester, jigger, player). (various references) | |
Spanish | bailarín (ballet dancer), bailador (caperer). (various references) | |
Swedish | dansös, dansör. (various references) | |
Thai | นักเต้นอะโกโก้ (go-go dancer). (various references) | |
Turkish | dansöz (artiste, belly dancer), dansçı kız (dancing girl, go-go girl, show girl), dansçı (hoofer, hopper), dans eden kimse, rakkas (balance wheel, pendulum). (various references) | |
Turkmen | tansзy (r) (dancer (prominent)). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | танцюристка (dancing girl), танцюрист (artiste), танцівник (ballet dancer), балерина (ballerina). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | diễn viên múa, vũ nữ (dancing-girl), người nhảy múa. (various references) | |
Welsh | dawnsiwr. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Sumerian | 3100 BCE-2500 BCE | gilim. (various references) |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | pantomimus. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "dancer": dancers. (additional references) | |
Words ending with "dancer": nondancer, ropedancer. (additional references) | |
Words containing "dancer": nondancers, ropedancers. (additional references) | |
| |
"Dancer" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: D'acier, Dainfern, dancerly, danche, Danchem, Danchev, danci, danican, danke, danken, danser, danver, danwear, daunca, daunce, Dauncer, Dauncey, dence, dencer, Dencher, Denker, dincher, Dinkar, dinnce, donker, donnker, duncery, mancer, Odacir. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "dancer" (pronounced da"nser) |
| 4 | -a" n s er | enhancer, advancer, answer, anticancer, cancer, Lancer. |
| 3 | -n s er | announcer, balancer, biosensor, bouncer, censer, censor, condenser, cosponsor, denser, dispenser, freelancer, licenser, licensor, mincer, sensor, Spencer, sponsor. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: cedarn, craned, nacred. | |
| Words within the letters "a-c-d-e-n-r" | |
-1 letter: acned, acred, arced, cadre, caned, caner, cared, cedar, crane, dance, denar, nacre, raced, rance, redan. | |
-2 letters: aced, acne, acre, cade, cane, card, care, carn, dace, dare, darn, dean, dear, earn, narc, nard, near, nerd, race, rand, read, rend. | |
-3 letters: ace, and, ane, arc, are, cad, can, car, den, ear, end, era, ern, nae. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-c-d-e-n-r" | |
+1 letter: ardency, cairned, candler, cranked, dancers, durance, endarch, pranced, ranched, recaned, tranced. | |
+2 letters: acridine, advancer, anchored, ascender, branched, calendar, calender, candider, candlers, cankered, cantered, careened, cartoned, caverned, chandler, colander, conelrad, cranched, crankled, crannied, cravened, crayoned, credenda, credenza, crenated, deaconry, decanter, decenary, dicentra, dracaena, durances, endarchy, endocarp, endosarc, furnaced, inarched, ordnance, radiance, rancored, reascend, recanted, riddance, romanced, unbraced, uncrated, underact, ungraced, untraced, verdancy. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Images: Digital Art | 9. Quotations: Fiction 10. Quotations: Non-fiction 11. Quotations: Spoken 12. Usage Frequency | 13. Names: Frequency 14. Expressions 15. Expressions: Internet 16. Translations: Modern | 17. Translations: Ancient 18. Derivations 19. Rhymes 20. Anagrams | 21. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
