Having a dance mastercass in China? Planning to visit chinese dance classes? Maybe some of your students are from China? Knowing basics of chinese dance vocabulary, may turn learning and teaching in a multicultural atmosphere,  into a more pleasant, enriching, humbling and beautiful experience.  

Personally, having an upcoming project with chinese collegue, reminded me – of how important and powerful tool language is for comfortable communication. Even in a bodily expressive dance class, where without a word people can learn by mimicking every movement, language is still comforting element of communication and education. 

In other hand learning solely thru the body language, can be a very interesting experience, and also some of the dance terms are internationally commonly used all over the world like ballet, jazz, brake, swing, tango, hip-hop, and there is no need for translation in most of the case. Which makes learning and teaching these dance styles in many places of earth some kind of similar in terms of terminology.  

But i decided to use this opportunity and improve my basic chinese skills. Here i share some of the most important basic dance vocabulary word list in chinese that may be suitable for those who have already a basic knowledge of chinese grammary, and vocabulary. List is highly personal, some of the words are new also for me, and others i will be learning thru the process. Viewer may add some of own ,,must learn’’ words and make it more personal for use.  

When it comes to chinese language, pronunciation is one of the most important thing, and practising it should be a top priority. Chinese language may have only 400 words, but the tones and inflections usually give radically different meaning to words. I would say that practising chinese pronunciation is like learning to sing perfectly with perfect pitch. Just, remember that making mistakes is part of learning process, and sense of humor may turn ordinary mistakes into an unforgetteble jokes, laughter and memories with friends. 

If you want to make sure that you’re pronouncing chinese words correctly, I suggest of using Google Pronunciation Tool.  Just copy-paste the chinese characters (below) and double check that it has similar pinyin text. 

Chinese vocab list for dance teachers and dancers (1)
 
 
 
 
 
 

Pinyin  

 
 
 
 
 

Characters  

 
 
 
 
 

English  

 
 
 
 
 
  • Hézòu 

 
 
 
 

合走 

 
 
 
 

Alignment 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Guānzhòng 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Audience 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Pínghéng 

 
 
 
 

平衡 

 
 
 
 

Balance  

 
 
 
 
 
  • Bèi  

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Back 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Hòubù  

 
 
 
 

后步 

 
 
 
 

Backwards

 
 
 
 
 
  • Wěndǎo  

 
 
 
 

弯道 

 
 
 
 

Bend 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Hūxī  

 
 
 
 

呼吸 

 
 
 
 

Breath 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Biānpái 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Choreography 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Biānwǔjiā 

 
 
 
 

舞家 

 
 
 
 

Choreographer  

 
 
 
 
 
  • Héyuán 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Connection 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Tiàowǔ 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Dance, to dance  

 
 
 
 
 
  • wǔdǎo 

 
 
 
 

舞蹈 

 
 
 
 

Dance 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Wǔzhě 

 
 
 
 

舞者 

 
 
 
 

Dancer  

 
 
 
 
 
  • wǔbàn 

 
 
 
 

舞伴 

 
 
 
 

Dance partner 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Wǔdǎo jiàoliàn 

 
 
 
 

舞蹈教 

 
 
 
 

Dance coach 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Wǔyī

 
 
 
 

舞衣 

 
 
 
 

Dance costume 

 
 
 
 
 
  •  

 
 
 
 

舞技 

 
 
 
 

Dance technique  

 
 
 
 
 
  • Wǔxié 

 
 
 
 

舞鞋 

 
 
 
 

Dance Shoes 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Wǔbù 

 
 
 
 

舞步 

 
 
 
 

Dance step  

 
 
 
 
 
  • Nán 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Difficult 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Xiàngxià  

 
 
 
 

向下 

 
 
 
 

Downwards 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Dòngqíng 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Emotion 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Biǎoqíng 

 
 
 
 

表情 

 
 
 
 

Expression 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Chèdié 

 
 
 
 

撤跌 

 
 
 
 

Fall  

 
 
 
 
 
  • Kuàisù 

 
 
 
 

快速 

 
 
 
 

Fast 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Gǎnshòu 

 
 
 
 

感受 

 
 
 
 

Feel  

 
 
 
 
 
  • Róuruǎn  

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Flexible 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Shūnshǐ 

 
 
 
 

顺势 

 
 
 
 

Flow 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Bùfá 

 
 
 
 

步伐 

 
 
 
 

Footwork 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Qiánbù  

 
 
 
 

前步 

 
 
 
 

Forward Step 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Qiān  

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Front 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Shǒushì 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Gesture 

 
 
 
 
 
  •  

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Glide 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Shíshì 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Implement 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Tiàoyuè 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Jump 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Líng 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Lead 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Fēijì 

 
 
 
 

飞跃 

 
 
 
 

Leap  

 
 
 
 
 
  • Zuǒbù  

 
 
 
 

左步 

 
 
 
 

Left Step 

 
 
 
 
 
  •  

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Lift 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Cháng 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Long  

 
 
 
 
 
  • Yùndòng 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Movement 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Dòngzuò  

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Movement 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Zīrán 

 
 
 
 

自然 

 
 
 
 

Natural 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Biǎoyǎn 

 
 
 
 

表演 

 
 
 
 

Performance 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Biǎoyǎn zhě(or)  Yǎnyuán  

 
 
 
 

表演者 

 

 
 
 
 

Performer 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Zīshì 

 
 
 
 

姿 

 
 
 
 

Pose 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Wèizhì 

 
 
 
 

位置 

 
 
 
 

Position 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Lìliàng 

 
 
 
 

力量 

 
 
 
 

Power 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Páiliàn 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Practice 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Yālì  

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Pressure 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Shí 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Posture 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Tuī 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Push 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Cǎipái  

 
 
 
 

彩排 

 
 
 
 

Rehearsal 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Chūyǔ  

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Release 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Yòubù  

 
 
 
 

右步 

 
 
 
 

Right Step 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Biān  

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Side 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Jiǎndān 

 
 
 
 

简单 

 
 
 
 

Simple 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Duǎn 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Short 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Yǎnchū  

 
 
 
 

演出 

 
 
 
 

Show 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Zhànshì 

 
 
 
 

展示 

 
 
 
 

Showcase 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Huǎnmàn 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Slow 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Míngxīng  

 
 
 
 

明星 

 
 
 
 

Star 

 
 
 
 
 
  •  

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Step  

 
 
 
 
 
  • Jiānqiáng 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Strong 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Tíchū 

 
 
 
 

提出 

 
 
 
 

Suggest 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Tóngbù 

 
 
 
 

同步 

 
 
 
 

Synchronization 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Lún  

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Turn  

 
 
 
 
 
  • Xiàngshàng 

 
 
 
 

向上 

 
 
 
 

Upwards 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Zǒu  

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Walk 

 
 
 
 
 
  • Wēnxiǎn  

 
 
 
 

温馨 

 
 
 
 

Warm-up 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Yīnyuè  

 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

Music 

 
 
 
 
 

Yùn 

Yùnlǜ 

Jiézòu 

 
 
 
 

 

韵律 

 

 
 
 
 

Rhythm 

 
 
 
 
 

Yùnqū  

 
 
 
 

韵曲 

 
 
 
 

Melody  

 
 
 
 
 

wǔqǔ 

 
 
 
 

舞曲 

 
 
 
 

Dance music 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wǔdǎo bǐsài 

 
 
 
 
 

舞蹈比 

 
 
 
 
 

Dance competition 

 
 
 
 
 

Wǔtái biǎoxiàn 

 
 
 
 

舞台表 

 
 
 
 

Stage performance 

 
 
 
 
 

Wǔdǎo dòngzuò 

 
 
 
 

舞蹈 

 
 
 
 

Dance movement 

 
 
 
 
 

Wǔdǎo biānwǔ 

 
 
 
 

舞蹈 

 
 
 
 

Dance choreography 

 
 
 
 
 

Wǔdǎo xiàngmù 

 
 
 
 

舞蹈 

 
 
 
 

Dance routine 

 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

Wǔdǎo xuéxiào 

 
 
 
 

舞蹈学校 

 
 
 
 

Dance school 

 
 
 
 
 

Wǔdǎo kèchéng 

 
 
 
 

舞蹈 

 
 
 
 

Dance class/course 

 
 
 
 
 

Wǔdǎo xùnliàn 

 
 
 
 

舞蹈训练 

 
 
 
 

Dance training 

 
 
 
 
 

Wǔdǎo páiliàn 

 
 
 
 

舞蹈排 

 
 
 
 

Dance rehearsal 

 
 
 
 
 

Wǔdǎo gōngzuòfǎng 

 
 
 
 

舞蹈工作坊 

 
 
 
 

Dance workshop 

I intentionally did not include numbers and body parts in vocab list. Want to suggest you fun and easy way of learning: I have discovered that choosing children’s song, with catchy rhythm and repetitive melody can help to learn body parts and numbers very effectively in just a few minutes and repetitions, you will learn over a 20 words. It is worth of trying:)


Here are some examples of educational songs:


再见!