Ultimate Guide to 80+ Dance Vocabulary Words in Spanish
Learning dance vocabulary words in Spanish is crucial to master the wide variety of Latin rhythms and other dance styles.
While people say that music is an international language, the truth is that to speak it you must first master a few important dance terms. If you’re a fan of dancing and want to learn all about the world of dance, this is the post you’ve been waiting for.
Keep reading to find out about the most popular dance vocabulary words in Spanish. I’ve also thrown in some useful words to describe dancers and other dance terms used in different dance styles.
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Dance Vocabulary Words
The world of dance in Spanish is rich and diverse in its vocabulary, and if you’re into dancing, you’ll need to learn some of these dance terms.
Let’s start with these modern dance vocabulary words:
| English | Spanish |
| to dance | bailar |
| dance style | el estilo de baile |
| technique | la técnica |
| step | el paso |
| movement | el movimiento |
| hips | las caderas |
| arm | el brazo |
| right hand | la mano derecha |
| left hand | la mano izquierda |
| turn | la vuelta |
| half turn | la media vuelta |
| feet | los pies |
| to improvise | improvisar |
| to walk | caminar |
Spanish Words to Describe Dancers
Every language has different words to describe great dancers, it’s time to discover the most common ones used in Spanish.
A “dancer” in Spanish can be called:
- El bailarín, la bailarina.
- El bailador, la bailadora.
- El danzante, la danzante.
These are all valid terms to refer to a dancer. But, how would you describe a great dancer in Spanish?
The following list of adjectives will help you when you need to talk about a dancer in Spanish:
| English | Spanish |
| elegant | elegante |
| beautiful | hermoso, hermosa |
| expressive | expresivo, expresiva |
| extraordinary | extraordinario, extraordinaria |
| strong | fuerte |
| agile | ágil |
| graceful | agraciado, agraciada |
| acrobatic | acrobático, acrobática |
| brilliant | brillante |
| good | bueno, buena |
| inspiring | inspirador, inspiradora |
| fast | rápido, rápida |
| flexible | flexible |
Different Dance Styles Using Spanish Vocabulary
Obviously, depending on the dance style you prefer, you need to use different dance vocabulary words.
Let’s find out now different dance terms according to some of the most popular dance styles in the Spanish-speaking world:
Tango Vocabulary in Spanish
| English | Spanish |
| sequence | la figura |
| axis | el eje |
| stop | la parada |
| way out | la salida |
| variations | las variantes |
| extraction | a sacada |
| dance hall | el salón |
| lead | el conductor / la conductora |
| follower | el conducido / la conducida |
| the walk | la caminata |
| hook | el gancho |
| pencil | el lápiz |
| cut | el corte |
Watch this beautiful video of a couple dancing to one of the the world’s most famous tango songs:
Dance Vocabulary Words: Ballet in Spanish
When it comes to ballet terms, and other words to describe ballet dancers, Spanish has a wide vocabulary to choose from:
| English | Spanish |
| ballet positions | las posiciones de ballet |
| ballet school | la escuela de ballet |
| leotard | el leotardo |
| ballet shoes | las zapatillas de ballet |
| ballet skirt | el tutu |
| nails on tip and heel | las uñas en punta y talón |
| ballet bar | la barra |
| stage | el escenario |
| audience | el público |
| prima ballerina | la primera bailarina |
“Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky is arguably the most popular ballet play of all times:
Salsa Vocabulary Words in Spanish
Salsa is perhaps the most Latin of Latin rhythms.
Up to this day, when I listen to salsa I get in a good mood. It’s music made by happy people who are passionate about music and express that feeling through their dancing.
| English | Spanish |
| forward step | adelante |
| back step | atrás |
| move to the side | al costado |
| fall | la caída |
| box step | el cuadrado |
| coupling | el enganche |
| brake | el freno |
| tilting | la inclinada |
| kick | la patada |
| whipping | el latigazo |
| salsa dancer | el salsero / la salsera |
Some call Cali the “World Capital of Salsa” and, after watching this video, is hard to argue with them:
Ballroom Dance Vocabulary Words in Spanish
Ballroom dance is very popular in Latin America. It’s also very similar or has many of the same steps as some Latin rhythms.
So here are a few of the most important ballroom dance vocabulary words in Spanish:
| English | Spanish |
| ballroom dance | el baile de salón |
| closed position | la posición cerrada |
| promenade position | la posición de paseo |
| shadow position | la posición de sombra |
| open position | la posición abierta |
| fallaway position | la posición de caída |
| skater’s position | la posición del patinador |
| challenge position | la posición de desafío |
| footwork | el juego de pies |
| alignment | la alineación |
| line of dance | la línea de baile |
| syncopation | la síncopa |
There are many different types of ballroom dance, so I chose this video for you to get an overall idea of the basic elements needed to dance all of them:
Hip Hop Dance Vocabulary Words in Spanish
Hip Hop is a popular music style in the Spanish-speaking world, and as such, it has developed its own set of Spanish terms.
Find out some of the most common hip hop dance vocabulary words in Spanish here:
| English | Spanish |
| bass | el bajo |
| snare | la trampa |
| freestyle | el estilo libre |
| track | la canción |
| microphone/mic | el micrófono |
| booth | la cabina |
| vocals | las voces |
| double meaning | el doble sentido |
| rapper | el rapero / la rapera |
| underground | clandestino |
| indie | independiente |
| bars | las letras |
Yes, there’s hip hop in Spanish and it’s spectacular! Take a look at this hip hop artist from Spain:
Important Dance Phrases and Other Example Sentences
By now I have added plenty of words to your vocabulary. However, I still must give you some useful phrases to help next time you visit a dance club.
Study the following list of dance phrases and you’ll master the world of dancing in Spanish:
¡Una vez más!
One more time!
¡Desde el principio!
From the top!
¡Mueve las caderas!
Move your hips!
¿Quieres bailar?
Do you want to dance?
¿Me concede esta pieza?
Can I have this dance?
¿Qué tipo de música te gusta bailar?
What kind of music do you like to dance?
Me gusta bailar salsa.
I like to dance salsa.
No sé bailar tango.
I don’t know how to dance tango.
Let’s Practice Spanish!
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Yet the most amazing part of learning Spanish is being able to enjoy such a great collection of foreign media, like songs, movies, and even dances! You can enjoy dancing just by the rhythm, but when you understand the lyrics and the stories, it is a whole other level!
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