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Lambada**Lateral Movement**Latin/s**Latin Hip Motion**Latin-American (L/A)**Latin Attire
Latin Hold**Laying an Egg**Lazy Leg Action**Lead**Leading**Leading Shoulder**Leap**Left
Left Turn**Legato action**Lesson Depreciation**Lesson Time**Level Progression**Licentiate
Lifts Light and Shade**Lilt**Lindy Hop**Line dancing**Line of Dance (LOD)**Lock
Locomotive Action (Freestyle)**LOD**Loop Turn**Loss (L)**Lunge

LAMBADA is a very sensual Latin American dance known as the 'forbidden dance'. It has been well documented as the most raunchy dance in the world. Originating from the Bahia region of NorthEast Brazil in the mid-1980s, the dance was developed in the sleazy dancehalls known as "Lambaterias". This dance is intimately connected with the Salsa, Mambo and Merengue.

The music borrowed elements from 'Farro' (local folk music based around the accordion), as well as Caribbean and African influences. Lambada gained more widespread popularity in the Summer of 1989 when French-African group Kaoma recorded "Lambada" - it quickly became the latest craze to sweep the dance floors of the world. Normally reserved folk were found dancing tight from Bognor to Budapest, their bodies intertwined as the hip-gyrating movements of this new dance turned Europeans into lusty Latins! All it needs is for you to get some friends together, slip into your best dancing gear and let the rhythm move you. The man holds his partner very tight; right hand low around her waist; left hand almost straight out to his left and his right thigh tightly locked to her left thigh as they sway the hips side to side and 'round and 'round.

LATERAL MOVEMENT is a sideways movement.

LATIN/S (LA) is an abbreviation for the latin-american dances.

LATIN HIP MOTION: (see cuban Motion or hip Motion).

LATIN-AMERICAN (L/A) dancing includes: Cha-Cha, Samba, Paso Doble, Rumba, Mambo, Merengue, Salsa, Lambada, Bossa Nova, Bolero, Jive (competitively) or any dance where a couple hold each other slightly apart and swing their hips extensively.

LATIN ATTIRE - male; open-neck, long-sleeve shirt, black trousers and shoes. Female; tight skimpy dress (decently covered), high-heel shoes.

LATIN HOLD: The Latin-American Hold is the same as in the English style Ballroom Hold, except that the couple are slightly apart and hold themselves naturally upright without the forward or back poise of the English style (see posture and Hold).

LAYING AN EGG: This expression is used to describe a dancer in an ungainly sitting-down position as if laying an egg. It can be avoided by not over-bending the knees and protruding the tail to the heavens when lunging.

LAZY LEG ACTION refers to the type of controlled movement a dancer should try to cultivate in Foxtrot - a lazy follow-through leg swing as though moving or dancing into the wind.

LEADING in partnership dancing is the man's responsibility. He determines the figures to be danced and their order, sets the pace for his partner and navigates her around the dance floor. Normally, the woman is not aware in advance of the figures her partner will use while dancing with her, so the man must be able to communicate his intentions to his partner, firmly (not forcefully), quickly and decisively, and the only way he can do that, is by knowing his part well and maintaining a firm frame.

To become an accomplished male social dancer requires skill. After inviting a woman to dance, the man should start by using the simplest of figures - figures that require a minimum of dancing ability from the woman. Then, gradually, he should introduce step patterns which he can confidently lead. This way he allows his partner to have a comfortable, unstressful, enjoyable dance. When in doubt, keep it simple; your partner will appreciate your thoughtfulness and expertise.

The art of leading or following the many complicated movements used by top-class dancers takes years to master. But social dancers only need to understand and learn the fundamental principles right from the beginning. Leaders, bear this in mind; your partner can only dance as well as you can lead her.

Leading & following - questions most asked

LEAD: A non-verbal communication that initiates continues movement from one variation to another. (see can't lead)

LEADING SHOULDER is most noticeable in Tango, where the man turns his right shoulder more than in the swing dances to effect the dramatic stance that belongs to this dance.

LEADING SHOULDER: the shoulder that initiates a turn, i.e. the leading or swinging of the right shoulder when commencing a natural turn, and the swinging of the left shoulder when a reverse turn is made.

LEAP: A transfer of weight from one foot to the other. Push off with a spring and land on the ball of the other foot, letting the heel come down. Bend knee to absorb the shock.

LEAP (Freestyle) An elevation of the body forward and upwards from a travelling movement with progression. A leap is normally taken from a run to gain height and extension. All leaps should land with a flexing of the knees and ankles.

STAG LEAP: A leap into the air flexing the front leg under the body while extending the other leg backwards with the knee straight.

SCISSORS LEAP: A difficult figure which requires a leap forward in splits position and then reversing the splits position while still in the air.

LEFT: Refers to the left foot, hand, hip or an anti-clockwise direction.

LEFT TURN is a rotation made in an anti-clockwise direction, also known as an inside turn or reverse turn. The term "reverse" stems for the

LESSON DEPRECIATION is when lessons are put on hold by the studio because the pupil, who has paid up, is unable to attend his/her lessons for a lengthy period. When the pupil returns, the going rate is calculated into the number of lessons remaining and the difference is deducted from the number of lessons owing to the pupil by the studio. Many studios have a 6-month expiry date for lessons shelved or put on 'hold', after which the lessons owing to the pupil are forfeited.

LESSON TIME is the space a trainer reserves for teaching pupils private or group classes. Dance studios, with their wealth of teaching knowledge, sell this information in units of time called lessons. These units are then allocated to the pupil at specific times and the more efficiently they are consumed by the studio, the more productive the studio becomes.

The pupil, who buys the studio's time and expertise, is therefore entitled to every lesson being productive. This means, using every minute of the time, from when the lesson begins to when it ends, to best advantage.

Learning something new in each lesson is a must if progress is to be made, but 'new' does not only include patterns; it could be style, lead/follow, applying the figure to the music, footwork, revision, etc. or any element that could improve the learner's dancing. (see dns Lesson; ctl Lesson).

LEVEL PROGRESSION is the horizontal or parallel movement used in the Tango, i.e. moving across the floor without a rise-and-fall or bobbing movement - it's keeping all progressive movements level.

LICENTIATE is an adjudicator's qualification between an 'Associate' and a 'Fellow' and is eligible to judge both Festivals and Championships - the second adjudication level (Silver level). A Licentiate was formerly known as a 'Member'.

LIFTS: An elevated position in partnership dancing where the man raises his partner so that both her feet leave the floor. A lift, is therefore, defined as any movement during which a female has both feet off the floor at the same time, and suspended in that position by her partner for one or several counts. The reverse is also be true.

LIGHT AND SHADE: Refers to the manner in which advanced dancers highlight and soften their movements to blend with the waving sounds or intonations of the music and melody, thus adding an artistic touch of class and expression to their style. It is a fluctuation of movement to music; it is a 'blending in' of movements with the 'whole' music by listening closer to what the melody prescribe. When the melody shouts stop! Stop. When it says freeze or hover or accelerate, listen and respond. This 'light and shade', in its pure form, adds an extra dimension to the flow and body rhythms of every dance, and is the ultimate sensation every dancer experiences when properly mastered - an ecstatic interplay of dancer and music.

LILT: The swaying, tilting motion characteristic of Waltz style - a relaxed rise and fall, swaying action.

LINDY HOP was originally known as the Break-A-Way prior to 1927. In 1927 a Swing dancer named George "Shorty" Snowden (Shorty George) was to rename the Break-A-Way... he called it the "Lindy Hop or Lindbergh Hop". after pilot "Charles Augustus Lindbergh". There are two main stories about the name that go something like this (the 1st being the main one):

1. At a dance contest in Central Park in New York, a newspaper reporter having never seen this style of dance before walked up to the winners of the contest and asked the couple (Shorty!) what it was that they were doing, He thought for a second and said "The Lindy Hop...We flying just like Lindy did!". The newspaper reporter did an article in his newspaper and described what he saw calling it the Lindy Hop.
2. At the Savoy Ballroom on Lennex Avenue in Harlem, New York Shorty George was dancing and a man came over and asked what kind of dance he was doing, Snowden Replied "The Lindy Hop... Were flyin' just like lindy". The name stuck.

The Lindy was the first form of Swing the "White Folks" had seen. Some of these folks would go to the famous " Savoy Ballroom " in Harlem and watch the "African-American dancers". Many of these dancers in 1920's were teaching many of the "White Folks" to do this dance, thus, were making a "Honorable Living" in a very racist period of time...This became very competitive among some of African-American dancers, some would clip papers to their back with phone numbers or a Studio name written on them while they danced. If you liked the way a dancer danced you could then get in touch with them and take lessons. Through this type of competition the dancers would start to do more wild and crazy stuff to get attention.

As time went on , dance contests became more and more "attention getting". In the 1930's a dancer named "Frankie Manning" has claimed to add the first "Air Step" (Lifts/Flips) into the Lindy, These and other "Air steps" had been done for years before in other dances styles through many exhibitions in other dances, but supposedly had not yet been done in the Lindy.

In many interviews Frankie describes how his first "Air-Step" took place: "Frankie and partner were practising for a dance contest to try and beat then King "Shorty George Snowden" at the Savoy, Frankie and partner worked out a back flip they saw, and it worked. They did it in the contest and beat George Snowden". However in 1941 a book called "Swing as a way of life" states that "Young Dancers like Al Minns, Joe Daniels, Russell Williams and Pepsi Bethel produced the 'Back Flip', 'Over Head' and 'the Snatch!'. At any rate, this started the attention getters on to a new agenda...Arials!. Over the years Aerials became a main attraction for Competitions/Exhibitions, but were not permitted at most Clubs or Ballrooms socially - to many people were getting hurt.

LINE DANCING is a social novelty dance where groups of dancers form lines, all facing the same direction, and perform a formation of the latest Line Dance fad of the times. History of Line Dancing

LINE OF DANCE (LOD) is an imaginary line around the dance floor, indicating an anti-clockwise direction. A rectangular ballroom will have four lines of dance, one for each side of the room. Stand to the side of the dance floor with your right side nearest to the wall and your left side pointing to the centre of the floor. You are now facing an anti-clockwise direction, which is the correct line of dance followed by ballroom dancers.
LOCK: A tight cross of the feet in 1st or 2nd position - forward or back (see Chasse).

LOCK STEP:A group of three steps, taken forward or backward, during which the second step is crossed behind the first step, when moving forward and is crossed in front of the first step when moving backward. A lock step is also known as a Progressive Chassé.

LOCOMOTIVE ACTION (Freestyle): Movements which involve travel, e.g. Runs, Leaps, Progressive Spins.
NON-LOCOMOTIVE ACTION: Movements which are performed on the spot, e.g. Plié, Scuff, Twist turn, etc. (see stationary).

LOD: The abbreviation for Line Of Dance: A Counter-clockwise direction around the dance floor.

LOOP TURN: An underarm turn to the left for the lady and to the right for the man.

LOSS(L) is a student who has been written off from the studio records for not completing his/her course in payments and lessons used and is recorded as a black mark against the teacher and the studio.

LUNGE: A weight transfer to a bent leg with the other leg extended.

LUNGE (Freestyle): A step taken in any direction on either foot with the weight held over the flexed, supporting leg, leaving the other leg extended.