Definition

Noun: A form of theatrical dance performance that presents a story or theme, set to music, and performed by professionally trained dancers for an audience. It is a structured and choreographed art form, distinct from social or participatory dance.

Examples

• The ballet is a classic example of concert dance.
• Modern dance companies often create new works of concert dance that explore abstract concepts.
• Attending a concert dance performance requires an appreciation for movement, music, and theatrical expression.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in academic and critical contexts to distinguish narrative or thematic theatrical dance from other forms like folk dance or ballroom dance.
• It can encompass various styles including ballet, modern dance, contemporary dance, and some forms of jazz dance when presented in a formal theatrical setting.

Variants and Related Words

• Ballet (n): A highly technical form of concert dance with its own vocabulary, originating in the Italian Renaissance courts.
• Modern Dance (n): A genre of concert dance that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a rejection of the strictures of ballet, emphasizing expressive, often grounded movement.
• Choreography (n): The art of designing sequences of movements for dance, central to the creation of concert dance.
• Repertory (n): The collection of works that a concert dance company is prepared to perform.

Synonyms

• Theatrical dance
• Performance dance
• Stage dance

Related Phrases

• Dance concert: An event featuring a program of concert dance pieces.
• Dance theatre / Theater dance: Terms sometimes used interchangeably with concert dance, often emphasizing the narrative or dramatic elements.

Notes on Meaning

While the core definition involves a story performed to music, the term "concert dance" is also broadly applied to non-narrative, abstract works where the primary focus is on movement, form, and artistic expression itself, rather than a literal plot. The key elements are its theatrical presentation, trained performers, and intentional choreography for an audience.

Noun

1. a theatrical representation of a story that is performed to music by trained dancers