Straightforward B2 Upper Intermediate Vocabulary, Lesson 8D

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Straightforward B2 Upper Intermediate Vocabulary, Lesson 8D

Date taught: 17 November 2023

8D – Let’s Dance!

Theme: Persuading people to change their lifestyle; going dancing.

TikTok video blew up (ph.v) – for something to be enlarged or get larger, so if it is referring to something on social media it is likely referring to something going viral

bare minimum –

dance routine (n) – a series of movements, jokes, etc. that are part of a performance
Example: to do/perform a dance routine

anonymity (n) – the state of remaining unknown to most other people

stage fright (n) – nervous feelings felt by performers before they appear in front of an audience

provocative (adj) – potentially erotic or sexually suggestive, intended to make somebody intimately excited

bumping and grinding (idiom) – A sexually suggestive dance involving exaggerated hip movements

Capoeira (n) – a Brazilian system of movements which is similar to dance and martial arts

physical fitness (n) – the ability of your body systems to work together efficiently to allow you to be healthy and perform activities of daily living

mesmerizing (adj) – having such a strong effect on you that you cannot give your attention to anything else

precise (adj) – clear and accurate

Irish Step Dancing / Riverdance (n) – a popular stage show based on a type of Irish dancing called stepdance, which involves very quick movements of the feet while the arms remain at the side of the body. Its best-known performer was Michael Flatley, who also appeared in the stage show Lord of the Dance.

collaborating on a video / video collab – a form of collaboration on a video platform. Often between smaller channels, content creators will pool together to help boost one another’s channels. The idea is that a light is shone on content and made known to two audiences, rather than just one.
collaboration (n) [C1] – the act of working with another person or group of people to create or produce something

interpretive dance (n) – a family of modern dance styles that began around 1900 with Isadora Duncan. It used classical concert music but marked a departure from traditional concert dance. It seeks to translate human emotions, conditions, situations or fantasies into movement and dramatic expression, or else adapts traditional ethnic movements into more modern expressions.

rhythm (n) [B2] – a strong regular repeated pattern of sounds or movements

improvise (v) – to make or do something using whatever is available, usually because you do not have what you really need
improvisational (adj) – Speech or music that is improvisational is done or performed without being planned exactly, or is made up as it is being performed or done
improv (n) – (only acting) a performance, for example of comedy or acting, that is improvised (= invented as it is done rather than using words or music written and practised in advance)

to have two left feet – (dancing specific) very clumsy
I’m all thumbs – (in general, not dancing)

dexterity (n) – the ability to perform a difficult action quickly and skilfully with the hands

stretching (v) [B2] – to move your body or your arms and legs so that the muscles are tightened, in order to exercise the joints (= place where two bones are connected) and muscles after you have been in the same place or position for a long time or before excerise in order to avoid injury

to unwind – to stop worrying or thinking about problems and start to relax
to be wound too tight / tightly wound (idiom) – often used to describe someone who is easily stressed, anxious, or tense

to be tense (adj) – (of a person) in or of a state of physical or nervous tension, often due to stress, anxiety, nerves and/or uneasiness; tends to be associated with the physical sensation of tightened muscles (also called tension), so it has association with mental health as well as physical manifestation of being overworked physically or under a heavy burden mentally
release tension – (the same as unwind) to stop worrying or thinking about problems and start to relax, often through some activity like exercise or a massage

to feel as light as a feather (idiom) – extremely light (is a metaphor which may refer literally to the weight of something, or may refer to a state of mind or emotions)

pent up feelings (adj) – emotions, energies, or forces have been held back and not expressed, used, or released

physical demeanor –

for the enjoyment /pleasure –

to uplift your spirits / lift someone’s spirits (phrase) – to make someone happier, or to remove stress so that they are less tense and more relaxed

positive experience / positive influence –

body coordination / hand-eye coordination –

coordinated routines –

footwork (n) – the way in which the feet are used in sports or dancing, especially when it is skilful

front and center (idiom) – in or into the most important position
Example: The issue has moved front and center in his presidential campaign.

all eyes were on me –

on the other hand –

all who are with me say “aye” /aɪ/ – (exclamation) yes

honoring his word –

come up with an excuse on the fly – if you do something on the fly, you do it quickly while something else is happening, and without thinking about it very much

I’m washing my hair tonight

My dog ate my homework

cultural appropriation – the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture

it’s a fine line (idiom) [C1] – If you say that there is a fine line between one thing and another, you mean that they are very similar. You often say this when one thing is acceptable and the other is not
Example: it’s a fine line between love and hate

overcorrecting – the act of changing something too much when you are trying to correct it, or a change like this
Example: Remember not to overcorrect, as this can cause your car to spin out of control.