From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdancedance1 /dɑːns $ dæns/ ●●● S2 W3 noun 1 [countable]DANCE a special set of movements performed to a particular type of music The waltz is an easy dance to learn.folk/traditional dance the traditional dances and music of Russia2 [countable]DANCE a social event or party where you dance Are you going to the dance this weekend? the school dance3 [countable]DANCE an act of dancing Claire did a little dance of excitement.have a dance especially British English Let’s have another dance.4 [countable]APM a piece of music which you can dance to The band was playing a slow dance.5 [uncountable]DANCE the activity or art of dancing modern dance dance and movement classes → song and dance about something at song(4), → lead somebody a dance at lead1(19)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa traditional danceThe drum is often used in Africa to accompany traditional dances.a folk dance (=typical of the ordinary people who live somewhere)This is one of the oldest folk dances in Greece.a national danceThe Tango is Argentina’s national dance.verbsdo a danceCan you do any dances?perform a danceWe watched the group perform some traditional Spanish dances.dance + NOUNa dance routine/sequence (=a set of movements that are part of a dance)She was practising a complicated dance routine.a dance step (=a movement in a dance)Lou was teaching me a few dance steps.dance musicA small band was playing dance music.a dance floor (=special floor for people to dance on)a dance band (=playing music that people can dance to)a professional dance band THESAURUSdance an organized social event where people to go danceThe dance will be held in the school gym.ball a large formal occasion where people danceThe University holds a ball at the end of June.prom a formal dance party for high school students, especially in the US, usually held at the end of a school yearWho’s your date for the prom?formal American English a dance at which you must wear formal clothesHe rented a tuxedo to wear to his company’s holiday formal.disco a place or social event where people dance to recorded popular musicShe met Nick at a school disco.club/nightclub a place where people go at night to danceWe went out for dinner and then to a club.
Examples from the Corpus
dance• Dances used to be held in the church hall at least once a month.• The surprise hit of that summer was 'Macarena', which was also a dance craze.• Most black dance students of the time tended to be steered by well-meaning teachers into the more welcoming field of modern dance.• The Society are holding their 15th anniversary dinner dance at the Broomshill Hotel.• I prefer old-fashioned dances like the waltz or the tango.• Hungarian folk dances• May I have the next dance?• Twyla Tharpe's dance troupe• school dances• As the dance finished we curtsied again and the Duke of Edinburgh stopped to congratulate us.• Alan took Amy to the dance last weekend.• Do you want to go to the dance on Saturday night?• The dance was loneliness and anguish laid bare.• Martina and I performed the uncertain dance of people parting, with its limited steps.folk/traditional dance• Although traditional, these instruments are still used to accompany folk dances today.• The children were encouraged to take ballroom and folk dancing as part of their physical training curriculum.• Each evening at Skei there will special events such as folk dancing.• The participants in folk dance can and certainly do show elation.• The event will be followed by a Pan-Orthodox folk dance celebration.• Secondly the traditional dances and customs of a particular country that can give local colour and atmosphere to a plot or theme.• It also conveys the mood and emotions of the Girl, a very rare happening in true folk dance.• A show to bring warmth to your heart, a large measure of live music with traditional dance circle steps.did a ... dance• Did you really dance to it?• They didn't dance, they didn't tease - they didn't strip, not really.• Frank did not dance with me as Charlie had.• The vain girl did a little dance in them, but when she tried to stop, the shoes kept on dancing.• He did a dance of his own after the shot went in.• Then he looked at my legs and I did a few dances.• While Mary did her dance practice her husband Ian joined us with other families on some of the excursions.• The kitchenmaids had lifeless eyes; they drifted, they did not dance in foot or mind.dancedance2 ●●● S2 W3 verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]DANCE to move your feet and body in a way that matches the style and speed of music Come on, let’s dance.dance to They danced to Ruby Newman’s orchestra (=the orchestra was playing).dance with The bride danced with her father.dance a waltz/rumba/tango etc2 [intransitive, transitive] to dance in performances, especially in ballet He danced with the Boston Repertory Ballet. Nakamura dances several solos in this production.3 [intransitive]MOVE/CHANGE POSITION literary to move up, down, and around quickly Pink and white balloons danced in the wind.4 → dance to somebody’s tune5 → dance attendance on somebody —dancing noun [uncountable] the beauty of her dancing→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
dance• Everyone got up and danced.• Two or three couples began to dance.• A party of enthusiasts danced a quadrille on a flat rock near the middle of the stream.• I have an old photo of my parents dancing a waltz.• She danced and danced, at one point passing by the funeral of the kind old woman.• They dance off into the cosmos.• He doesn't dance on his own for long.• Nakamura danced several solos in the "Nutcracker Suite."• The disco starts at 11pm so you can dance the night away.• She only wanted him to go on dancing till he dropped.• If you like dancing to drum and bass, come to the Coven on Saturday night.• She had arrived with her parents some time ago but seemed to be dancing with a matador.• Will you dance with me?• She danced with the San Francisco Ballet for six years.• They responded by dancing with their tongues tucked happily into their cheeks.dance to• The audience clapped, swayed, and danced to the music.Origin dance2 (1200-1300) Old French dancier 