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Dance, Party & Celebration
28 entries in this part of the language, each with meanings, pronunciation and worked examples.
- Blues A 'blues' (or 'blues dance') is an intimate, low-lit house party where slow reggae and…
- Bogle A classic dancehall dance move of the early 1990s, marked by a rhythmic rocking of the arms…
- Bubble To dance with a smooth, rolling, gyrating motion — and, more broadly, to party and enjoy…
- Butterfly A famous early-1990s dancehall dance move in which the dancer bends the knees and flaps…
- Carnival Jamaica's soca-driven street festival — a road march of feathered costumes, music trucks…
- Chip To walk or move with a light, stylish, unhurried strut — 'chip up di road' is to stroll…
- Daggering A raw, aggressive dancehall dance and lyrical style that appeared around 2008, involving…
- Dancehall queen A woman celebrated as the top female dancer in the dancehall — recognised for her bold…
- Dutty wine An energetic dancehall dance craze of the mid-2000s, involving fast, circular whining of…
- Go-go Go-go dancing — energetic, sexually-charged club dancing performed by 'go-go' dancers, and…
- Grand market The great Christmas Eve celebration, when the towns fill up and the shopping, eating, and…
- Gully creepa A dancehall dance move in which the dancer bends low and 'creeps' with a smooth, crouching…
- Jammin Having a good time — dancing, playing music, and enjoying oneself freely.
- Log on A hugely popular early-2000s dancehall dance move, launched by Elephant Man's song 'Log On'…
- Maypole A traditional folk dance in which dancers weave brightly coloured ribbons around a tall…
- Nice up To liven up, brighten, or make something enjoyable — 'nice up di dance' is to get the party…
- Nuh Linga A dancehall dance move from Elephant Man's song 'Nuh Linga', built on quick, non-lingering…
- Pon di River A dancehall dance and its anthem from Elephant Man — 'Pon di River, Pon di Bank' — where…
- Quadrille Jamaica's traditional formal set-dance — a creolised version of the European quadrille…
- Row di boat A dancehall dance move in which the dancer mimes rowing a boat — pulling both arms back and…
- Signal di plane A dancehall dance move in which the dancer raises and waves both arms overhead as if…
- Skin out To spread wide open — most often, in dancehall, for a woman to open her legs wide while…
- Skinout To dance by spreading the legs wide and low — a raw, sexually suggestive dancehall move…
- Vibes-up To hype up, energise, and create a good atmosphere — to get the 'vibes' (mood, energy) high.
- Willie Bounce A popular mid-2000s dancehall dance — a bouncy, rocking step with a shoulder-and-body…
- Wine To dance by rolling and gyrating the waist and hips in a smooth, circular motion — the core…
- Wine up To roll and gyrate the hips and waist in dance — the signature movement of Caribbean…
- World Dance A classic dancehall dance move created by the legendary dancer Gerald 'Bogle' Levy — a…