hoofers
Slang for dancers
Hoofers is the plural of hoofer, slang for a professional dancer, especially one who performs tap or chorus-line dancing.
The term evokes old-fashioned show business—vaudeville stages, Broadway musicals, chorus lines: The old hoofers traded stories about their days on the circuit.
Someone who dances energetically or percussively might be called a hoofer even outside professional contexts.
Skilled lower-limb movement
- agilityQuickness and ease
- precisionAccuracy of measurement
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- timingArt of choosing moments
balance · dexterity · articulation · clarity · speed · control · musicality · dynamics
Theatrical variety entertainment
- cabaretLive entertainment venue
- revueMusical variety entertainment
- showgirlTheatrical revue dancer
- chorus lineSynchronized stage dancers
musical theater · variety · burlesque · spectacle · stage · 42nd Street · showbiz · troupe
Reorders randomly
- flapsHinged control surfaces
- wingsLimbs for flight
- ball changeQuick two-step foot movement
- brushesBristled implements for grooming
pickups · soft shoe · class act · metal plates · taps · syncopation · staccato · riffs
Classical female dancer
- jazz dancerPerformer of syncopated movement
- modern dancerNon-classical movement artist
- flamenco dancerSpanish folk performer
- corps de balletBallet's ensemble performers
chorus dancer · backup dancer · soloist · prima ballerina · ensemble · partner · performer · terpsichorean
Rhythmic pulse or strike
- tempoRate of musical performance
- cadenceRhythmic pulse or pattern
- grooveNarrow cut or routine
- swingSuspended recreational seat
pulse · meter · polyrhythm · syncopation · percussion · drumming · accents · phrasing
footwork
Skilled lower-limb movement
- agilityQuickness and ease
- precisionAccuracy of measurement
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
timing · balance · dexterity · articulation · clarity · speed · control · musicality · dynamics · attack
vaudeville
Theatrical variety entertainment
chorus line · musical theater · variety · burlesque · spectacle · stage · 42nd Street · showbiz · troupe · Gregory Hines
shuffles
Reorders randomly
- flapsHinged control surfaces
- wingsLimbs for flight
- ball changeQuick two-step foot movement
brushes · pickups · soft shoe · class act · metal plates · taps · syncopation · staccato · riffs · pullbacks
ballerina
Classical female dancer
- jazz dancerPerformer of syncopated movement
- modern dancerNon-classical movement artist
- flamenco dancerSpanish folk performer
corps de ballet · chorus dancer · backup dancer · soloist · prima ballerina · ensemble · partner · performer · terpsichorean · showgirl
beat
Rhythmic pulse or strike
swing · pulse · meter · polyrhythm · syncopation · percussion · drumming · accents · phrasing · musicality
hoofersaudience
Gathered viewers collectively
spectators · viewers · theatergoers · onlookers · crowd
hooferswallflowers
Timid party attendees
couch potatoes · sitters · stiffs · statues
- hoofed itTraveled by walking
- hoofed animalsCreatures with keratin feet
- hoofed mammalAnimal with hoof-type feet