| dance position | The position of the man and lady in relationship to each other when dancing. |
| dancesport | The official name given to the sport of competitive Ballroom Dancing. |
| developé | (Dev-Lo-PAY) An action whereby the free foot is drawn up to the knee of the supporting leg, and then extended (or "developed") until the leg is completely straight. |
| diagonal movement | Movement which is simultaneously lateral (sideways) and progressive (forward/back). |
| directional movement | Movement toward a specific direction (as opposed to rotational movement). Three types of directional movement are Lateral, Progressive, and Diagonal. |
| downbeat | Refers to the very beginning of each beat. If a measure is counted 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &... then the numbers 1,2,3, and 4 are considered to be the downbeats, while the "ands" are the Upbeats. |
| drop | A type of movement in which one partner's body weight becomes partially or completely supported by the other, while at least one part of the supportee's body remains in contact with the floor. |
| dynamics | Changes in the various qualities of dancing, such as speed, height, mood, and intensity. |
| downbeat | Refers to the strongest beats in each measure. In 4/4 music the downbeats are the 1 and the 3. (The upbeats are 2 and 4). |
