Proper names for a dance show

I find it quite amusing when people ask me, "How did the play go?"  I generally just tell them it went well, but internally I cringe.  I would love to snap back that "It didn't happen," or something like that, because I was not in a play.  I was in a ballet.

I don't blame non-dancers for not knowing dance terminology, but a little education goes a long way.  Here are some terms for referring to dance performances.

If there is a performance of ballet dancing that portrays a story or the original work of a choreographer, it is called a ballet.  Ballets can also be called performances or shows.  Individual sections of ballets separated by intermissions are called acts, and sections that are not separated by intermissions are called pieces or variations.  Generally variation is used to refer to classical solos, and piece is used to refer to more contemporary choreography that involves more dancers.  Within the variation category is something called a divertissement, which is a length of choreography that shows off a dancer's abilities without advancing the plot of the ballet or developing a character.  Sections of Nutcracker like Arabian and Spanish are divertissements.  When two dancers (almost always a male and a female) dance together, it's called a pas de deux.  When three dancers dance together, it's a pas de trois.  When four dancers dance together (4 swans from Swan Lake), it's a pas de quatre.  A ballet performance that contains multiple pieces that do not form a cohesive story is called a repertory show.

If there is a performance of another style of dance like tap, jazz, contemporary, or ballroom, it is called a show or performance.  Individual sections of the show are called pieces.  If a dancer performs alone, it is called a solo.

If a dance school is putting on a performance to show the work each class has done over the training year, it is called a recital.  Each dance done by a group of students is called a piece.  Some teachers, parents, and students call pieces dances, which is more informal.  If one dancer performs a solo in classical ballet, it is called a variation.  If one dancer performs a solo in another style, it is called a solo.  Sometimes pieces danced by two dancers are called duets or duos, and pieces performed by three dancers are called trios.

At a dance competition, dancers perform individually and in groups.  Group dances are called pieces or dances.  Individual pieces are called solos.  If a solo is in classical ballet, it is called a variation.  Pieces danced by two dancers are called duets or duos, and pieces performed by three dancers are called trios.

Sometimes dancers are performers in plays (such as on Broadway).  Plays can be called plays, performances, or shows.  If there is a lot of singing and dancing in a play, it is called a musical.  Dance sections in musicals are generally called numbers.

Big point here: you can call a both a ballet and a play a performance or show, but you cannot call a play a ballet and you cannot call a ballet a play.  If you are not sure what to call a dance event, use performance or show.  Both are accurate terms for all types of dance.