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apache dance

apache dance

9.9
A fast, dramatic dance that shows a pretend struggle between a man and a woman
  • noun
  • /əˈpæʃ deɪns/
  • Archaic
translation icon : danza apache
  • The performers captivated the audience with a passionate apache dance on stage.

Examples

  • In Parisian cabarets, the apache dance became a symbol of rebellious youth culture.

  • She studied the intricate steps required for the apache dance as part of her dance training.

  • The performers showcased an apache dance that left the audience breathless.

  • Have you ever seen an apache dance live?

  • In Parisian cabarets, the apache dance became a symbol of rebellious youth culture.

  • The performers captivated the audience with a passionate apache dance on stage.

  • She studied the intricate steps required for the apache dance as part of her dance training.

Surface Forms

apache dance singular
apache dances plural

Morphology

apache + dance

Knowing 'apache' (a member of Parisian criminal gangs) plus 'dance' gives a learner a general hint that this is a dance associated with those people, so some notion of style or association is recoverable. However the specific sense — a violent, theatrical partner dance mimicking a struggle and its historical origin in French vaudeville — is culturally specific and not directly predictable from the constituents alone, so partial inference but not full comprehension is likely for a B1 learner.

Etymology

Apache dance The noun apache dance comes from early 1900s Paris stage shows, where the word apache was used for a street 'gangster' and performers created a wild dance that looked like a real fight between a man and a woman. So today apache dance means a fast, violent stage dance that looks like a struggle.