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• toe dance
  toe dance

  noun

  a dance performed on the tips of the toes.
• toe-dance
  toe-dance

  verb (used without object)

  to perform a toe dance.

toe dance

¹ American  

noun

1. a dance performed on the tips of the toes.

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toe-dance ² American  

[toh-dans, -dahns] / ˈtoʊˌdæns, -ˌdɑns /

verb (used without object)

toe-danced, toe-dancing

1. to perform a toe dance.

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toe dance British  

noun

1. a dance performed on tiptoe

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verb

1. (intr) ballet to dance on pointes

Other Word Forms

• toe dancer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of toe dance¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Origin of toe-dance²

v. use of noun phrase toe dance

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

toe dance toe-dance toe-dancing

But of later years there has developed in the terpsichorean art other forms and combinations of toe dancing besides the strictly classical, as for instance, the eccentric toe dance and the acrobatic toe dance.

From The Art of Stage Dancing The Story of a Beautiful and Profitable Profession by Wayburn, Ned

Bush tried, as he put it, "to find a proper, prudent balance" -- to toe-dance between the horns of the dilemma.

From Time Magazine Archive

In Ormond Beach, Fla., John D. Rockefeller Sr, reviewed the children's parade in a village street fair, watched a 5-year-old girl do a toe-dance.

From Time Magazine Archive

To be up-to-date the schools must teach the ballet, the toe-dance, the classical and acrobatic dance, the fox trot, one-step, two-step and waltz and the tap dance.

From Time Magazine Archive

A year later when Pavlowa returned to Indianapolis, Ruth was taken to see her, did a toe-dance of her own composition.

From Time Magazine Archive

He rose, and performed something like a toe-dance, a supposed imitation of his sister's mincing approach to the visitor.

From The Flirt by Tarkington, Booth

Cleveland applauded importantly two years ago when Doris Humphrey of Manhattan's Dance Repertory Theatre, lecturing at the art museum, called the ballet "an artificial type of toe-dancing."

From Time Magazine Archive

And equally unacceptable are the frequent exhibitions of toe-dancing, sheer gymnastic feats, difficult, indeed, but essentially uninteresting.

From A Book About the Theater by Matthews, Brander

"I think," said Cochrane, "I'll have to take up toe-dancing."

From Operation: Outer Space by Leinster, Murray

Like as not, now, some toe-dancing stripling of a retiarius will entangle me in his net this very afternoon, and no mercy signal has been or will be given this day.

From Triplanetary by Smith, E. E. (Edward Elmer)

A portion of it was curtained off for the pupils to change into practice dress, and all the way round the walls was a rail for toe-dancing.

From Carnival by MacKenzie, Compton