Terp (music industry jargon)

Terp is a music industry jargon for "dance." The term is an eponym for Terpsichore, the Greek muse of dramatic chorus and dance.^[1] The term, still in use, was more common from the 1930s to the 1970s by dance professionals and music entertainment industry magazines, namely Billboard, which uses the term "terp" and "Terpsichore" interchangeably.

Hackett's herd churns out a highly palatable brand of terp tempi, equally appealing to the ear and toe.^[2]

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