Dancers usually use stage terms to reference to which direction to move or face. Colorguard people may use terms as side one and side two. Here, we will discuss the dance terms of directions that are used in all of theatre.

A long time ago, stages used to be made on an angle and the house (or where the audience sits) used to be flat. The angled stage made it difficult for dancers to do their moves. One day, someone said, "why don't we make the house seats on an angle and make the stage flat?" DUH!!! That made life for us dancers much easier. Dancing on an angled stage is scary!------This story is to get us started on what "up stage" and "down stage" means. You can always imagine a stage that is on an angle with the lower end being toward the audience and the higher end being the farthest from the audience. So, "up stage" means the part of the stage that is the back of the stage and "down stage" means the part of the stage that is closest to the audience.

"Stage Right" and "Stage Left" references to the performer's right and left when he/she IS FACING THE AUDIENCE. No matter which direction you face, stage right and stage left stays the same. You just have to remember that it is your right and your left WHEN YOU FACE THE AUDIENCE.

Terms to think about: Down stage right, down stage left, up stage right, up stage left, center stage. Figure these out for yourself.