PROFICIENCY EXPERT

UNIT 1. Performing arts

VOCABULARY
training: the process of teaching or being taught the skills for a particular job or activity
a mentor: an experienced person who advises and helps a less experienced person
upbringing: the way that your parents care for you and teach you to behave when you are growing up→bring up

Performing arts: dance, acting, music, musical theatre, acrobatics (juggling, stilt-walking, clowns) busking
(playing music on the street), magic, martial arts, flash mobs….

Circus:
acrobat
clown
juggler → malabarista
stilt-walking
ringmaster

buscker → music de carrer

family background
innate talent
determination
a lucky break
participation in talents contest (competition)
denouement: the exciting last part of a story or play (desenlace)
flashbacks: a scene in a film, play, book etc that shows something that happened before that point in the story
prequel: a book, film etc that tells you what happened before the story told in a previous popular book or film
score: a written or printed copy of a piece of music, especially for a large group of performers, or the music itself
sequel: a book, film, play etc that continues the story of an earlier one, usually written or made by the same
person → prequel
stage fright: nervousness felt by someone who is going to perform in front of a lot of people (miedo escenico)

tatty //tati//
old and in bad condition

hustle //jasel//
[ T usually + adv/prep ] to make someone move quickly by pushing or pulling them along
[ I or T ] mainly US informal to try to persuade someone, especially to buy something, often illegally

resilience //resilians//
the ability to be happy, successful, etc. again after something difficult or bad has happened

prerequisite //prirrequisit//
something that must exist or happen before something else can exist or happen

sartorial //satoriel// → elegant

relating to the making of clothes, usually men's clothes, or to a way of dressing

mediocrity //midiocriti//
the quality of being not very good

lousy //lausi//
very bad

ruthlessness → falta de empatia

the quality of not thinking or worrying about any pain caused to others when deciding what you need to do

jaded //jaided/ → fart

not having interest or losing interest because you have experienced something too many times

notorious
famous for something bad

choreography, auditorium, inspire, backstage, preview

PHRASES
jump to conclusions: to guess the facts about a situation without having enough information
jump down my throat: to react angrily to something that someone says or does
jump for joy: very happy
leap at the opportunity
leap in the dark: saltar al vacío
by leaps and bounds:very quickly - a pasos agigantados
out of bounds: outside the permitted area or limits - zona prohibida
know no bounds → no té limits
to be anonymous or stand out in a crowd
A source that never runs dry
Complaints are useless
A harsh reality → cruda realidad
The dangers of fame
A financial dilemma
It’s who you know, not what you know → lo importante es a quien conoces, no lo que sabes

COLLOCATIONS
stage fright → miedo escénico
enter the stage on cue → señal de entrada
dress rehearsal → ensayo general, antes del estreno
emotional recall → recuerdo emocional
standing ovation → ovación de pie
backing vocals → coros
curtain call → despedida final de los artistas
live performance → actuación en vivo
limelight → ser el centro de atención

COMPOUND WORDS
understudy → suplente
underact → actuar sin garra
underwriter → suscriptor
soundtrack → banda sonora
soundstage → escenario sonoro
playwright → dramaturgo
playact → actuar, hacer teatro
overact → sobreactuar
screenwriter → guionista
backstage → bastidores, camerinos
backtrack → to change an opinion or promise that you gave so that it is not as strong as it was earlier
USE OF ENGLISH
turn out
to name but a few
touts strong connections
provide with
Meanwhile,
chance to grasp
is effectively a microcosm of….
the cutting edge of the latest…

WIDE – widely
ADAPT – adaptation
PLAY – playwright
LYRIC – lyricists
INTERPRET – misinterpreted
QUESTION – questionable
PRECEDE – unprecedented
VIEW – preview
STAGE – backstage

lead role → rol principal

firm adaptation → adaptación cinematografica
rave reviews → muy buenas críticas
standing ovation → ovación de pie
box office → taquilla
silver screen → pantalla grande

NOUNS+PREPOSITIONS
prerequisite for
insistence on
thirst for knowledge/education/information
reason for sth / reason why/reason (that)/reason behind/
for reasons of sth/reason to do sth/there is no reason to do something
interpretation of
taste in
contrast with
talent for
instrument for
control of
recognition for
contribution to
influence on
ability to

VERBS OF MOVEMENT
curl → rizar
expand → desarrollarse
stretch → estirarse (stretched out her arms)
hobble → cojear (old man)
saunter → pasear tranquilamente
stride → moverse a grandes zancadas
hoist → levantar (gasped his partner and hoisted her onto his shoulders)
pile → amontonar
winch → levantar con cuerda
amble → pasear sin prisa
clamber → trepar con dificultad (across the rooftops)
trudge → caminar fatigosamente
glide → deslizarse (the dancer’s feet seemed to glide across the floor)
skid → patinar, derrapar
sprint → esprintar
slid →cortar
trip → desnudarse
twirl → girar, dar vueltas (round and round)

DESCRIBING MUSIC
deafening: extremely loud
depressing: making you feel unhappy and without hope for the future:
discordant: producing an unpleasant sound
harmonious: having a pleasant tune or harmony
inspiring:encouraging, or making you feel you want to do something
mind-blowing: extremely exciting or surprising
rhythmic: A rhythmic sound has a regular movement or beat that is repeated
soothing: making you feel calm
uplifting/moving: making someone feel better
upbeat: full of hope and happiness

MUSIC IDIOMS
blow your own trumpet: to tell everyone proudly about your achievements
change your tune: to change your opinion completely, especially because you know it will bring you an
advantage:
go for a song: very cheaply
play it by ear: to decide how to deal with a situation as it develops, rather than acting according to plans made
earlier
pull out all the stops: to do everything you can to make something successful:
ring a bell: to sound familiar

AGREEING, DISAGREEING AND WEIGHING THINGS UP

I can’t disagree with that…
I think we ought to take into consideration….
That may be the case but…
We can’t rule out (the possibility that)...
Have you considered…?
You’ve got a point but…
I’d go along with that.
Absolutely!

LISTENING
Illustration - Imperfections - Realistic - Film festival - Advertisements - Collaboration - By hand - Observation -
Actors
GRAMMAR: CONTINUOUS FORMS

GRAMMAR: STATE VERBS

Not normally used in continuous form:
1. Describe emotions or mental states or processes: adore, appreciate (=value), approve of, believe,
care, consider (=hold an opinion), detest, recollect, dislike, doubt, expect (=think), fear, feel (=have an
opinion), find (=realise), forget, gather (=understand), hate, imagine, know, like, loathe, love, need,
mind, perceive, prefer, realise, recall, recognise, recollect, regret, remember, require, see
(=understand), see through sb (=understand hidden motives), suppose, suspect, think (=have an
opinion), trust (=believe, have a confidence in), understand, value, want, wish.
Exceptions: enjoy, long for
2. Refer to senses: feel, hear, see, smell, sound, taste, notice, observe.
3. Refer to communication: agree, apologise, deny, disagree, mean, promise
4. Refer to exterior appearance: appear, look (=seem), seem
5. Refer to possession: belong to, have, owe, own, possess
6. Other state verbs: be, concern, consist of, cost, depend on, deserve, exit, fit, hold =contain, impress,
include, involve, keep =(continue), lack (but is lacking in), matter, resemble, signify, suit, surprise, weigh

State verbs in Continuous when they describe an action:

I’m thinking about…I’m seeing the director tomorrow… We’re having a great time….

TIME WORDS
before - currently - first - just - last - lately - long - since - still - yet