Dance (noun) dancing (gerund, noun)

[angelus]

Please what the difference in use between dance/ dancing?

Can I say...?

My favorite hobby is dance.
My favorite hobby is dancing.

Also she is a dance teacher. *dancing teacher
It is a dance class/class of dancing.

A bit confusing for me.

[svartnik]

Please what the difference in use between dance/ dancing?

Can I say...?

My favorite hobby is dance.
My favorite hobby is dancing.

Also she is a dance teacher. *dancing teacher
It is a dance class/class of dancing.

A bit confusing for me.

a. My favorite hobby is dance.
b. My favorite hobby is dancing

dance:
1. a special set of movements
2. a social event that...
3. an act of damcing
4. piece of music
5. the art of music

There is a difference to me between the two sentences above (a;b):

a. I like the art of dancing. (It is possible that the referrent of 'I' never dances; I do not know)
b. I like to dance ( and I dance in my free time for enjoyment)

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c. dancing teacher -- one that is dancing
d. dance teacher -- one that helds dance classes

"dance" seems to restrict the meaning of teacher: not just any teacher, but a dance teacher. Does it mean nouns can have adjectival function? Yes.

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e. dancing class -- one that is dancing
f. dance class -- a group of people that is learning to dance or practising dance

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Does this help you?

[konungursvia]

That's right. To simplify, dance is the art you study from age 4 to become Baryshnikov; dancing is what you enjoy on a Saturday night for an hour or two, informally.