Sentence:  So , for that matter , <WSD>are</WSD> the newer dances - the `` Kalmuk Dance '' with its animal movements , that genial juggling act by Sergei Tsvetkov called `` The Platter '' , the rousing and beautiful betrothal celebration called `` Summer '' , `` The Three Shepherds '' of Azerbaijan hopping up on their staffs , and , of course , the trenchant `` Rock ' n ' Roll '' . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)