#Musicality definition in dance how to#

One basic timing for Tango is SSQQS or 12-34-5-6-78. In American Tango, all patterns or amalgamations must equal in counts of eight. Now letвЂ™s talk about counting and dancing on time. So now we have a good understanding of downbeats, upbeats, and phrase, so letвЂ™s put it all together! Counting and Dancing On-Time This means that after the вЂњone, two, threeвЂќ at the very beginning, you would count to eight and then begin dancing. There is a 16-measure introduction in this song where you would need to choreograph an introduction into your dance if performing or competing, however, if you are dancing socially it is acceptable to begin dancing at the beginning of an eight-count phrase. LetвЂ™s take the American Tango song, вЂњLa CumparsitaвЂќ by Bulevard Tango Club for example. When the music starts, itвЂ™s important to begin at the beginning of a phrase so that you can start on time and dance musically. Phrases are like stories one phrase is a sentence two to three phrases are like a paragraph and four phrases are like a chapter. Phrases must be at least two measures long which would equal out to eight counts if youвЂ™re using a song written in 4/4 timing, such as American Tango music. Now that we have a better understanding of downbeats and upbeats, itвЂ™s time to learn Phrase.ДЄ phrase is a specific number of measures that make up a complete вЂњthoughtвЂќ of music. You may have heard your dance instructor count вЂњfour andвЂќ or вЂњfour and aвЂќ to indicate an action they want you to do after taking the step on count вЂњfourвЂќ in preparation for the strong one or downbeat. In American Tango, itвЂ™s also common to accent the end of the 4th beat, when transitioning from Closed Position to Promenade Position or by hitting a line by a flick of the foot before going into your next phrase of choreography. The upbeat is useful to use to anticipate when to start dancing by listening for the snare drum that happens at the end of count four.

These beats are on counts two and four in a measure of music and itвЂ™s what you would clap to when following along to a song. Now letвЂ™s chat about the upbeat!ДЄn upbeat is an unaccented beat preceding an accented beat. To identify the downbeat, tune into the sound of the keyboard and listen for the most prominent beat, then start counting to four or eight from there. When listening to a Tango, there are many instruments including the violin, flute, piano, double bass, and keyboard. Why is downbeat important? Because in most dances, including Tango, youвЂ™ll take your first step on count one, which is the dominant downbeat. Did you find it? Great job! Now that you have identified the beat, letвЂ™s talk about downbeats and upbeats.ДЄ downbeat is an accented beat that is on the 1st and 3rd beat. If this doesnвЂ™t work for you, try clapping your hands or tapping your fingers. Now start to tap your foot to the music until you are in sync with the music.

Ready to give it a try? For this exercise, I would like you to play, вЂњSanta MariaвЂќ by Gotan Project, which is a classic American Tango song. In a dance class or during a private dance lesson, I like to play a song thatвЂ™s easy to hear and clap the beat with them until they can do it on their own. The beat is the regular rhythmic pulse in a song. The first step in finding the beat is understanding what it is. In Tango, for example, the beat can be very strong, which makes it easier to hear than other dances.

#Musicality definition in dance how to#

To start, youвЂ™ll need to learn how to find the beat, understand where the downbeats are and count the music. One of the most basic ways you can become more musical in your dancing is by learning to dance вЂњon timeвЂќ.

In a nutshell, musicality is the way a dancer hears, feels and expresses themselves to the music through dance. Tips for Dancing Musically in American Tango There are many ways to explain musicality, and here are some of my favorite tips for American Style Tango.

In this blog post and the video below, weвЂ™ll be discussing some great tips to help you improve your musicality within American Style Tango. That said, you came to the right place to learn. You are not alone, because this is a very common question in dance and problem for many dancers. What is musicality within dance? Great question! If youвЂ™re anything like me, you may have asked yourself this question when you started dancing.