Imagine what would be dance without any music, any beats or rhythms. Dance looks quite incomplete if it isn’t accompanied by any music. You tend to feel the void, especially, during a couple dance where response to music is a must. Dance leaders may be able to lead many complicated moves, but if they are disembodied from the music, it will become a tad uncomfortable for their partners and also not look good to an audience. In fact, the best social dancing is not a dialogue between a man and woman; it is a conversation between a man, a woman, and a great piece of music. Here are a few tips to help you bring the third partner into your dancing life.
Allow yourself to be moved by music: One of the qualities that we as human beings enjoy most about music is its ability to move us. Therefore, it is important to allow the music to move your emotions as you dance, so that you can capture the feeling of the song. Try to understand if the music arouses feelings of love, anger, joy, playfulness, longing and airiness. Just enjoy the music and adjust your movement accordingly. The music and the dance will unite, as they should.
Allow yourself to play: Why did you just lead that turn? Why did you just syncopate with your feet? Are you truly responding to the music? It is important for both, a man and women to allow the music to inspire their moves as well as their improvisations. I would suggest men to begin the dance slowly and gradually lead their partner instead of starting the dance with complicated. Ladies can simply listen to the music and anticipate the nuances of the music that make your feet want to step up to a different rhythm. Here’s a challenge — For an entire song, try dancing the basic step only without any turns or fast movements.
Allow yourself to become a student again: How many hours have you spent taking dance classes, watching instructional videos, and practicing moves? And how many hours have you spent taking music classes, reading about dance music, and just listening to dance music? If you want to reach a new level in your dancing, learning the latest dips and tricks may not necessarily be the best next step you can take. Try learning how deeply music and dance can be connected.
Listen to the music you don’t like: Are you an avid salsa dancer, but don’t like Latin jazz or do you love Bollywood, but can’t seem to get the Jive and Tango right? Most of the times we don’t care about the type of music we listen to. Many dancers choose not to dance to certain kinds of music. Sometimes the music you dislike is the music you need to listen to the most. Learning to appreciate new rhythms can open up new avenues in your dancing.
Sometimes we sacrifice our attention to the music in order to dance well, look good or even trying to lead or follow our partner. Indeed, it seems that instructors give far more attention to the skills of getting a step right rather than they do to the act of listening and interpreting the music. Dancing techniques are indeed very important skills in dance, but we must not forget what inspired us to get up and dance in the first place. By inviting music back into our dancing regime, we can reach a new level of enjoyment whether we are beginners or seasoned veterans.
So the next time you hear your favourite number being played and you excitedly get up to dance, just remember that what is bringing you to the dance floor is the music and the great company of your dance partner. Try and give equal attention to both of them and see how your dance reaches to a new level.