Vince A
01-13-2005, 06:46 PM
Want a quick way to spice up your dancing? Listen to the music... Then dance to it. Almost every dancer has a favorite song but how many of us make our dancing mirror our feelings for that song? Most dance music has a bass or drum keeping things on time but listen to the singer and the rest of the instruments as well.
We all know about keeping our dancing on time with the music but just how strict should that be? To get a good idea of what works listen to a good Frank Sinatra recording. Does he sing on time? Watch a competition couple dance a polished choreographed routine. Are they dancing on perfect time? Go rent a Fred Astaire movie. Most of his dancing involved tap routines but watch his hands, head and facial expressions as well his feet.
Like good singing your dancing can flow around the music. Once you are comfortable enough with the dance try to experiment with this technique. If you take lessons ask your teacher about this added part of your dancing.
Learning a choreographed showcase dance can help with this concept.
This concept will be most visible in a Rhythm dances like Swing and West Coast Swing (WCS). Watch how an extremely fast movement is followed by a slow movement or a hesitation. Watch how the dancers mirror the flow of the music. That doesn't mean you need to get so far away from the music that your dance partner starts fighting for control. But start paying attention to where in that special song you can use that favorite dance move. If you don't count the phrasing of that good West-Coast Swing song listen to it again and count.
We all know about keeping our dancing on time with the music but just how strict should that be? To get a good idea of what works listen to a good Frank Sinatra recording. Does he sing on time? Watch a competition couple dance a polished choreographed routine. Are they dancing on perfect time? Go rent a Fred Astaire movie. Most of his dancing involved tap routines but watch his hands, head and facial expressions as well his feet.
Like good singing your dancing can flow around the music. Once you are comfortable enough with the dance try to experiment with this technique. If you take lessons ask your teacher about this added part of your dancing.
Learning a choreographed showcase dance can help with this concept.
This concept will be most visible in a Rhythm dances like Swing and West Coast Swing (WCS). Watch how an extremely fast movement is followed by a slow movement or a hesitation. Watch how the dancers mirror the flow of the music. That doesn't mean you need to get so far away from the music that your dance partner starts fighting for control. But start paying attention to where in that special song you can use that favorite dance move. If you don't count the phrasing of that good West-Coast Swing song listen to it again and count.