Musical Concerns
for the Studio Dance Teacher
Some
thoughts on the relationship of music and dance in the Technique Studio
How do music and dance work together? This is an
elemental question, one which comes to the fore in our study of teaching dance.
Movement and music may have a 1-1
musical relation, a direct visualization of sound. This is a model from Doris
Humphrey and others from the beginnings of Modern Dance and from 17th
century Ballet. This perspective requires a special kind of movement sensitivity
on the part of both the musician and the teacher. It can be especially useful
for ballet &/or for improvisation. E.g. the rhythms of frappé can be
reproduced exactly in accompanying music; a skip can be translated as a 6/8, a
change in level can be mirrored by pitch. The artistic value of such an
approach is however, limited. We are encouraged then, to discover another
approach whereby music and dance conspire some other way in an effort to make
dance happen.
At
issue is how to reflect the stage and aesthetic of performance practice of the
art form in the technique studio. I am a strong proponent of the
“practice performance in class” School. This method supposes that
almost anything can be a dance; the sooner we get to performing things as fully
as possible, the better the outcome as a learning mode. It assumes that
performance is the goal of dance class. Obviously this is not always the case.
Perhaps this method is not as conducive to a pedagogy based on processing of
information. There are some teachers who prefer to separate “church and
state” as it were. I find that the separation model encourages a
classroom persona in dancers and in musicians - that one can get away with not
practicing the art of performance, a.k.a. phoning it in. Certainly there are
benefits to a variety of learning modes. But in the performing arts, I believe
we might best practice performing. All this is to say that the dynamic of music
and dance in the studio is quite complex. A good musician can often make or
break the studio experience. To further compound the issue is the relative
scarcity of knowledge and dialogue on the topic. It is our intent here to
develop a working vocabulary of musical syntax that should serve the dance
teacher well either in working with live music or in choosing musical support
for class.
Current
trends in concert dance lean toward using music in a free interpretation of
mood – i.e., the use of music as “mood wallpaper.” The
reasons for this have their roots in traditions in concert music and dance and
in our cultural bias for art as entertainment as well as a (sometimes justly)
perceived threat of music’s power. For a choreographer the range of
possible motivation might even include the way a certain movement feels to
articulate and what music seems to stimulate this desired somatic response.
What works in the classroom is often not suitable for the stage and vice
versa. These approaches that go
after a certain aesthetic in the music/dance relationship take a long time to
develop successfully for all the participants. Certain movers gravitate toward
certain music. So too, certain musicians gravitate toward certain movement and
so forth. How do we solve this seemingly endless complex of issues? We will
explore this ephemeral tissue.
Rhythm has become less and less literal in academic
dance. You should be able to describe your preferences about rhythm at the very
least. This could be free, or musician’s choice or you can stipulate and
go against. I find an unmetered approach particularly good when a class is
stretching or when counts simply get in the way. If you choose to use unmetered
music in the studio, try to guide the musician, the first few times at least,
in terms of scope and elemental gesture. Students will need some reassurance.
Be sure to indicate what works and what does not. If on the other hand you
choose metered organization in class, you should know how music is organized
and, at the very least, have a working vocabulary of rhythm to communicate to a
musician. This second approach will be our starting point. Additionally there
are stylistic models that are useful like the Baroque Dance Suite or ethnic
dances that share an organization, i.e. tango, mazurka, et al.
As
of this writing, I am still changing my ideas about what is and is not
important to communicate about music and the dance to prospective teachers
and/or musicians. These two entities commingle, they co-depend, and they can
both relate to and contrast one another and still be successful. There are some
easy rules of thumb and some on-going dilemmas. Ultimately, you will have to
address a range of issues from support to personal interaction in the studio.
You will have to decide actively what is and is not working. I encourage you to
take this on as a teacher. You will be rewarded again and again. Most important
is to be honest with your self and with others about how to solve various
problems when they arise.
World
Music and ethnic music (and the dreaded ethno-pop) are being emphasized more
and more in popular culture. They are often useful and can have their own
special pratfalls. Moreover, choreographers have given wholesale into the
convenience of CDs. These two trends coupled make a dance musician's job nearly
obsolete! Having a live musician remains an excellent way (perhaps the best)
for all of us in the dance community to learn about dance, teaching, the dance
and music relationship, and to build a larger commitment to art in the
community. This is an essential, even a primordial goal for all dance forms
– to build community. Support your local dance musicians and be
interested in art made in your community.
Essential Rhythm Topics:
a. Pulse
- a recurring energy in music, regular or irregular
b. Tempo - metrical, usually regular, rate of pulse
c. Groove - the emotional feeling of
recurring rhythms, dependent on style
d.
Upbeat - the anticipation beat or
half-beat before the beginning, i.e. ‘8 and 1’
e. Downbeat - the first beat in a measure. Its treatment is a big clue to style
f. Offbeat - anything that is not on a main accented beat. A
heavy accent on the offbeat
is
called syncopation.
g. Time Signatures - metric organization of time
h. measure or bar
– the musical unit of time which most closely resembles dancer counts
simple
meters [duple subdivision of
pulse]:
2/4,
3/4,
4/4
compound
meters [triple subdivision of
pulse]:
6/8, 12/8
9/8, etc.
odd
and mixed meters:
7/8, 7/4
5/4,
When
things are in odd meters, you usually divide into groups of 2s and 3s! E.g.s
2/8 +
3/8 = 5/8, or for the more adventuresome:
3/8 + 3/8 + 2/8 = 8/8 = 4/4
2/4 + 3/8 + 3/8 + 2/8= 12/8
3 + 3 +2 +2 +2 = hemiola, a special case
Useful techniques/means when constructing
combinations:
·
Hum a
‘fake’ phrase, or use a well-known ditty as a model. It
doesn’t have to be singing.
·
Have music on while you
compose the combos to borrow the form.
·
Use the body’s
organization and link it to a musical form.
·
Parse the overall
phrase structure. Is it even? Does it have a tag? ABA? Etc.
·
Design an energetic
shape for people to “hang their hat” on.
Terms to use when describing music to musicians:
smooth, powerful, funky, bluesy,
Swing [careful], with a backbeat, lyrical, watery, percussive, Classical
[careful], hymn-like, minimal, jazzy, Spanish [careful], etc.
• any
composer’s name, e.g.
Stravinsky, Bach or Debussy [all dance composers]
• emotions: often the best cues, e.g., sad, gentle, sweet,
angry, perky, plaintive, etc.
• Any
stylistic period: e.g., Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic
·
A familiar melody or
groove ( e.g. “Amerika” or Carmen’s “Tango”)
How you speak to the musician gives them clues as to
your knowledge and your desire to be musical. A little investment can reap huge
benefit. Don’t be afraid to exercise your knowledge, or to put it another
way, to share your enthusiasm. I find this kind of interaction
the most telling as a collaborator. Any talking we do
as conspirators in the studio will help to open the dialogue.
Other useful terms
rubato -
tempo is breathing, slowing and speeding of pulse, this is not random.
ritardando - slowing down
allargando- getting more expansive in expression
rallantando - pushing towards a finish
accelerando,
deccelerando - speedup/slow
down at the end of a phrase
a tempo
- at the original tempo
grazioso – gracefully
comodo –
naturally
con brio – with fire
codetta –
a small section after the body of a piece
4. Basic Dance Forms and Styles:
Waltz -
several kinds- 3/4
Polka –
2/4, 4/4 - Polish
Tarantella – 6/8, 12/8, Italian, minor
Minuet – German, 3/4, stately
Baroque Dance Suite:
Allemande – 4/4 with a 16th pickup
Courante – ‘running’ in 3
Sarabande – lascivious Spanish Dance in 3/4 or 4/4, slow and sexy
Jig [Gigue] – 6/8, 12/8
March – Sousa, American form, 4/4,12/8
Air
– 4/4, noble, trumpet-like quality to the melody
Coda – modified polka, oompah bass line
Grande Valse – Big Waltz, Grand Allegro
Ethnic
Forms:
Tango -
dotted rhythm in bass
Bolero
– 3/4, ‘tango in three’
Samba –
fast Brazilian step from Rio de Janeiro
Son et
al. – Cuban salsa
Ragtime
– New Orleans Piano Style, 4/4
Mazurka
– Dotted 3/4, Chopin
Polonaise
– ‘A march in 3’ Chopin
Czardas – multi-sectional with different moods, strong Polish flavor in 2/2, 4/4
Roots Reggae
– heavily accented backbeat,
e.g. “Stir It Up” by B. Marley
Cake Walk – a strong 2/4, early ragtime
Boogie Woogie – 4/4, left-hand piano style from 30s
Form:
Very useful for organizational purposes. Aid in quick learning.
Binary
- ||: A:||: B:||
Ternary
- ABA
Canon -
Staggered entrances
Rondo -
ABACABA
Through-composed - No sectional demarcation
Theme and Variations - a recognizable theme followed by variations,
sectional variation.
Guidelines for Interaction with the Musician [sorry, a little patronizing but...]
• Clarity
= clear demonstration, clear
communication [enunciation/articulation]
• First
time all the way through in tempo,
if possible. Solves many problems!
• Subdivide
the pulse to give the class and
musician vital information.
• Demonstrate so both the class and the musician can see you.
• Try
to make each exercise organic
spatially, metrically, logically, musically. This will help everyone to get it faster.
• Establish
Eye Contact with the class and the
musician. EC is the key to all
interactions with people.
• Bring your full personality to bear encouraging others to blossom.
• Use all your performance talents to get the most from
everybody. This is a performance art afterall!
Involvement/Attitude of the Musician
• Avoid
clapping or talking over the music. Give cues as needed.
• Show sensitivity and humanity toward class, the musician and yourself. Use the idea of the Studio
Triangle of Energy.
• Expect
good support from the musician -
without attitude.
• Personality; allow for personal expression both you and of the
musician to come through.
Take time to get to know your musician.
• Relinquish
control occasionally or let the
class explore.
• Review
things with your musician, those that work or not and why. This can be done
right before or best, after class.
• Encourage
the ending of exercises together.
• When things work very well, a little acknowledgment is greatly appreciated.
8. The Dreaded “Countoff”
Know what tempo you want from the beginning. This
takes practice. There is value in taking exercises at different tempi.
You’ll know if the tempo is unreasonable if you try part of the exercise.
Count clearly and accurately during both the demonstration and countoff - i.e.
be steady. Make an emphatic signal to start the exercise. Good dance musicians
need only two points of reference to get going in tempo. Either you or the
musician can get a combination started, but you should agree on a mode and
stick to it until you change it.
Developing musicality in the classroom:
• Bring what experience you have to class to enrich the
class itself (emotional experience). Encourage passion/real emotion in dance by
focusing on the music within the parameters of sound technical practice, i.e.
not gushy or highly ornamented unless warranted. Dance is real.
• Have
fun; a little silliness is OK.
• Ask musician to play a piece they know from memory
and choreograph to it.
• Use musical repertoire from classical ballet or modern dance.
• Use
your voice to inflect the movement!
• Experiment with different dynamics and meters. Try some ethnic
forms.
How to develop your own musicality
·
Listen to as much music
in as many different styles as possible.
·
Focus your
concentration on the elements of music (melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre,
texture, form). Make it a study.
·
Gather as much
information as you can about the music before you listen.
·
Delay judgment until
you have plumbed the layers of the music.
A suggestion
We all start at various abilities and progress from
there. Sometimes, even in the best situations, things sometimes go awry. When
they do, try to confront issues with ease, clarity and a genuine sense of
willingness to adapt. Problems are rarely only one person's fault. Often a
little discussion before class or right after will clear up problems with music
and musicians. Try not to let things go, or fester out of control. Don’t
be afraid to ask a question or to confirm something with your musician before
you begin an exercise, verbal contact is best. Remember we don’t have to
be best friends but we must be both civil and professional.
Suggested reading for background material:
Hopkins, Antony. Understanding Music. Penguin
Books, a British take on things.
Karolyi, Otto. Introducing Music. Penguin
Books.
Manoff, Tom Music, A Living Language. W.W.
Norton. Great Book!
There are many others. I will give you handouts.