What precisely is dance? Dance is an artwork type which expresses concepts, feelings, spiritualism and tales by means of sleek, rhythmic and coordinated physique motions consisting of steps, turns, shakes and different actions. What music and dance share in widespread is definitely rhythm, one of many core elements of music, together with pitch. The truth is, there might be dance with rhythm alone, normally carried out on percussion devices, similar to is widespread in a number of West African and Center Japanese international locations. Nonetheless, most dances are additionally primarily based on melody. This, after all, may be very pure. You’ll even discover a child eagerly bounce up and down upon listening to a music. He’s, primarily, dancing to rhythm and melody.
Dance is definitely crucial for a musician to know. It’s an auxiliary topic. Simply as an actor doesn’t examine appearing alone however research the entire vary of performing arts, together with dance, a musician also needs to know the broader scope of his topic. The truth is, among the most world-class composers even composed entire units of music primarily based on dance, normally often known as suites or impartial actions. This was particularly prevalent after the Renaissance and throughout the Baroque intervals, although it’s continued on, even to today. Examples of such dances embrace the bourrée, minuet, jig, courante, sarabande, barcarole, mazurka, tarantella, bolera and waltz, to call a number of.
Some types of dance emphasize a management of a sure physique half, similar to Irish stepdancing (legs), the Tahitian tamure (hips) and the Balinese Kecak (arms). Dance usually will assist a musician be taught to achieve higher management over his physique, which is one thing to grasp whereas additionally enjoying an instrument. Stiffness will are likely to go away and one will change into extra relaxed and versatile in order to maneuver with ease whereas performing his instrument. Some Persian and Armenian dances, for example, simulate vitality being launched from sure gestures with the arms, wrists and fingers. For a pianist, say, this could be invaluable to grasp. The musician, understanding dance, performs the music that evokes dance, which, in flip, motivates him to movement. This, in flip, turns into momentum for extra expressive enjoying. On this approach, dance and music praise one another.
This interrelationship between music and dance is so profound that it’s even one of the sacred of all expressions, being ritualistic in lots of religions and even thought-about one of many highest types of connecting with a deity.
by Evelyn Simonian
© 2011. Evelyn Simonian
