Musicality Simplified For All Dancers - Why We Need to Learn Different 2, 4, 6 and 8 Count Moves
All of the Imperial Swing clubs around the St.
Louis area teach new dancers that when executing their six-count footwork, they have to take 8 steps for every 6 beats of the music.
On the first triple step count of 1 and 2, which is verbalized as "tri-ple-step," dancers learn to take 3 steps during these 2 beats of the music.
On the second triple step count of 3 and 4, which is also verbalized as "tri-ple-step," they take another 3 steps during these 2 beats of the music.
On the concluding double step count of 5 - 6, which is verbalized as "rock-step," they take 2 steps during these last 2 beats of the music.
In other words, the male dancer and his partner have to take a total of 8 steps (making 8 distinct, foot-to-foot weight shifts) during the first 6 beats of the music.
Most swing, jazz and rock songs are divided into four choruses that are played after the song's beginning melody called an introduction and before its ending melody called an exit.
These four choruses are composed of two 32-count phrases (AA) which are similar in melody but different in lyrical content; a bridge (B) where the singer stops singing or a melody is played which gives the song contrast because it is musically and lyrically different from the other three choruses; and then a final 32-count phrase (A).
This classic song form is abbreviated as: INTRO - AABA - EXIT.
Musicality is simply an all-inclusive buzzword for the description of a dancer's interaction with the AABA song structure.
It explains this interaction using musical terminology like beats (or counts), measures (or bars), notes and phrases; and it is very important for a dancer to learn this vocabulary because as Jan Altman, dance director of the St.
Louis Imperial Swing Dance Club says: "you can choose to make dancing as easy or as challenging as you want; however, the easier that you make it, the harder it is for you to become very good at it.
" Since a measure (bar) is 4 beats (counts) of the music and the footwork count of Imperial Swing is usually 6 beats (or one and a half measures), it is actually more challenging for the male dancer to lead his partner smoothly using six-count footwork than if he uses eight-count footwork because the latter count gives him the two additional beats that he needs to seamlessly complete his footwork on the second measure of the music.
Because neither a mini phrase of 8 beats (or 2 measures), a minor phrase of up to, but not including 32 beats, nor a major phrase of 32 beats (or 8 measures), are divisible by 6 beats, the male dancer must subsequently add a 2, 4, 6 or 8 beat combination of steps necessary to "phrase" correctly and complete his footwork at the end of each 32 beat chorus.
To accomplish this, for example, he may begin his dance with an eight-count pattern and then complete his 32 count phrase using four six-count patterns.
In other words, a dancer must learn a variety of different 2, 4, 6 or 8 beat moves in his classes and then incorporate them into his patterns in order to dance in time with the music.
Timing is the structure of music and the "time signatures" of different music styles tell dancers how many beats there are to a measure and which note is used to represent that beat.
Swing music uses 4/4 timing; that is, there are 4 beats to a measure (4 /4) and the quarter note gets the beat (4/ 4).
Rhythm is the dancer's (and musician's) interpretation of the individual notes.
There are basically two types of dancers.
The first dancer does not interpret the music; instead, he forces his patterns onto the music.
The second dancer does interpret the music and he leads his patterns so that they follow the music.
To use a sports analogy, let's consider the football player (dancer) who is running the ball (dancing) back to the opposing team's goal line (end of the song) at the end of the fourth quarter.
Using the classic INTRO - AABA - EXIT song form that is described above, the kick-off and interception of the ball is the INTRO to the song.
The ball carrier running down the field to the 25 yard line is the first 32-count phrase (A); continuing his run down the field to the 50 yard line is the second 32-count phrase (A); continuing his run down the field to the 75 yard line is the "bridge" which usually has 32 counts but it always has an even number of beats (B); crossing the goal line with the ball is the last 32-count phrase (A); and the end zone, where the player completes his run after his winning touchdown, is the EXIT.
In other words, the rhythmic dancer, who always interprets the structure of a song and then lets the timing of the music tell him both what to do with his feet and when to finish his steps is "phrasing" correctly.
He is the best of the two different types of dancers mentioned above because his understanding of musicality enables him to move in time with the music!
Louis area teach new dancers that when executing their six-count footwork, they have to take 8 steps for every 6 beats of the music.
On the first triple step count of 1 and 2, which is verbalized as "tri-ple-step," dancers learn to take 3 steps during these 2 beats of the music.
On the second triple step count of 3 and 4, which is also verbalized as "tri-ple-step," they take another 3 steps during these 2 beats of the music.
On the concluding double step count of 5 - 6, which is verbalized as "rock-step," they take 2 steps during these last 2 beats of the music.
In other words, the male dancer and his partner have to take a total of 8 steps (making 8 distinct, foot-to-foot weight shifts) during the first 6 beats of the music.
Most swing, jazz and rock songs are divided into four choruses that are played after the song's beginning melody called an introduction and before its ending melody called an exit.
These four choruses are composed of two 32-count phrases (AA) which are similar in melody but different in lyrical content; a bridge (B) where the singer stops singing or a melody is played which gives the song contrast because it is musically and lyrically different from the other three choruses; and then a final 32-count phrase (A).
This classic song form is abbreviated as: INTRO - AABA - EXIT.
Musicality is simply an all-inclusive buzzword for the description of a dancer's interaction with the AABA song structure.
It explains this interaction using musical terminology like beats (or counts), measures (or bars), notes and phrases; and it is very important for a dancer to learn this vocabulary because as Jan Altman, dance director of the St.
Louis Imperial Swing Dance Club says: "you can choose to make dancing as easy or as challenging as you want; however, the easier that you make it, the harder it is for you to become very good at it.
" Since a measure (bar) is 4 beats (counts) of the music and the footwork count of Imperial Swing is usually 6 beats (or one and a half measures), it is actually more challenging for the male dancer to lead his partner smoothly using six-count footwork than if he uses eight-count footwork because the latter count gives him the two additional beats that he needs to seamlessly complete his footwork on the second measure of the music.
Because neither a mini phrase of 8 beats (or 2 measures), a minor phrase of up to, but not including 32 beats, nor a major phrase of 32 beats (or 8 measures), are divisible by 6 beats, the male dancer must subsequently add a 2, 4, 6 or 8 beat combination of steps necessary to "phrase" correctly and complete his footwork at the end of each 32 beat chorus.
To accomplish this, for example, he may begin his dance with an eight-count pattern and then complete his 32 count phrase using four six-count patterns.
In other words, a dancer must learn a variety of different 2, 4, 6 or 8 beat moves in his classes and then incorporate them into his patterns in order to dance in time with the music.
Timing is the structure of music and the "time signatures" of different music styles tell dancers how many beats there are to a measure and which note is used to represent that beat.
Swing music uses 4/4 timing; that is, there are 4 beats to a measure (4 /4) and the quarter note gets the beat (4/ 4).
Rhythm is the dancer's (and musician's) interpretation of the individual notes.
There are basically two types of dancers.
The first dancer does not interpret the music; instead, he forces his patterns onto the music.
The second dancer does interpret the music and he leads his patterns so that they follow the music.
To use a sports analogy, let's consider the football player (dancer) who is running the ball (dancing) back to the opposing team's goal line (end of the song) at the end of the fourth quarter.
Using the classic INTRO - AABA - EXIT song form that is described above, the kick-off and interception of the ball is the INTRO to the song.
The ball carrier running down the field to the 25 yard line is the first 32-count phrase (A); continuing his run down the field to the 50 yard line is the second 32-count phrase (A); continuing his run down the field to the 75 yard line is the "bridge" which usually has 32 counts but it always has an even number of beats (B); crossing the goal line with the ball is the last 32-count phrase (A); and the end zone, where the player completes his run after his winning touchdown, is the EXIT.
In other words, the rhythmic dancer, who always interprets the structure of a song and then lets the timing of the music tell him both what to do with his feet and when to finish his steps is "phrasing" correctly.
He is the best of the two different types of dancers mentioned above because his understanding of musicality enables him to move in time with the music!