Musicality is one of those words we use all the time in dance.
“Listen to the music.”
“Find the accents.”
“Hit the music.”
“Stay in the pocket”
But what does that actually mean to a young dancer?
We often assume that if a dancer can hear the music, they automatically know how to dance with it. And while some dancers seem to have a natural musical instinct, musicality is not simply something you either have or you don’t.
It can be taught. It can be developed. And it should be.
Being musical is about so much more than hitting a beat or making sure a movement lands on the right count. It’s understanding what the music is saying and allowing that to influence the way you move.
Is the music sharp or soft? Heavy or light? Is there a build? A pause? A crescendo? A change in rhythm? Is there something happening underneath the obvious beat that should affect the movement?
These are the things that give choreography dimension.
A dancer can execute every step perfectly and still feel disconnected from the music. They can be on every count and somehow still look like they are dancing on top of the music instead of dancing inside it.
And there is a difference.
Sometimes I watch young dancers and I see them counting their way through a piece. Five, six, seven, eight. They know exactly where they are supposed to be, but they haven’t yet learned to listen beyond the counts.
That’s where we, as teachers, have an opportunity.
Instead of simply telling a dancer to “be more musical,” we need to teach them what that means.
Have them listen to the music before they ever learn the choreography.
Ask them what they hear.
Where does the music change? Where does it breathe? What instrument are they hearing? What word in the lyrics stands out? Where does the music make them want to move differently?
Sometimes, I think we are so focused on getting the choreography clean that we forget to let our dancers actually hear it.
And musicality doesn’t always mean doing more.
Sometimes musicality is the decision to hold something.
To breathe.
To suspend a movement for just a fraction longer.
To soften something when the music softens.
To attack a movement when the music demands it.
To let a moment be quiet instead of filling every second with movement.
That is musicality.
It’s also important to remember that two dancers can perform the exact same choreography to the exact same piece of music and interpret it completely differently. That’s not necessarily a problem. In fact, it can be one of the most beautiful things about dance.
We want our dancers to understand the music well enough that they can make choices within the choreography.
Because ultimately, we aren't trying to create dancers who simply know the counts.
We are trying to create dancers who listen.
Dancers who can hear something in the music and allow it to travel through their bodies.
Dancers who understand that the music isn't just something playing in the background while they dance.
The music is part of the choreography.
So the next time you are teaching a piece, instead of assuming your dancers understand the music, take the time to teach them how to listen to it.
Let them sit with it.
Let them hear it.
Let them discover it.
And then let that understanding change the way they move.
Because when a dancer stops simply counting the music and starts feeling it, something shifts.
The choreography becomes more alive.
The dancer becomes more connected.
And suddenly, you aren't just watching someone execute movement to music.
You are watching someone dance.
Good luck,
See you in the dance studio,
Jess
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