In terms of dancing, musicality is about how one expresses what they hear in the music with their body movements. There is no correct way to express your musicality. It is as unique as your fingerprint. In the genres that we teach at Dame Más Dance (kizomba, bachata, and salsa), the music is in 4/4 time which means, in simple terms, that each bar or measure of music contains 4 beats or counts. As dancers, we think of the music in 8 counts, so this is the basis upon which we start interpret the music. However, there are many nuances within the music that can be highlighted which elevates your style as a dancer. Each dancer will interpret the music in different ways by focusing on different elements of the song at different times in the song. Below are some of the steps you need to do to develop your own musicality in dancing.
Understanding the song structure
There are five components that are part of the structure of a song: intro, verse, chorus, bridge, and outro. The intro introduces the rhythm, tempo and melody and can last from 8 counts to 32 counts. The verse is where you hear the lyrics that tell a story. The chorus typically contains the song title and is the climax to which the verses build up. This is the part of the song that has the hook, the catchy lyrics that you remember when you think of the song. The bridge usually happens only once in the song, and there is a noticeable change of pace or contrast to the rest of the song in this section. The outro signals that the song is ending and could be a repetition of the chorus fading out or a feeling of slowing down, although, more recently, many Latin and African songs are ending more abruptly than they used to.
The song structure gives you an overall framework to work with. By listening to a wide variety of music, you will start to see a typical pattern emerge on how the different structural elements are organized in various genres. In social dancing, this will help the lead anticipate what might happen in a song as it progresses and how to feature a component through their movements.
Recognizing the different instruments in the song
Besides the vocals, there are certain instruments that we tend to gravitate to while dancing. These instruments help us to determine the tempo or timing of the song. In kizomba, it is the bass. In salsa, it is the clave, congas, and/or piano. In bachata, it is the bongos. Of course, songs are a combination of a variety of instruments and vocals, the “voices” in a song. African and Latin music is polyrhythmic which means that the various “voices” in a song have different rhythms. You can enhance your musicality by highlighting different aspects of these varied rhythms with your body movements in a song. Take the time to listen to a song and pick out which voices you may want to highlight the next time you dance to that song.
Understanding the phrasing in the song
Songs can be divided into phrases. The phrase is a musical thought that is typically four bars/measures (32 counts) long. So instead of thinking of steps in terms of 8 counts, you can do various combinations of moves within 32 counts. In our kizomba class, we call the first count of the new phrase “the big 1” to denote that this is where you would typically start your next set of moves in your depiction of the music. Most of the time, each verse, chorus and bridge will be 32 counts in length.
Interpreting the essence of the song
Choreographers use the lyrics of a song to help them to portray the story and emotion of the piece. As a social dancer, you can also use the lyrics in your dancing. However, in this global world of social dance, we are exposed to many songs in languages that we don’t always understand. Despite that, we can get a sense of the type of emotion being depicted in the song through how the voice and the instrumentation are used. Incorporating how a song makes you feel is part of your musicality as a dancer. This can be through facial expressions, hand styling, tempo changes, dramatic pauses, or sharp vs soft body movements for example.
Strengthening your technical skills
Enhancing your musicality is not possible without having a strong foundation in the basics and strengthening your technical skills as a lead or a follow. Take dance and styling classes, go to workshops and dance congresses, and study dancers that you admire online. Take videos of yourself practicing new styles and techniques to see where you need to improve. Try out your new skills on the social dance floor with a variety of people. The more we dance, the more honed our dancing skills become.
On a final note, both people in partner dancing contribute to the overall musicality of the dance. Even though the lead controls the direction of the dance and is responsible for the overall structure, the follow plays a significant role in enhancing the style of the dance. Think of the lead as the frame and the follow as the picture within the frame. Both partners are equally important in the execution and beauty of the dance, and this where their individual musicality can shine through.
