The Relationship of Music and Dance

I believe that music and dance are lovers. When great artistic minds come together to marry, if you will; music and dance the result can be extraordinary. One of my most enjoyable learning experiences as a dance student was to have the opportunity to collaborate with students from the music department to put together a piece of work.
As a young choreographer I found I had a small deficiency with music. I discovered I was disconnected from the music not emotionally but rather technically. I found I needed to learn more about it to understand how to organize and communicate the timing I was looking for in a particular piece of choreography and translate that to my dancers. Today we are going to discuss simple elements between the relationship of music and dance.

Esthetic choices:
The work of Erick Hawkins in collaboration with Lucia Dlugoszewki*

Basic Elements

Music:

• Time- rhythmic pattern
• Pitch-the name of the note
• Timbre- tone color
• Dynamics- loud and soft

Dance:

• Time- rhythmic pattern
• Space- sculptural
• Dynamics- strong and delicate

Elements of time- the points, and the spaces in between.

Elements of rhythmic pattern:

• Pulse- the constantly recurring, evenly spaced beat
• Tempo- the speed of the pulse
• Meter- groupings of pulse, usually with dynamics
• Division- evenly dividing the pulse
• Syncopation- hiding the one
• Hemiola- confusing the meter with the divisions
• Changes in the tempo- accellerando (speed up), ritard (slow down), and the metronome
• Counterpoint and Canon- the juxtaposition of phrases in time
  

*Esthetic/Aesthetic- Characterized by a heightened sensitivity to beauty. A guiding principle in matters of artistic beauty or taste; artistic sensibility.
*Eric Hawkins- (1909 – 1994) the first American to teach at the George Balanchine’s School of American Ballet in 1934, in 1936 he choreographed his first work showpiece for Lincoln Kirstein’s Ballet Caravan, now known as the New York City Ballet. He became the first male dancer to join Martha Graham’s dance troupe in 1938.
*Lucia Dlugoszewski- (1931 - 2000) an American composer and described by some as a non-traditional composer for the originality of her work, she became the musical director of the Hawkins dance company in 1957 and later became his wife, they worked closely together until his death.

The Elements of Dance

The new exposure dance seems to be getting through new television shows and web culture communities seems like a positive phenomenon for the art. It is easy to enjoy dance in its many forms without having to intellectualize it. However inside this art form there is much to observe and analyze.

Today we are going to take a look at the Elements of Dance. I will not get to deep into each but here is a nice outline. These elements are the tiny threads that create the fabric of movement.

I. The Body

A. Body parts

1. Inner: muscles, bones, joints, heart, lungs (breath)
2. Outer: head,shoulders, arms, hands, back, ribcage, hips, legs, feet

B. Body moves- stretch, bend, twist, circle, lift, collapse, swing, sway, shake

C. Steps- walk, run, leap, hop, jump, skip, gallop, slide

II. Space

A. Shape- body design in space
B. Level- high, middle, low
C. Direction- forward, backward, sideways
D. Size- big, little
E. Place- on the spot, through space
F. Focus- direction of gaze
G. Pathway- curved, straight

III. Force

A. Sharp
B. Smooth
C. Strong
D. Light
E. Tight
F. Loose
G. Free-flowing
H. Balanced

IV. Time (timing of the movement)

A. Beat- underlying pulse
B. Tempo- fast, slow
C. Accent- an emphasis
D. Duration- longs and shorts
E. Pattern- combination (parts that when put together create a pattern)


"To me, coordination means dominion of spirit-of-body over all parts of the body, until it produces the unity that is passion. It is the organization of this activity that is the art that is dance."
-Martha Graham