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Music Within The Dance Class

July 29, 2013 by 4dancers

by Janet Neidhardt

students dancing
Photo by Catherine L. Tully

It’s amazing how influential music can be on the dancing body. Some sounds get the heart pumping and feet moving quickly while others lend the body to slow and meditative motions–and then there is everything in-between. As a dance educator, it is important to me that I educate my students about the relationship between music and dance.

Students can sometimes be resistant to music that is different than what they hear on the radio, so I have developed a system of creating openness to new music. I start the year off with music they might recognize for a warm up and then slowly start to bring in more ethnic music with strong beats. Then I introduce music that doesn’t have clear down beats and might be counted in 5’s or 7’s etc. This is a good challenge for students to count to and can also work well for phrases that might not have counts, where timing is more free form.

I like to play with music when teaching movement. I often have students perform movement phrases to various styles of music to compare and contrast how the music changes the feeling and emphasis within the movement. This kind of activity pushes students to think more deeply about movement and how it feels from the inside to dance as opposed to what they look like on the outside. For teenagers who tend to focus on what they look like a lot this can be an especially challenging and needed task.

When students are given a choreography assignment I often push them out of their comfort zone by only allowing music without words. They are able to explore the various interpretations of music and movement without the meanings that words can give within a song. Using music without words can provoke more creativity, wider range of movement possibilities, and open up ideas for relating movement to the music.

I spend a lot of time during the summer months searching for new and different music to use for the upcoming school year. (Songza is a great app to use with various playlists.) It is important to recognize how influential music is to the movement of our bodies and to our choreography. Since I have to choreograph about 4 pieces a year it is important that I find music that inspires my own creativity.

Whether it’s choosing music for teaching or choreography, thoughtful and intuitive choices are needed. Sometimes we need to wake up to Destiny’s Child and sometimes we need to improvise with Philip Glass–and sometimes it’s vise versa!

When I know the goal of a class I’m teaching, I find the music I need to play to help my students achieve that goal.

Do you have any tips for choosing/using music for students? Feel free to share!

dancer posing upside down
Janet Neidhardt

Contributor Janet Neidhardt has been a dance educator for 10 years. She has taught modern, ballet, and jazz at various studios and schools on Chicago’s North Shore. She received her MA in Dance with an emphasis in Choreography from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and her BA in Communications with a Dance Minor from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Throughout her time in graduate school, Janet performed with Sidelong Dance Company based in Winston-Salem, NC.

Currently, Janet teaches dance at Loyola Academy High School in Wilmette, IL. She is the Director of Loyola Academy Dance Company B and the Brother Small Arts Guild, and choreographs for the Spring Dance Concert and school musical each year. Janet is very active within the Loyola Academy community leading student retreats and summer service trips. She regularly seeks out professional development opportunities to continue her own artistic growth. Recently, Janet performed with Keigwin and Company in the Chicago Dancing Festival 2012 and attended the Bates Dance Festival.

When she isn’t dancing, Janet enjoys teaching Pilates, practicing yoga, and running races around the city of Chicago.

Filed Under: 4teachers, Music & Dance Tagged With: dance teachers, music and dance, music for dance class, teaching tips

Christopher Hobson – Creating Music For Ballet Class

July 9, 2013 by 4dancers

Christopher Hobson
Christopher Hobson

We love talking with musicians that are involved with ballet–after all–the music is such a big part of it! Today we have Christopher Hobson with us to talk about his experience playing for dancers and making music for class…

How did you get involved in doing music for ballet class?

I originally started playing for contemporary dance. I suppose like most musicians, I got into this by accident! I was playing a jazz gig and got talking to somebody at the bar who said they liked what I was playing and would I be interested in auditioning for a job playing for contemporary dance. As I wasn’t working at the time I thought ‘why not’! When I started I didn’t know what the job entailed and was thrown in at the deep end.

After a couple of years of contemporary dance I moved cities and took a job with Elmhurst School for Dance, specialising in ballet! This was the first time I’d ever played for ballet and again it was a real learning experience and some of the great teachers who were in this institution at the time took me under their wing and took the time to explain to me just what was required when playing for ballet and what the differences were in terms of style, accompaniment and support between ballet and contemporary dance. Without this support from colleagues I doubt I would be where I am today. I was only 18 when I first entered a dance studio as a musician!

What is the most difficult thing about creating music for dance class?

You have to be able to be creative, 100% of the time! There is no time to sit on your reputation or relax – I believe that my job is to inspire the dancers who are in the class and if I do my job well it will enable the dancers to not only do their job well, but enjoy doing their job. This can be particularly difficult if you’ve been stuck in a recording studio for days, travelling from venue theatre to theatre or just if you’re slightly tired!

What is the most rewarding thing about making music for ballet class?

When playing live, I try to use music from as many different genres as possible – from baroque, classical, jazz standards, musical theatre and popular culture – also not forgetting the occasional improvisations! I love it when a particular melody I play reflects the movement of a dancer. From behind the piano you can see the smiles on dancers faces and that of the ballet master. This makes me feel like the movement and music are working as one – just as it does in a good performance.

Do you find your approach has changed at all over time? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Music & Dance Tagged With: ballet class, ballet class music, international dance teachers association, music for dance class, piano music

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