By Francois Benoit, Chicago.
I am afraid music is not even noticed by the majority of teachers or adjudicators either. I remember only a few years ago in Blackpool a world class professional lecturing and demonstrating – obviously unknowingly – to not only poor but wrong music. The recognition of the basic time signature is no way enough to be sure about the rhythmic interpretation. Both Samba and Paso Doble are originally written in 2/4 timing. We could argue that there are differences in speed. When I started to learn dancing, Samba was usually played at 58 bpm which is hardly noticeable different from the 60 bpm of Paso Doble.
Still we had never had too great difficulties in differentiating between the two dances. The general tendency to slow down most of our dance music causes numerous changes in its character. I personally am not so sure whether this is a good idea. It would be most definitely bad for the “flying” approach a brilliant dancer could obtain when dancing to typical Viennese Waltz music on a very large floor. So speed is important. But it is very obvious that there are (many) other factors apart from “beats to the bar” and speed which make a difference in a dance’s character.
There are various types of accents (not just a thing called “the” accent, and I am proud of having inspired famous people after such a discussion to add the word “percussive” when referring to accentually elongated but not leading beats in Latin American music. The intonation, rhythmic (called “sets”) as well as melodic patterns (called “phrases”) are often mixed up and misinterpreted in our dancing world.) Last but not least the “typical” kinds of musical and rhythmical instruments used in the 20th century some of which are now obsolete.
I am afraid music is not even noticed by the majority of teachers or adjudicators either. I remember only a few years ago in Blackpool a world class professional lecturing and demonstrating – obviously unknowingly – to not only poor but wrong music. The recognition of the basic time signature is no way enough to be sure about the rhythmic interpretation. Both Samba and Paso Doble are originally written in 2/4 timing. We could argue that there are differences in speed. When I started to learn dancing, Samba was usually played at 58 bpm which is hardly noticeable different from the 60 bpm of Paso Doble.
"Social dancers believe that our feet are planted in the real world,
but we dance in heaven with angels and ghosts."
Still we had never had too great difficulties in differentiating between the two dances. The general tendency to slow down most of our dance music causes numerous changes in its character. I personally am not so sure whether this is a good idea. It would be most definitely bad for the “flying” approach a brilliant dancer could obtain when dancing to typical Viennese Waltz music on a very large floor. So speed is important. But it is very obvious that there are (many) other factors apart from “beats to the bar” and speed which make a difference in a dance’s character.
"Morning Dew" by Melveen Leed
There are various types of accents (not just a thing called “the” accent, and I am proud of having inspired famous people after such a discussion to add the word “percussive” when referring to accentually elongated but not leading beats in Latin American music. The intonation, rhythmic (called “sets”) as well as melodic patterns (called “phrases”) are often mixed up and misinterpreted in our dancing world.) Last but not least the “typical” kinds of musical and rhythmical instruments used in the 20th century some of which are now obsolete.
"Social dancer are sure, that there’s only one corner of the universe
you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self."
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