“A good dancer is one who converses with music, clearly hears and feels the beat, and is capable of using different body parts to create visualisations of the rhythms” (Malone, 1996: 15)
What is Musicality in Dance?
Musicality refers to a dancer’s ability to connect deeply with the music, interpreting its rhythms, emotions, dynamics and nuances through movement. In the world of blues and other African American Vernacular dances, musicality is the essence of what makes each dance a unique and expressive conversation between music and body.
When we talk about musicality, we’re talking about more than just matching steps to music; it’s about embodying the music. Translating the structure and feel of music into movement. It’s the ability to feel the pulse of the rhythm, understand the music’s texture, the tension and release, the syncopation, and the subtle shifts in mood that can transform a simple step into an expression of the music’s soul. Mastering musicality allows us to move as if the music were an extension of ourselves.
Blues Music and Dance are inseperable
“The feet say what the drum says” (cited in Malone, 1996: 20)
The origins of blues music are multifaceted, combining influences from African, European and Indigenous musical traditions. If we look at the African roots of the music and the dance, we can see that the two have always been interconnected. In The Music of Africa (1974), African musicologist, Nketia, explains that in many African cultures, the connection between music and dance is so deeply rooted that they are often considered one and the same. In some African languages, a single word can represent both “music” and “dance,” reflecting their inseparable nature. For instance, in the Ewe language of Ghana and Togo, the word “agbadza” encompasses both the music and the dance associated with it. Similarly, in the Shona language of Zimbabwe, “mutambo” refers to both music and dance, underscoring how these art forms are intertwined expressions of cultural identity and communal life.
In African American Vernacular traditions, dance is a living, breathing entity—constantly evolving, reflecting the times, and always in conversation with the music. Whether it’s the irregularity of Delta Blues, the drive of a blues shuffle, or the instrumental layers of a Big Band, the dance should mirror the music’s mood and complexity.
Courses in the Musicality Category
To help you develop and refine your musicality, The Blues Room offers a series of courses specifically designed to deepen your connection with the music. Each course in our Musicality category focuses on different aspects of rhythm, timing, and historical context, giving you the tools to connect more deeply to the music.
1. Rhythm Toolkit
Start your musicality journey by diving into the fundamental rhythms that form the backbone of blues music. This course helps you identify and dance to various rhythms, giving you the confidence to improvise and engage in a rhythmic dialogue with your partner.
2. Swinging Triplets
The swinging triplet rhythm is a staple of slow blues and shuffle blues. In this course, you’ll learn to make your dancing more dynamic by embodying this rhythm in different parts of your body, adding a new layer of sophistication and creativity to your dance.
3. The Blues Shuffle
Explore the blues shuffle—a rhythm that’s as rich in history as it is in musicality. Legend has it that the shuffle rhythm impersonated the sound of trains – a key symbol of freedom for African American people after the emancipation of slavery and a prevalent theme in blues songs. This course offers fun and engaging ways to incorporate the shuffle rhythm into your dancing, with a focus on footwork, solo moves, and partnered variations.
4. Latin Blues: Vol I
Expand your musicality by exploring the fusion of Latin rhythms with blues music. In Volume I, you’ll learn to identify and dance to rhythms like the Habanera, an Afro-Cuban Habanera rhythm first introduced to jazz and blues in the late 1800s and known by jazz legend Jelly Roll Morton as the “Spanish tinge”.
5. Latin Blues: Vol II
Continue your journey into Latin blues with Volume II, where you’ll revisit the Habanera rhythm and explore four new rhythms that will add even more richness and diversity to your blues dancing repertoire.
6. Dancing to Delta Blues
Finally, immerse yourself in the soulful world of Delta Blues. This course encourages you to connect with the intimacy of the music, focusing on personal expression and the deep emotional connection that defines Delta Blues. It’s a chance to dance for yourself, letting the music guide you naturally.
Looking Ahead: Expanding Our Musicality Category
The world of blues music is vast, and these 6 courses are only the beginning when it comes to learning about musicality. I’m excited to share that we have more courses in the works and coming your way soon…
- Dancing to Piedmont Blues with Adamo & Vicci
- Delta Blues: Vol II with Adamo & Vicci
- The Blues Triple with Adamo & Vicci
- Hit That Break with Adamo & Vicci
Plus more to come in the future!
Conclusion
We believe that musicality is not just an add-on; it’s the essence of what makes blues dance so powerful and expressive. Developing our musicality helps us to show respect to the people and culture who created this dance – if music and dance were one and the same for them, we should do our best to honour that same interconnection today.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned dancer, our Musicality courses are designed to help you build a deeper, more nuanced connection with the music, allowing you to dance with greater confidence, creativity, and emotional depth.
Like we always like to say, if you let the music tell you what to do your life as a dancer becomes so much easier!
References
Malone, J. (1996). Steppin’on the blues: the visible rhythms of African American dance (Vol. 21). USA: University of Illinois Press.
Nketia, J.H. Kwabena. The Music of Africa. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1974.
