Tap Dance and
Musicality
In honor of National Tap Dance Day coming up on May 25, I
want to talk to everyone about a vital part of tap dance, and something that is
necessary to enhance your tap dancing skills. Tap is the only form of dance
where the dancer is both the performer and the musician. A dancer may know all of the technical steps,
and even be able to execute them well, but it doesn’t matter without musicality. That’s what makes tap dance
what it is, which is why I both love tap and find it so challenging at the same
time.
Musicality is a broad topic and sometimes difficult to
teach, which is why students can’t rely solely on their instructors to make
them a more musical dancer. It’s time to start taking a step back and
reflecting on personal strengths and weaknesses, and actively seeking out new
information. Now, let’s talk about some of the basic elements of musicality and
how understanding each of them can enhance your skills as a tap dancer.
1.
Time-
Time is the meter, the pulse, or the downbeat. It is essential that as a tap
dancer, you are always keeping time, or holding the meter completely in place.
When a song is being played, you may find yourself automatically nodding your
head, tapping your toe, swaying, etc., which are all different ways to keep
time. When your instructor snaps his or her fingers or claps his or her hands,
setting the tempo, he or she is keeping time for you. It is steady, rigid, and
constant. This is the most basic form of musicality you should know as a dancer.
2.
Rhythm-
The rhythm is the placement of sound in time, or the pattern between sound and
silence. As a tap dancer, we dance to and create rhythms. Let’s say I’m keeping
time in my legs by bouncing my knees on 1, 2, 3, 4, and then I start singing
non-sense syllables like “ba do dah dee da do dah”. The syllables could fall on
1 & 2 & a3 4. I’ve just created
a rhythm while keeping time. Try picking out rhythms in different songs and
work on making your own while keeping time.
3.
Feel-
When a song is playing, try to get a sense of how the music feels to you. Does
it feel energetic and upbeat? Mellow and relaxed? Intense and powerful? This will help to
dictate the style of the dance.
4.
Texture-
Focus on the various layers of sound in the song. How many different
instruments can you pick out? Listen for vocals, as well. The texture is how
all of these layers of sound are placed together, and it could change
throughout the song. Listen for accents, the volume of different sounds, etc.
When we talked about feel, we focused on states of being, but there is also a
textural feel. These varying combinations of sound give different textural
feelings to the music. Do the textures make it feel smooth or sharp? Hard or
soft? A great dance will use steps to compliment the musical textures, giving
the dance and the steps dynamics.
5.
Awareness-
A great tap dancer consciously listens to the music! Practice being aware of
what is happening in a song, what the feeling is, and understanding the
structure. Pay attention to details and be present. Listen for and analyze all
of the above elements in music, and your skills as a dancer will grow, not only
in tap, but in all areas of dance.
Let’s work to be better musicians
and dancers than we were yesterday, and to never stop learning! Happy National
Tap Dance Day!
-Miss Amanda
