Good Technique Leads to Better Musicality

First of all, it makes the dance technically better. When we dance couple dances there is always leading and following. The leader sends a signal and the follower has to interpret that signal.

This is an excerpt from my book about musicality - "The Secrets of Musicality for Dancers - Learning Nine Essential Skills for Musicality in Dance" Just click the link. 

With better technique, the leader will send a clearer signal so there will be less guessing and back-leading. And the timing of the leading will be better. The follower will be better at listening to and reacting to the signal. The interpretation will also be better. And the execution of steps or moves from the follower will be better, with better timing.

The leader then needs to listen to the feedback from the follower. Is the interpretation of the leading correct? Or was there some misunderstanding?

If the follower had good technique, there will be less problems that need to be adapted to. It might be easier to listen to the feedback. And the leader might also learn there is less need for force in the leading. The leader can be gentler.

With better technique, both partners have better balance, which makes everything easier. In solo dances, everything becomes better too. Balance is better. The execution of moves is better. Control is better. These are some of the reasons for teaching technique. 

Good Technique & Better Musicality

If we move on to the musicality aspect of teaching technique, with better technique everything will also fit better with the timing of the music. It is one thing to step with the same tempo as the music. But another to be on beat as opposed to slightly off beat or to vary slightly with steps that are a bit too fast or too slow relative to the beat.

Like we just mentioned, with better technique in both leading and following the signal sent and the interpretation of that signal will be better. The resulting steps will be more on time with the music, and better matching the intention from the leader. So, everything that is done will be done more synchronized with the music. 

With more technique we will also have a greater repertoire of steps and moves. And we can use these to express ourselves better to the music. We have more types of moves and many moves of each type so we can fit them to the music in better ways. We will have more possibilities and better expression to the music.

When we have a really good technique, we can lead pretty much any move better to the music. If we really make the effort to listen to it. And this is important. Often we start really listening to the music only when the technique is better, when the leading and following has become pretty automatic, in muscle memory. Then a leader starts paying attention to how to lead moves with the music instead of just paying attention to how to lead them. Once we have better technique it becomes possible to speed up or down, to transform a move into a slower one, or a faster one, within the same sequence of steps.

And when the follower has a better technique it is possible to relax more, think less of what to do, and more on how to do it. With really good technique we can change how we do a move. We can give it a different feeling. 

Confidence in our technique gives us the freedom to really listen to the music. Then we can better choose what to do and also how we do those moves, to adapt it even more to the music. 

That's it! If you liked this article about musicality, feel free to share!

See you on the dance floor!

Suggestion - Check the kizomba, fusion, musicality and follow technique courses here. 

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