So you want to dance: Part 9 of series Part 11 of series Postings discussion This link allows you to see others thoughts on this piece and contribute to the debate yourself if you want. We look to guarantee this link for a number of years, though after 3-6 months the page may be closed to further additions. Ballet.co's Doing Dance forum reviews by Anjuli Bai

Moving to music is very special isn't it? There are times when you will feel that you actually become the visible expression of the music. As Balanchine said: "See the music, hear the dance."

Sometimes, though, I realize suddenly that I'm not really hearing the music, like I can't remember to listen to it when I am doing the exercises.

This is quite normal. Beginners especially are concentrating so hard on remembering the exercise and on figuring out which foot and arm goes where, or which way to move, that the brain shuts off the music. Our brains are wonderful instruments. They take in so much information, but sometimes it's too much information. The brain figures out what are the most important pieces of information to pay attention to, and then it shuts off the other streams of information.

Like if you are trying to figure out how to move, do a certain step and at the same time not bump into someone else, that's more important for the moment, than actually hearing the music.

Will that get better? I know it's important to listen to the music.

Yes, it will and yes it is. As you become more and more comfortable with what you are being asked to do, and it becomes more of a pattern with which you are familiar, then your brain will find the time and capacity to really hear the music. And, then the music will influence how you move.

Are certain kinds of music better for ballet class?

For beginners, usually because of what I mentioned above, the rhythms are kept simple so that it is easier to follow and incorporate into the information streaming into the brain. As you progress the rhythms will become more complex.

Well, I really meant, like, classical music? Or piano?

Most often for live music in class a piano is used, but in times past a violin was used, sometimes played by the teacher. Maestro Enrico Cecchetti, I believe, did this. I have taken a class with drums and harp which was very interesting.

The really important thing is that the music should be interesting. The rhythms and melodies for beginners should be simple but interesting with more complex rhythms and music for more advanced students. The music can be classical, show tunes, rock, pop, folk songs, whatever works. Some of the most amazing pianists are those who make it all up on the spur of the moment. I can choreograph spontaneously for class or stage, but I can't compose one note of music. So, it always amazed me to watch a pianist do this.

Am I right to assume that music played live is better than on a CD or tape?

Well, yes and sort of. Live performance is always wonderful, if the musician is up to the task. Playing for ballet class is a performing art, too. If the pianist is adaptable, has music of interest, can vary the rhythms, can conform to the needs of the teacher and the class, then it can be a marvelous experience. However, if the pianist is limited in his/her abilities, it can be a very dull time indeed.

Why did you say "sort of"?

One of the advantages of using a CD or a tape is that the varieties available are almost infinite. I used to love to choose orchestral pieces for my students such as waltzes with the full sweep of an orchestra. Music that has arpeggios, grace notes, rests, all sorts of complexities. This was, of course, for the more advanced student. I would work it in gradually. This keeps the student's imagination and attention alive and challenged. The only thing duller than the same music over and over again, is the same exact exercises over and over again. Both the teacher and the student get into a rut, and learning stops.

You mentioned that playing an instrument for ballet class is an art form - really?

Indeed, really. Once you have had a class accompanied by a true artist that specializes in playing for dance, it is an experience you will not soon forget. A musician with that kind of skill knows intuitively what will work with the exercise that the teacher has set. And, he also knows how the students will respond. I was once lucky enough to take a number of classes for which a pianist played who was a nationally known master of the art. He could make the music conform to the needs of each student as that dancer came down the diagonal. It was a wondrous experience. He made the music fit each dancer like a glove.

Different for each student?

Yes. It didn't often happen that we came down the diagonal individually, but when we did he could nuance the music to fit each one of us. When we came down in groups, he was able to average it out so that it worked for everyone. How he changed it for the men and women was quite interesting.

He changed it for the men and women?

Yes, he did. And it should be changed, too. Men and women move differently - well, that comes as no surprise! Women generally move more quickly in petit allegro and therefore they need a quicker tempo, whilst men could actually be injured if they don't have enough time to fully use their demi-plié and stretch out the Achilles tendon. On the other hand men move more powerfully in the large sweeping movements and powerful music will help them. The same thing is true in large jumps - men need time to attain their full elevation and to give a full stretch to the Achilles tendon.

So, should men always have different music?

If possible the men (and boys) need to do the moving exercises in the center separately so they can attain their potential without injury. Many times when a man finds himself the only male in class, the teacher might not think to have the music changed for him. This is of course true also for young males. They need their time and space to accommodate how nature meant them to move.

How about when men and women dance together on stage?

When men and women are dancing together such as side by side or with the man behind the woman and they are moving across the stage, as opposed to doing a stationary adagio, you will notice that the man accommodates his movement to fit hers. She moves as "largely" as she can, but it still usually doesn't equal his. So, he has to lessen the space he consumes to match her and the dance will look "together." Next time you go to the ballet and men and women are dancing together, watch and I think you will be able to see it. Of course, the challenge for the men is to do this without making their movements looked cramped.

Is there anything else I should know?

One more thing.....

What?

When you present your reverence and applause to your teacher at the end of class, don't forget to turn around and do the same for the artist who played the music for the class. You will get a big smile in return.