Dance, Rhythm, and Movement

Chapters 3-4

Rhythm

It is what the body feels first in music and responds to so eagerly.

What are some examples that make your body sway, march, stomp your feet, clap etc..?

The Beat of Music

The beat or pulse gives music much of its energy, excitement and drive.

Felt time- the space that music appears to carve out for itself (the beat conveys this)

Momentum of Music

We begin to anticipate what will happen in music and be delighted when something unexpected happens

We feel as if time flies by when engaged in a film, play, speech, or piece of music.

Coordination

Musicians learn to perform more than one rhythm at a time.

Ex. A pianist may play one with the left hand and another with the right hand

Ex. Tap your head and rub your stomach

Syncopation

Deliberate shifts of the accent so that it conflicts with the steady beat and tries to upset the steady pulse

Focuses on the weak beats to create an unexpected imbalance for pleasure.

Dance

Has been part of the life of every tribe, society, and culture.

Marriage, birth, successful hunt, good crop, or a victory.

Evil spirits, prevent sickness or danger, and to cope with life.

American Heritage

Dance is more than just physical movement, it is expression!!!

Dances are popular because of their distinctive rhythms

Today thousands of music videos feed our appetites for dance.

Think of certain tv shows or stations that just focus on the art of dance or music videos…

Latin Influence

Dance music of Latin America and Cuba became popular in the states during the 1930’s and 40’s.

Popular dances: Cha-cha Rumba Mambo Calypso Samba Tango Roots are traced back to Africa

The Tango

Latin American dance performed at a moderately slow, walklike tempo

Gliding steps and dips Became popular as a ballroom dance in

Europe and the in the states after WWI

The Samba

Afro-Brazilian dance that is faster and jazzier than the Tango

Improvisation

Reggae

Popular music style mixing African and Caribbean rhythms created by Jamaican musicians.

Tex-Mex Music

Dance music created by Texas-Mexicans

3 influences: Polka and waltz Germans, Czechs

and poles Button accordion

Native American Dance

Expresses the mystical elements of religion, love, birth, death, hunting, war, and celebration.

Music is considered sacred and not used just for entertainment.

Native Americans sing and dance to show pride in who they are as a people and to bring good fortune to their people as well.

Theatrical Dance

America began to love this type of dancing in the 19th century during minstrel shows, operettas and vaudeville shows.

Tap dancing – feet are used as percussive instruments - is also distinctly American and made its Broadway debut in the early 1920’s in black musicals.

Bill “Bojangles” Robinson- known as the The King of Tap Dancers

Very integral part of American musical theatre

Ballet

The art of telling a story through music and movement originated in ballet

Style of classical dance that emerged in France during the 16th century

Very strenuous dance lasting only a couple minutes at a time

Igor Stravinsky- wrote the first ballet score (The Firebird) 1910

Modern Dance

Developed by American dancers as an alternative to ballet, made up of a variety of dance styles

Suite

Set of instrumental pieces each in the character of a dance

Composed for a keyboard instrument or a small orchestra

The Minuet

Rather slow and charming old French dance in triple meter

Originated as a country dance The epitome of the classical period

The Waltz

Started as a social dance and eventually graduated to concert hall

Unsophisticated and unrestrained Popular for nearly 200 years