Musicality in Ballroom Dancing: What is it?

There is so much more to music than just rhythm and tempo, more than the sound. All music, is a perfect blend of notes that tells a story, even without any lyrics. Not everyone may be able to hear the story behind the music. Not everyone is receptive to the mood of certain sounds, or has the knowledge of musical concepts like rhythm and tempo that enables you to comprehend the spirit of certain musical phrasing. In order to achieve any measure of success within the realm of competitive ballroom dancing, a dancer must have this gift of musical receptivity.

So why is it necessary to hear the story behind the music? Why isn't it enough to possess flawless technique, to execute the proper steps of the dance? The reason is that the dancers who achieve the pinnacle of success at ballroom dance championship events are those who possess strong musicality.

Not only does a champion ballroom dancer require the ability to understand the story behind the music, but he or she must also possess musical creativity. A competitive ballroom dancer must have the artistry to interpret the accompanying music with dynamics of movement that translate the underlying story. Musicality is the performance aspect of ballroom dancing, and good musicality requires both musical receptivity and musical artistry.

As one of the key elements of the judging in competitive ballroom dancing, musicality is a concept that must be embraced and developed in order to achieve any measure of success. Musicality is dancing with feeling, when the dancers are on the ballroom floor and their movements match the rhythm of the dance to the energy, melody and mood of that particular song. Strong musicality is the ability to listen to a piece of music, identify the qualities that comprise the story, and express those qualities within the movements of the dance.

For example, one beautiful song for dancing the Waltz is The Magic of Love performed by Russell Watson & Lionel Ritchie. The dreamy, romantic tempo of this music can be expressed by ballroom dancing partners throughout the closed hold with a loving embrace, and graceful, lilting steps. The Spanish Gypsy Dance is passionately expressive music for dancing the Paso Doble, and its story can be expressed with forceful and precise steps, snappy arm motions and dramatic movements. The music of Chica Chica Boom Chic performed by Bebel Gilbreto makes a lively and cheerful Samba, with flirty kicks and steps.

True musicality can only be expressed once technique is automatic.Competitive ballroom dancers must first have practiced the exact choreography and figures until they no longer need to concentrate on performing each precise movement of their dance. Technique must flow naturally in order to allow dancers the freedom to concentrate on feeling the music. Exhibiting clear story lines and expressing emotional honesty in conjunction with your musical accompaniment is the ultimate display of musicality.

Part of musical expression is a certain concept of movement that is sometimes referred to as the "light and shade" of dancing. The characteristics of the music can be expressed as a response to the accents and phrases of the song with movements such as in the foxtrot, stealing time from one step in order to allow the next step to hover. A quick speed of a turn in an otherwise slow Rumba can express a flash of emotion, as can the sudden snap of the head in a Tango that suddenly freezes, then melts into a languid slowness to express the range of emotion in a passionately romantic song.

Tempo can of course strongly affect the musicality of a dance. Slower music can give the dancers more time for stylish expression and variations of movement. However, faster music forces dancers to either think of more creative and quick ways to apply their style, or do so with more simple and basic movements. The upbeat tempo of the song Hacha y Machete has a lot of detailed instrumentation, and a pair of Salsa dancers can showcase the detail with body movements that match the percussion rhythm, executing fast stops and turns on a dime. This kind of musicality is a key element of swing dancing like the Lindy Hop, where lively steps fall with the beat of the music, and the size and scope of movements match the volume and soar of the music.

In ballroom dance as well as in any other performance involving music, the ability to express the full range of emotions and the elements of a story are the very foundation of artistry. Musicality is the creative aspect of ballroom dancing, and the gift of musicality greatly enhances the experience of ballroom dance for the dancers as much as for the audience. Musicality is what transforms an ordinary ballroom dance into an extraordinarily artistic ballroom dancing performance.