Musical question to instructors
- Thread starter Maria_Aya
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Lydia
New member
Hi Maria,i use all musical instruments in a differant way most of the time i geuss,i pick out the dominant sound usely to work with.Like anoun is nice for layerd shimmy,s so is the oud..Nay go,s nice with all ,,water ,, movements like all figure,s 8s...slow bodywaves ,arms....the accordion do,s the same for me...But sometime,s i watch other dancers doing complete differant things with music i use ,and i think gosh i never tought about that ,that looks real nice...so i geuss all dancers feel differant things on music....i see that when i teach ,i usely give around 6 minute,s for the students to do free dancing on everytime a differant music in class,and it is surprising to see what and how many differant things come out of the girls one by one ,,,i alway,s tell them ,if somebody is deaf and watch you dance,that person most see the music in you to hear it...ok that is my 5 dirhams on this mail,have a great day and happy dancing Lydia
Hi there
Do you believe that specific instruments rule specific body parts in dance?
Lets say Ney is the ruler for hands? or it could be translated in a movement in the dance space?
Maria Aya
Hello Maria,
I have just had student ask a question similar to this one. I will answer as best as I did from a logical/analytical standpoint followed by a personal/emotional one.
From a technical standpoint, you could look at it and say all Tabla is mostly accents, bumps, hits and snaps; or look at the ood and say mostly gliding longer movements but this would be cheeting the actual use of the music. rather than look at the instrument and associate and specific move, you must look at the instrument in relation to the other intruments, how it works (meaning is it at the forefront, is it taking the melody, the rhythm) and use it to defile the intensity of the movement you do.
If you look at instruments you follow as individual elements, your movements will correspond and even complilemnt the instrument but the dance in its entirty will loose its impact.
Music is a story, with an emotional journey created through the various instruments rotating and shifting within it, so you must deal with the instrument in such a way. By looking at music this way, you as a dancer will be choosing movements to compliment the story of the song and therefore creating your own story for the audience.
Now from a non technical view:
What I have said above is true but once you have discovered the 'story of the song' it is now your choice in which way you want to interpret your dance and this is where you can become the antithisis of the song or flow with it. Neither choice is wrong, both have their own impact.
What I usually tell students is to first sit down, shut your eyes and listen to the song. Really hear the changes, the subtly choices made by the musician and see/feel the mood created, it is the mood more than the instrument that will truely guide you in your choice of movements.
I hope I have helped even a small amount,
Assal
chryssanthi sahar
New member
Hi Maraki.
It depends on the style you dance. If you dance American Cabaret or different fusions, then there is no rule for that. If you dance Egyptian style, there are some unwritten rules, about what movements fit to what instruments, but there are usually more than one movements that fit. You have a repertory of movements that fit an instrument and you choose the ones which express you. You usually do the movements which harmonize with the energy of the instrument. Lydia described the matter quite well. But the longer you deal with the Egyptian style, the more you do this thing automatically, you just cannot do different
It depends on the style you dance. If you dance American Cabaret or different fusions, then there is no rule for that. If you dance Egyptian style, there are some unwritten rules, about what movements fit to what instruments, but there are usually more than one movements that fit. You have a repertory of movements that fit an instrument and you choose the ones which express you. You usually do the movements which harmonize with the energy of the instrument. Lydia described the matter quite well. But the longer you deal with the Egyptian style, the more you do this thing automatically, you just cannot do different
Recnadocir
New member
Maybe it is more revealing to ask, what did composer intend each instrument to mean- or is the intended meaing in the gestalt, the synthesis of all instruments in composition? And sometimes both can occur in same composition- for example I suggest "Forest Murmurs" by Richard Wagner. For starts!