Frequently asked questions – FAQ

Question

I try to move to music, but I have no great experience of it.

Answer

The problem could be that you don’t wait for the music to get you moving. In most treatises on dance it is commonly stated that dance is a movement to music. However, this definition of dance is not entirely accurate. A dance movement comes in reaction of our nervous system to music, ie. any movement is provoked consequently. Just as the sound of a musical instrument arises as a result of the player’s action, so the dancer’s movement is a reaction to this sound stimulus.

The order is thus briefly as follows – the composer, music notation, the conductor, the performer and his actions, the sound created this way, the capturing of the sound by the senses, the processing by the nervous system, and a subsequent possible movement reaction.

If this basic natural dance principle is not captured or understood, there is no profound mental experience, as there is nothing to provoke it.

Question

How do I dance with anyone?

Answer

No problem. Two people can dance together if they both have the same undistorted understanding of dance, which means approximately the same reactions of their bodies evoked by rhythmic sound impulses, by music.

Question

Is dancing a sport?

Answer

It can become a sport, just as playing a musical instrument could become a sport. After all, even a musician often sweats a lot during his activity, just like a dancer.

However, the original purpose of these activities is not to sweat or to strengthen your body, but to create something beautiful. Therefore, if we confuse the purpose with the means, an artistic activity can become a mere sport, with all negative consequences it may bring, like injuries, premature end of “carrier”, loss of motivation, decrease in visitor numbers, worn-out body…

Question

How can I dance when I don’t know the steps?

Answer

As mentioned above, dance comes as a reaction of the body to music. This means that neither dance nor dancing is dependent on steps. Every single movement of the body is therefore provoked by rhythm or music, including the movement of arms, legs, etc.

However, it is a matter of fact that the common practice in some communities is to present steps (or basic step variations) as the fundamental feature of dance, instead of rhythm or music.  What we can often hear in dance lessons is this: “Now we are going to learn the steps, and then try it on music.“ So the lessons consist mainly of the drilling of these step patterns without any direct connection to music. Students then pay attention especially to step or movement patterns, with music being a mere background for their efforts. Rhythm and music is thus becoming rather an enemy than the source of dance. 

Some even perceive the mastering of step patterns of a given dance as a proof that they already know how to dance.However, in fact such thinking has nothing to do with dance. Movement without a close connection to music then more or less resembles a sort of exercise or walking rather than dancing. And the truly beautiful, elegant, seemingly natural movement with a delightful inner experience is then overly difficult or almost impossible to achieve.

Note: Learning steps or movements without a direct connection to music is like learning to swim in a pool with no water in it or learning to ski on a slope with no snow, that means, without the heart of the matter.