Catching a Break

Sapphire Ballroom News - June 2021

Hello my dancing friends! I hope the summer weather and COVID improvements have you anticipating trips to the beach (where you will do a little Shag dancing), family get togethers (where a some Swing dancing might pop up), and weddings (where Hustle and Rumba are your best friends). Whether your life is filled with exciting outings, or chilling at home, there's good music and dancing that will go with that.

In this issue, we continue discussing what is musicality in dancing, as well as get a fabulous playlist highlighting songs that make musicality just a bit easier, a few announcements about changes in the studio, and of course a list of exciting dance opportunities coming up in the next several weeks.

As always, we love hearing from you. If you have a dance need, let us know, we'll figure out how to fill it. If you have a comment, thought, question, or concern, let us know that too. We'll chat about it!

In this issue...

- Highlights and Headlines

- Catching a Break: What is “esthetic” musicality in dance and why do we care?

- Take A Break Playlist

- Upcoming Dance Classes and Events, online and in-person

Lyric Quote of the Month:

When marimba rhythms start to play
Dance with me, make me sway
Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore
Hold me close, sway me more
. . . .
Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have that magic technique
When we sway I go weak...

     -    "Sway" by The Pussycat Dolls (and many others)

Highlights and Headlines

Summer Sale - 6 Friday Beginner Workshops for only $40

June 20-September 22, the “official” days of summer, you can buy a package of 6 FBWs for just $40! Share them with friends, your sweetheart, or keep them for yourself - it’s up to you. Registration for particular workshops is not required at the time of purchase, but you have to use them within 3 months. So, take your time, choose the nights and dance styles that suit you, and learn to dance. The dance floor is waiting for you. Sale is for Friday Beginner Workshops (FBWs) only. See the summer schedule on our webpage at SapphireDance.com/GroupLessons.php

To buy your six pack, talk to your instructor or visit our online store at SapphireBallroom.square.site and choose Friday Beginner Workshops.

Register by noon to take online classes

Because of decreasing attendance at online classes, we are now requiring advance registration for online classes as well as in-person classes. Online options are still available for everything taught at the studio, but if no one registers for the online class by noon that day, we will not start the Zoom meeting.

Register for classes by email (info@sapphiredance.com), phone (540-382-8782), or register and pay at the same time at our online store: SapphireBallroom.square.site.

Carolina Shag and Waltz - Blacksburg Group Classes start this Tuesday and Wednesday

Choose between groovy Shag or classic Waltz, or take them both! Both classes are beginner friendly, and make great date nights. Be sure to register by noon the day of the class to save your spot!

Details available at SapphireDance.com/GroupLessons.php

What’s Next Workshops in June

What’s Next Workshops this month feature lots of swing: Hustle, West Coast Swing, & Single Time Swing, as well as Country Two-Step, Exercises to Improve Balance, and Adv Line Dance. Please note: the WCS Workshop this month is a week early (6/13) to avoid conflicting with Father’s Day. All WNWs require previous dance experience. Check the schedule for details: http://www.sapphiredance.com/GroupLessons.php?d=3

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Catching a Break: What is “esthetic” musicality in dance and why do we care?

A little over a month ago, I got really excited about a video of a couple dancing doing a great 3-ct Hustle. Other than being nice people and fantastic dancers, they really had some lovely musicality in this dance, which is what I said when I shared the video. And when I showed it to my students. And after saying the same thing several times, I realized that people really didn’t know what I was talking about. "Musicality" is not a commonly defined term, although it is an integral part of good dancing.

If you have anything to add to this discussion, I would love to hear it! Email me your thoughts or comment on our facebook page - let's have a dialog. :)

In my mind, musicality (in dance) is the result of dancers using steps, motions, and changes to their rhythms to reflect the particular song they are dancing to. In other words, their connection to the music. You're not dancing to a metronome, right? You can split musicality into two types: structural and melodic (for lack of better words). They absolutely can overlap, and it can be pretty awesome when they do. I went over structural musicality in last month’s newsletter; if you missed it, find the article here.

Aesthetic musicality is all about hitting the high points, slow points, and complete stops that happen in so much music, and about the decorations, embellishments, and creative ideas you might employ to make your dance unique for that song, without abandoning the basic structure all together. To be clear, I am not talking about the pitch of the notes being sung or played. I’m talking about the speed, duration, and timing of those notes.

Beat vs. Rhythm

Before getting too far into the fun stuff, I want to make one concept clear - there is a difference between the beat and the rhythm of a song.

Beats are a unit: a specific amount of time defined for each song. Rhythms are slows and quicks (etc) that use varying numbers of beats. The beat of the song usually keeps right on going through the shenanigans of the melody. This is why you can dance through all the highlights and lowlights of any given song if you choose to.

When first introduced to rhythm in elementary school, I was taught to say “Ta” for slows and “Ti” for quicks. Ta is a whole beat and Ti is half a beat, or (bear with me here) Ta is 2 beats and Ti is one beat. It really doesn’t matter because in both cases, Ta is twice as long as Ti. The rhythm I remember doing over and over again is “Ta Ta TiTi Ta,” which kind of makes me wonder if my music teacher was into Tango.

The beat does not change in the vast majority of music. The rhythm, however, is very flexible, changing from one measure to the next. The rhythm of a particular song does not always match the rhythm of the dance you are doing to it - but of course it’s awesome when it does. You have the power to change, either by plan or on the fly, the dance rhythm to completely match the song. That’s what this musicality is all about.

High points

High points are times when lots of stuff is going on in the music. It can be lots of words coming out quickly, a raucous trumpet line, or a wicked drum solo. All that musical activity calls for more dance activity like a series of extra steps or accelerated speed.

Take a moment and listen to this song by Natalie Cole: Orange Colored Sky. This song is a great Fox Trot, which is a rhythmically flexible dance style (lots of options for rhythms). Hear the part when she’s singing so fast you can hardly make out the words? (“Cause the ceiling fell in and the bottom fell out, I went into a spin and I started to shout...”) Doesn’t that just make you want to move? In a Fox Trot, you might do a grapevine there, or a few chasse steps to reflect the excitement of this part of the melody.

Slow Points

Slow points are moments in the music when the melody slows down. Instead of quarter notes, you get half or whole notes, or some variation on that theme. This slowing down calls for slower steps.

Take, as an example, It Is You I Have Loved performed by Dana Glover. Pretty much every time she sings “It is you I have loved all along,” she stretches the words “love” and “along” over several notes. This song is a Waltz, and Waltz has a built-in slow-down step called a hesitation. The better you are at using hesitations in Waltz, the more of the moments you will be able to accent. Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift, a Nightclub 2-Step, also has fantastic slow-down moments for you to play with every time she sings the word “wildest.”

Complete Stops

Complete Stops, also called breaks, are when some part of the music comes to an abrupt stop. You can think of them as an extreme version of the Slow Downs I talked about above. I find it useful to give them their own category because how you work with them and recover from them feels significantly different from a typical Slow Down. Swing songs (East Coast, West Coast, and all the others too) are notorious for this type of musical moment.
Listen to this classic by James Taylor: How Sweet It Is. He even tells you “I just want to stop” right before the break happens, but there’s a catch. The first time he says “stop” the music keeps going. It’s the second time that the music has a break.

These stops will try to convince you that they have changed the beat, but they have not. You can ignore the drama and keep dancing steadily through the disruption. Remember - the beat at its foundation is a unit of time, and time keeps on moving no matter what else is going on.

Final thoughts

Not all tunes are suitable for this type of musicality. Some truly excellent songs are really reliable, without much in the way of changes for you to accent. Don’t tear your hair out if you can’t hear it in a particular song. This month’s playlist is essentially a list of options full of musicality opportunities.

Dancing musically is always easier to music you know, but knowing the song is not necessary. Most musical high spots and low spots are at predictable times, happening over and over again before the end of the song. But it sure does help if you can sing along.

If you miss an opportunity - it’s fine! In fact, you can easily make your dance “noisy” if you try to take advantage of all the opportunities. Pick and choose, forgive yourself if you miss some, and take credit for the ones you get by accident (I do!).

Followers can weigh in on the musicality front. In fact, it’s fairly common for the follower to hear a break coming before the leader does. This provides opportunities for embellishments and hijacks (and those two things are worthy of their own articles) that the leader would miss without help.

Watch our future newsletters for more articles on this subject like how to predict breaks in songs you don’t know.

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Take a Break Playlist

It’s summertime and I’m ready for a break. You too? These songs are full of breaks, sweet slow moments, and wacky upswings. Maybe not the break you were picturing, but good music will always give you energy.

To see the full Playlist (there's more!), visit us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGEmFFdzKkkar2f1FGX01Ut1FH61SSlU2

See all of our YouTube Playlists at https://www.youtube.com/user/SapphireBallroom/playlists
These playlists are always changing, so come back frequently. If you have a suggestion, I’d love to hear it! Send me a link at info@sapphiredance.com.

	Orange Colored Sky by Natalie Cole Dance Style: Fox Trot https://youtu.be/CeHp4r95AqQ
	Maddest Kind Of Love by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Dance Style: Fox Trot https://youtu.be/O0uKQ8mB6ic
	Love Potion No. 9 by The Clovers Dance Style: Cha Cha https://youtu.be/kvLkV3VuTZw
	Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars Dance Style: Hustle or Cha Cha https://youtu.be/OPf0YbXqDm0
	Love Runs Out by OneRepublic Dance Style: Hustle https://youtu.be/0OWj0CiM8WU
	Big Deal by LeAnn Rimes Dance Style: Country Two-Step https://youtu.be/e44afiiLAP4
	Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift Dance Style: Nightclub 2-Step https://youtu.be/IdneKLhsWOQ
	Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps by Doris Day Dance Style: Rumba https://youtu.be/UFVxY94jujg
	How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) by James Taylor Dance Style: Triple Time Swing https://youtu.be/Wh__udyczFM
	He Tratado by Victor Manuelle Dance Style: Salsa https://youtu.be/a83iTfPjQ-s
	Dancing Too Fast by Kelley Hunt Dance Style: Waltz https://youtu.be/Fx6nUuLCLuM
	A Minor Variation by Billy Joel Dance Style: West Coast Swing https://youtu.be/4PtSIJwXhqY

What songs do you think should have made this list? What would you like to see in next month’s playlist? Let us know - we’d love to hear from you on Facebook or by email.

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Upcoming Dance Classes: online and in-person

Events are hosted by Sapphire Ballroom & Dance Center: online, at our studio in Christiansburg, or at the Blacksburg Community Center. Please check locations before traveling!

Taking online classes is affordable and easy, once you try it. You do not need a partner; you do not need a fancy space. You do not have to share your picture or video. Online events require a Zoom link (included below), but not a Zoom account.

All Group Lessons have a maximum of 12 people in-studio. To prevent being turned away from a full class, please register by or before noon the day of the class by emailing us at info@SapphireDance.com or contacting the Blacksburg Community Center (for Blacksburg classes).

All group events and lessons cost $6-$15/person/hour. Visit our Square Store to pay online for classes and private lessons.

More information available on our webpage or Facebook page.

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Thanks for reading; we hope you found something you liked.
Until we see you again, happy dancing!

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