vince on musicality

Vince talks about the importance of deepening our relationship to the music associated with our favorite dance forms.

Oftentimes as dance students, we put most of our emphasis into learning the moves. Spending time studying the music associated with certain dance forms is integral to our development as dancers too. The music often defines the shape and character of the dance. For example, if you can't vibe with 70s funk, it is going to be hard to tap into the character of locking. If you want to do the street dances of today, you should be well versed in the hip hop, r&b and pop that is on the radio and streaming on current playlists. The less you are in touch with the music, the more limited you'll be in trying to develop a strong voice as a dancer.

​I encourage everyone to do more close and active listening to the music that you would like to dance to. This basically means that it is important to make time to listen to music without it being in the background. Bring it to the forefront of your thinking and imagination. The sharpening of your ear will help to shape how the rest of the body moves.