Dance and Music Part 1

Watching the Ice Dancing portion of the Sochi Olympics, I was reminded of the value that dancing can have on musicianship and music education.
Now, I'm not talking about highly competitive, take-over-your-life, super-stressful dancing (à la Dance Moms), I'm talking about learning to dance for fun. Not that it shouldn't be taken seriously, but it doesn't need to cause a bunch of extra stuff, and kids definitely don't need to be going around in close to nothing. *end of rant*
Anyway, dancing can edify music education in all kinds of ways. Through dance, students are exposed to music repertoire and history (did you see Scheherazade and Swan Lake in the Olympics?), learn posture and become aware of their bodies, and learn to feel the music. They can learn expression and teamwork through dance experience.
Many forms of dance can be musically beneficial, but I will focus on a few specific types of dance. Follow along with this series exploring the benefits of ballet and tap for musicians!


-Barbara




P.S. Don't forget about modern dance! Check out my post on Dido and Aeneas.