Musicality and Movement Build-Up

I came across this song, Little Girl Gone, a few weeks ago and I can’t seem to get enough of it. Sure the lyrics are catchy, but it’s the gradual buildup of the rhythm, followed by big dramatic changes that gives me all the feels. It feels like the artist is taking me on an emotional journey.

The buildup keeps me on edge and makes the dramatic parts much more impactful!

This reminded me of a conversation during our recent podcast episode, where we discussed the updated Flowchart. I love how the flowchart visually shows you every step in our vocabulary, and you can easily see the buildup or “flow” of the steps within each family.

Our series, Twist & Turn, showcases this concept as it pertains to the (Arabic) Hip Twist.

A buildup of a step would look something like this:

Rhythmic Undulation (Arabic)

Hip Twist

Add a ½ Turn

Add a Flourish

Hip Twist Fade

Circling with the Hip Twist

Then BAM! A new step during a dramatic change in the music.

Building up a step allows the movement to really shine. It takes the audience on a journey through the music and gives your fellow dancers a clue as to what may be coming next. Allowing you all to dance with more confidence and ease.

Any song typically has a base rhythm, then some variations or embellishments of the rhythm. It may even incorporate multiple instruments complementing the rhythm. There are sections in a song that build-up as well as some dramatic changes. It’s not just a series of constant dramatic phrase changes.

Without the steady rhythmic sections, the dramatic changes wouldn’t stand out.

Think about your favorite song, dance, or otherwise. What’s the rhythm sound like? Can you hear the build-up? What are the dramatic changes?  

As dancers, we are visual representations of the music. Our movements follow the same logic as the music. Base movement, embellishments, variations, layers, etc., and then dramatic changes when the music calls for it.

Remember, dance isn’t about doing as many different steps as you can in a song and it’s certainly not about keeping your dance partners on edge. It’s not a contest of movements.

We want our movements to feel great and be a beautiful representation of the music. We want to connect with the song and our fellow dancers in a way that feels intuitive. Falling into a flow state is incredibly satisfying but impossible if you're constantly thinking about your next move.

As always, I love to hear from you! What’s your favorite buildup combination? Better yet, show us on social and tag us in your post!