(A revised version of my original post, "Just Feel the Music")
We've all heard the phrase "just feel the music" in regards to dancing salsa. But what does this phrase really mean? If I'm a beginner in a salsa class and someone tells me to "feel the music," how exactly do I put this into practice? How can I tell when I'm doing it? I think that such a thing as "feeling the music" is a lot easier said than done.
I believe that, while there are some people who say this and know exactly what it means, there are too many more people who say this to others without totally understanding all that it entails. At the risk of over-complicating things, I think that "feeling the music" is not nearly as simple as those who haphazardly use this phrase make it seem. Telling someone to "just feel the music" is about as problematic as telling a beginner salsera to "just follow."
I do believe that one must “feel” the music while dancing. While this is the case with any dance, it is especially so with salsa dancing. It’s been said that the dancer is the missing instrument in salsa music, meaning that if we are truly dancing the way that we are meant to, we are all but literally slaves to the rhythm. The music is not just background noise to be played while we dancers show off. Ideally, we should feel the music so much that a deaf person would be able to see the music by watching us dance. Whether the music is fast or slow; calm or intense, our dancing should reflect that. To completely ignore the music defeats the purpose of it even being there at all.
“Feeling” the music is a must. It has to be achieved if one is to truly dance. However, I dare to say that there is no such thing as to “just feel the music.” As I said earlier, I feel too many people say that without really knowing what they’re talking about. It’s been my experience that those who utter that phrase subscribe to the belief that “there’s no 1-2-3, 5-6-7” in salsa music, and many other similar ideas. Some think that to count the music makes you robotic, losing the feeling of the dance. While this may be true for some who have not yet learned how to appropriately break the rules of structure that the count provides, it is not the count itself that does this. Every type of music, salsa included, can be counted. If you are dancing on beat, regardless of whether you choose to count, you are dancing on a count. It may not be On1 or On2; it could be on the “and” between 4 and 5, or on 3.14. If you are dancing on beat, you are on a count, whether you like it or not.
To the many who try to downplay the use of counting music, consider for a moment our beloved salsa music that we yearn to dance to. Those musicians count their music. In the words of “The Unlikely Salsero” Don Baarns, “Music ain’t random.” It has structure. No matter how dynamic or unconventional a song is, it has structure. The count is the structure of this music. A band has to count its music the same so that each member can be on the same page, or else musical chaos ensues. When each band member is playing his or her role and instrument, doing something different from one another that still somehow gels together into the beautiful sounds we hear, the count is the common ground that they all return to. I dare anyone to try to convince a legitimate musician or band not to count because it’s not important. The members of the band cannot simply “feel” the music. Each band member thinks differently and has a different personality, and therefore will not feel or interpret the music the same as the next. If each member only relied on his or her “feeling”, the song would be an un-danceable mess. This is no different for us in this partner dance we call salsa. If you are dancing with another person, you are dealing with another mind, another personality that will not feel the music the same way that you do, not to mention the fact that person is of the opposite gender (but that’s another story). The count is there so that you both will be able to be on the same page, the same way that the members of a band would. If the musicians that produce the music we dance to feel that counting is important, why shouldn't we?
I mentioned before that many believe learning to count music lends itself to becoming a robotic dancer without passion or feeling. I believe this to be true only if you allow it to be. It is not the count itself that produces a dancer with no “flava”. As I mentioned earlier, it is when people fail to learn how to break the rules that they become emotionless dancers. One must learn how to put one's own personality and sabor into the dance, learning when and when not to stray from the structure of “1-2-3, 5-6-7” or “step here, step there.” This is where musicality comes into play. It takes practice to learn how music operates in order to be able to predict and react to the changes in the music. However, even that is not enough. Having an understanding of it in your head is one thing, but it's a completely different ballgame trying to move your body to what has been processed in your head. Understanding the music without having control of your body is like having a story to tell but not possessing the vocabulary to vividly illustrate your vision to someone else. This is why body movement is important as well. Proper balance, body isolations, and muscle control are all useful and necessary tools to a dancer. Understanding and interpreting the music as well as being able to move your body to your liking is what I believe “feeling the music” is all about, not just some cop-out against learning to count music.
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