| "Music for Dancers" Program |
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According to dancer and writer Roger Pryor Dodge, jazz was a dance music, but it, like all art, needed to evolve. Dodge was a classically-trained dancer who discovered jazz in the mid-1920s and partnered Mura Dehn in the 1930s. He had been featured in Skycrapers, billed as the first jazz-ballet in 1926, and then began choreographing his own jazz dances to the likes of Ellington’s "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" and "Black and Tan Fantasy." In his 1945 article, "The Dance-Basis of Jazz," Dodge took a long view on the debate, neither condemning jazz to the dance hall nor condoning its complete divorce from the rhythm of dance. Cautioning that the jazz musician should never lose touch with the rhythm of the dance floor, he anticipated that the jam session would develop jazz as a "listener’s music." That split, observes saxophonist/composer Phil Woods, did have repercussions. "When they stopped dancing to jazz, jazz lost a lot of credibility and popularity. People don’t really understand what jazz is anymore."
In addressing this deep connection between music and dance, Andy Wasserman created a course and book with accompanying CD entitled "Music for Dancers." It is suited for any dance style, but espectially to the medium of Jazz rhythm tap dance. Andy has taught this course at a number of dance festivals including The Rhythm Explosion, The New York City "Tap City" Festival, and the St. Louis Tap Festival. To read a testimonial from a choreographer and dance instructor who took this course, click here for link. Andy Wasserman's Music for Tap Dancers Workshop Condensed Curriculum Syllabus The intellectual property and content of this class was conceived, written and copyrighted by Andy Wasserman
These classes are specifically designed for people with or without any previous musical experience. Past participants have included choreographers, tap teachers, and tap students of all ages and levels.
FIVE DAY CURRICULUM OUTLINE - all classes will consist of 3 components: a. lecture and demonstration b. individual student participation c. group exercises and jamming (instructor with tap dancers) illustrating the day's concepts.
Day One through Four will be accompanied by live acoustic piano music, West African Jembe drum and some pre-recorded music. Hand Percussion instruments will be provided for use by the students during class time. Day Five will incorporate a digital sampling production workstation.
DAY ONE: Practical Information about "The Basics" 1. The common language of musical composition and tap choreography 2. Essential tools that allow musicians and dancers to communicate 3. Introduction to Rhythmic Phrasing: the glue that holds it all together 4. Rhythmic Gravity
DAY TWO: "The Rhythm Experience": an in-depth exploration of timing and 'da BEAT! 1. Rudiments of Rhythmic Form 2. The Structure of pulse, rhythmic ideas, and counting 3. Durations, divisions and sub-divisions of time in music 4. Understanding syncopation from a musician's point of view
DAY THREE: Finding your voice - how t orchestrate your taps like a musical arranger 1. Are you the MELODY? (melodic lines) 2. Are you the BASS LINE? (counterpoint) 3. Are you the DRUMS? (hittin' beats) 4. Understanding Polyrhythms and creating musical texture
DAY FOUR: "The Jazz Experience" - a historical and cultural perspective of Jazz music as it relates to Jazz tap dancers 1. An Overview: Evolution of the art form 2. The fundamentals of improvisation from a musician's viewpoint 3. What does it really mean to "swing?"
DAY FIVE: "The Funk Experience" - Contemporary Funk, Hip-Hop and Fusion music for rhythm tap 1. Understanding the swing the "New Jack Swing" 2. Hittin' all the accents: Where's the "Down Beat"? 3. Rhythmic overlay of cross beats and contemporary syncopation
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