Improvisation Toolkit

DVD Series with Nadira Jamal

About the Toolkit   Volume 1   Volume 2   Volume 3

VOLUME 3: Musical Analysis on the Fly

Expected release date: spring 2009

When we dance, our end goal is to be a perfect reflection of the music. However, learning to listen to, analyze, and respond to the music on the fly can be overwhelming at first. We'll work from the ground up, starting with the most basic and important skills, so you can improve your musical analysis skills right away.

We'll discuss how to work with the structure of the music on the fly:

• Finding the "one"
• Dancing to:
  • The Beat
  • The Rhythm
  • The Melody
  • Accents
• Phrasing
• Accent Patterns
• Song Structures

Since you only have so much brainpower to spend, we'll discuss how to prioritize while improvising:

• How to get the most bang for your attention buck
• How to respond to more than one part of the music at once
  (and why it's not always a good idea!)
• How to dance to different parts of the music sequentially
  (and transition between them smoothly)

What you hear in the music is an important part of your personal style. I'll include exercises to help you find your own style of:

• Hearing the commands of the music
  (ex: Spin! Travel! Shimmy!)
• Matching movements to instruments

And remember, I won't throw you in the deep end of the pool! We'll gradually incorporate these skills into your own improvisation with practical, step-by-step exercises.

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