In his view, students often haven’t been exposed to different types of music. All you need is a passion to learn and a brain and a body.” “Whether it’s to learn to pirouette or learn to jump or learn to be musical or learn artistry-it can all be taught. So can you teach musicality? “Absolutely,” he says. He has also created dozens of instructional videos to inspire dancers of all levels.
Nowadays Jhung is a renowned dance instructor, teaching professionals and adult beginners in New York City. His own career as a dancer, performer and teacher spans more than 60 years, and includes appearances on Broadway and dancing in major companies like the San Francisco Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet. “That’s one of the tricks of musicality – using your entire body at every moment to make the most of the music.”
A musical dancer gives the audience “more to look at in the same amount of music,” says master teacher Finis Jhung. There are many definitions of musicality, but teachers know it when they see it. But whether or not a dance student possesses this mysterious quality, musicality is an essential skill that can help any dancer perform their best and move forward in their training and career. Some of your students might be naturally musical, while others might struggle a bit more.
She believes creating movement to sound could affect how your brain hears music.Įven among dancers, however, there is wide variation in musicality. The author of the dissertation, Hanna Poikonen, observed brain activity in all three groups while they watched dances and found that expert dancers were the quickest to respond to rhythmic changes. A recent study showed that dancers’ brains react to music even faster than trained musicians or other people. But science is increasingly exploring the many ways it’s also good for your brain. Dancing can do great things for your body.