Topic: Patterns, Repetition & Variety
Choose a piece of music to analyze. Write down on a piece of paper labeling each section, how many counts there are in it, where the melodic phrases begin and end, note any short bridges between melodic phrases, and how often the melodic phrases repeat. After making a basic chart, go back in and make additional notes for each section, for example: what instrument is being used? is it the whole band or just one instrument? is it singing? is it loud or quiet? has it changed speed or feeling? are there any really strong accents you think are important? and so on.
After analyzing your music, dance to it. Choose a musical phrase and choose a movement you think goes well with it, repeat the movement for the whole musical phrase. Remember to start your new movement on the first count in the phrase and to stay on the beat.
Come back and dance the phrase again, now do the movement you chose for 1/2 the counts and vary it for the second 1/2; either change direction or size or level or layer something on top of it.
Come back and dance the phrase again, do your movement with it’s variation and take the last 2 to 4 counts of the musical phrase to put in a transitioning movement.
Take a moment to map the path you made on the floor with your combination of movements in this musical phrase.
Next take a piece of paper and map several potential paths you can take on the floor, include circles, squares, straight lines in all directions including diagonals, diamonds, figure 8s, Xes, Vs, Ws, loop-de-loops, zigzags, a figure 8 with sharp corners, etc. Take this into account as you repeat the whole exercise on the next musical phrase in your piece of music.
Watch and analyze this youtube clip of the famous Egyptian dancer Mona Said. Watch how she starts each new series of movements at the beginning of a new musical phrase. Watch how she steps on the beat. Pay attention to how she repeats a single movement and how she varies it and then transitions. Map the patterns on a piece of paper that she makes on the floor. Take note of the variety or lack thereof, pay attention to direction and dynamics (small or large). Here is a second clip to analyze, this one is the Egyptian dance legend Tahia Carioka, try to map this one as well, although this one will be a little more difficult due to the changing camera angles. And finally, analyze this clip of the famous Egyptian dancer Randa Kamal doing her interpretation of a Saidi number.