Teacher uses weird music during class

[SugarPlumFairy1]

I have known my teacher since I have started ballet, she was in high school when I was starting. Now im in high school taking pre pointe and intermidiate ballet classes and she teaches both of those classes I take. She was one of the best dancers in our studio and now shes graduated from college and obvisouly as I said before is teaching at my school.

 

I do have a little problem with her teaching methods instead of using regular barre and center music with the piano she is using this techno sounding music. I find it hard to concentrate on counts with it. I really like her but, I dont know how to tell her that its really confusing me. I want to exell in ballet and this music is making it hard.

 

She said she likes to use that music because its not so boring and she does't want us to have to use the music she had to learn to when she was in ballet.

 

Maby its me but, using regular barre and center music sounds more professional and would help us learn better.

[Mel Johnson]

Some teachers do this, and I think it's good for teaching the ear to pick up the beat, or if necessary, the pulse of a piece of music. I sometimes use it, but only for students at an upper Intermediate level or above. Ever do an adage to Dave Brubeck's "Take Five"? It's in 5/4 time! Listen harder.

[SugarPlumFairy1]

oh ok thank you, Im glad you said this the music was ok because I was worried that what she was doing was wrong. I feel so much better now about it. Maby I just need a challege, I'v learned from piano music all my life I guess now is the time to challenge my brain!

 

Thank You!!!

[balletboyrhys]

I think its great to have alternative music in class! Afterall, chances are someday you'll have to perform to something that isnt piano music!

[L' Allegro]

my teacher uses different music all the time- celtic, james taylor, classical piano, music from ballets, rock! I love it!

[balletboy101]

I would think that this is a bad idea when used on a continual basis. If a dancer does not fully understand classical music than their technique will invaribly suffer, and if your teacher is using ONLY techno than it is also hard to develop a full apreciation for the music that ballet is based on. I do on the other hand agree with Mr. Johnson that sometimes it is okay to switch up the music, in order to send a very specific signal to the dancer. If that message has something to do with understanding musicality.

[Guest Ana1992]

Edited September 9, 2006 by Ana1992

[puppies_fly]

Occasionally a few of my friends and I gather during holidays to conduct ballet 'sessions' (I can't call it a class proper because we have no professional teacher, just pre-pro students and teacher's assistants, and therefore modify it to minimise the chance of learning bad habits) and for these we often use music with somewhat dificult beats, from complex techno to certain Stravinsky music. It actually seems empirically to have helped a little with musicality during regular class. (except this one song which had two slightly different tempo's simultaneously...)

 

As a side note, some techno has very strong easy beats and I have a local recreational (but not dinkle-ish) studio using it sometimes for their teen beginners so they have more beat with less melody to hide it in a music form they are accustomed to.

[Alwaysthelast]

My teacher does tghat as well. I find it distracting too, Im glad someone else does!

[ApollaJade]

My teacher does that when we get too stressed out over something. Usually before an exam she'll go through all her music to find interesting songs with the same time signature and tempo as the syllabus music and give us class as "Grade __________, but less boring"

 

I enjoy it, but I like everything from classical to classical rock to metal to hip hop to Top 40 rock and stuff, so that may just be me.

[mermangel]

like L'Allegro, my teacher uses a wide variety of music. everything from Broadway instrumentals to Spanish guitar; from Indian sitar to Gregorian chants. she usually keeps it consistent throughout a single class (in terms of style) so that isn't too jarring. she does use piano recordings as well. i think it is exciting and it does give the (student) dancer more of an opportunity to LISTEN and even possibly be inspired on another level by something different or unexpected. if you are having a problem or some confusion maybe you could just ask her for some musical guidance rather than lodging a "complaint" about it. good luck, i hope that you may gain some musical insight which will help you grow as a dancer! as pointed out, you won't always be dancing to classical pieces if this is your life's passion. take care ~alice

[Nutmegdancer]

My old teacher used to do that too, I liked it because he did it every once in a while, so that we got a change sometimes,and like some people have already pointed out,you might get into a company that uses that kind of music,why not start practicing now?

 

Nutmegdancer

[skyish]

By the way, now thinking, my teacher doesn't use any music at all during my private classes

 

But while working on my own I use every kind of music; especially metal and electronica =) And when I joined a class in another studio last day with regular ballet music I noticed that working with another music -or even with "no" music- doesn't change anything, ballet is ballet, rythm is rythm, number is number; count to 8 and continue good work=)

[star_reacher]

Heyy! I have that same problem too with two of my teachers. They use very odd alternative music sometimes, and I often wonder why they do that to us. I am figuring out now that they are only trying to get us used to different flavors of music in dance, and also to get us to hear a beat better so it is easier to dance on the counts.

 

Now what I do is just laugh about the music with my teachers and my friends, because now we find the music quite interesting and not so disturbing anymore.

 

Have a GREAT day!!

 

star_reacher

[Sofi]

I have a teacher who likes to play all sorts of types of music, which I thought was kind of strange to begin with, but I've notice that I have to "feel the music" a lot more instead of just putting certain movements to certain counts... so yeah, you just have to get used to it, in the end you might just like it!

Edited September 25, 2006 by Sofi