Review of the Motosonus Method
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There seems to be two diverse opinions on the subject of whether transcriptions and arrangements of classical literature offer the preferred choice of musical material for use in ballet classes.
The Discussions
Those that believe in it argue that ballet music is what the students in ballet classes will someday be dancing to, so then it is a correct choice of music for use in preparing them. Those that disagree say the the process of learning ballet technique has almost nothing to do with the discipline of performance, and therefore the music must be written for and crafted for each and every individual ballet exercise.
I Switched Sides
I was enthusiastically a proponent of using adaptations until I came across the First Class Albums which were created following the foundations of the Motosonus Method. The concept behind this strategy is clear and straighforward, but quite powerful.
The Details
The Motosonus Method outlines an approach to composing and improvising ballet class music that focuses on supporting the lessons being learned in class. This is accomplished by constantly providing the dancers in class with musical signals that ultimately communicate directly with their muscles. The music creates states of rhythmic and phrased consonance and dissonance that correspond to the tension and relaxation that takes place in the dancers’ muscles when the exercise is being executed in the correct manner. This is a simplified version of it, but it will serve for this post.
Additionally, the music draws more from the dancers through the use of tempo, rubato and beat placement. For example, ends of phrases can be delayed to maximize a stretch or to make the dancer hold a position a little longer. These strategies, which perhaps seem insignificant in themselves add up over a period to a higher rate of learning and an increased level of ballet skill in a shorter time.
How Much Does It Matter?
If you happened to wonder if the music used in ballet class really does impact the efficiency of the teaching and the progression of the dance students, you will want to try out music written following the Motosonus Method.
This is brought to you by Gaylord Pannitron. For more details about how to play the piano for ballet class, there are examples at this link: ballet class music, which is an internet site for ballet class teachers and pianists. The First Class Albums, mentioned in this post can be found in Amazon’s ballet class music listings.
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