Ballet and Musicality

Up until the middle of the 19th century, the role of music in ballet was of secondary importance to the dance choreography itself. Nowadays, ballet music occupies almost equal significance as the choreography itself and often with musical phrasings perfectly complementing the dancers’ physical movements. And this is where musicality comes in.

Musicality: Grasping for a Definition

According to most definitions, musicality pertains to the seamless integration of the physical movements to the musical arrangements such that dancers move according to the music’s melody, mood and rhythm. As previously mentioned, ballet music is often in perfect complementation with ballet choreography.

In most cases, however, technical definitions do not capture the soul of the performing arts like ballet. Of course, ballet is also a science in relation to its precision movements and exact techniques but it is more of an art form because of the emotions, the story, and the soul being expressed in each arabesque and attitude.

In ballet, musicality is where the dancer becomes the composer – their movements drawing out the musical phrases, and intended emotions. The steps, like the music, flow one to another with fluidity.

As ballet teachers often instruct their students, go with the flow of music but remember your proper techniques. Indeed, most prima ballerinas have excellent technique and outstanding musicality that sets them above the rest!

Musicality: Determining Who Has It

This is a very subjective question. You might think you have it. Your ballet tutor may think you have it. An audience however may not! On the other hand an audience may consider you have musicality coming out of your fingers, and your ballet tutor can’t understand why you are unable to make her feel anything! Work at your musicality technique and as long as you’re doing your best, don’t worry too much about what others think.

Also, a dancer may very well have good musicality, but on the night they are reviewed be feeling a little under the weather or be dealing with some off-stage crisis, and their musicality level may be less than usual. If musicality is being reviewed therefore it’s better to judge a ballet dancer on their full body of ballet work and not just one performance.

A ballet dancer with great musicality will be also able to use some of the musical phrasing to showcase their own skills without upstaging the rest of the dancers on the stage. Their interpretation will show an audience how to feel the music rather than just hear it.

Music is often about emotion, not just about the way that notes are put together. A ballet dancer with good musicality will be able to help the audience find this raw emotion through their dance movements and help bring an even greater appreciation of the ballet.

If you feel that you don’t possess the kind of musicality that other ballet dancers have, don’t despair. You can learn these skills. Patience and perseverance, coupled with commitment to training will help you develop your own musicality. It won’t happen overnight, but gradually you will feel your performance improve.