The definition of Musicality that I use in the Personal Kinetic Curriculum is: "Being the visual representation of music; creating a visual image of music through movement."

As a dancer or choreographer, attention to the small nuances of music takes a skilled ear, mature body control, and fine-tuned decisions. These fine-tuned decisions determine how strong the piece resonates with our audience. Yet, many times we don't inform our decisions on what we are hearing in the music at all! Here is how I visualize the concept to my students:

Imagine you are at a buffet. Nothing is stopping you from taking a small portion of each dish, blending it into a smoothie, and slurping down the concoction. However... THAT IS DISGUSTING.

Most would agree that you should take a portion of each dish, put them on your plate and decide what to eat first. At that moment, you can distinguish what each dish tastes like and can even mix a couple dishes together because they compliment each other.

Music is that buffet. Instead of dancing to a sloppy blend of sounds, make intentional decisions on what sounds you want to translate into movement.

This is the bedrock of dancing itself and the first step of the Personal Kinetic Curriculum.

Live In Motion,

-Joél Casanova