See the Music, Hear the Dance

Music Theory Series Part 1

George Balanchine was a world-renowned ballet dancer and choreographer of the 1900s and is best known as the founder of the New York City Ballet. One of his most famous quotes, “See the music, hear the dance,” captures a powerful idea that still guides dancers today.

At its heart, this quote reminds us that dancing is not just about steps—it is about making music visible through movement.

Understand Your Music So That Your Dancing Makes Music Visible

At DanceIt Studios, dancers are taught basic music theory while completing any SABOD exam. Learning how music works helps dancers improve both their movement skills and their listening skills.

Why is this important?

Musical interpretation is one of the most important skills of an effective performer. When movement complements the music, the audience feels comfortable, satisfied, and connected. When movement goes against the music, it can signal that something exciting or dramatic is about to happen. By choosing how we move with or around the music, dancers can make the audience feel exactly what they want them to feel.

Simply put: when dancers understand music, their dancing becomes more powerful.

Basics of music theory

Music is made up of beats, bars, and phrases. These help organise music in a way dancers can count and understand.

A great way to think about music is like a storybook:

• Beats are the words

• Bars are the sentences

• Phrases are the chapters

Just like stories make sense when words are grouped properly, dancing looks clearer when movement matches the structure of the music.

How many beats are in a bar?

This is decided by something called a time signature. For now, we’ll save that lesson for another day 😊

In today’s post, we will work with bars that have four beats in them. In dance, these beats are often called counts.

Notes every dancer should know.

Understanding note values helps dancers count music accurately and move with confidence. Below is a breakdown of the most common note values, explained in a dancer-friendly way.

Semi-Breve (Whole Note)

A semi-breve is the longest common note value.

• It lasts for four beats

• It fills the entire bar

💡 Think of this like holding a pose or balance for the whole bar.

| 1 2 3 4 |

Minim (Half Note)

A minim lasts for two beats.

• Two minims fit into one bar

💡 :This is like doing two long movements instead of one very long one.

| 1 2 3 4 |

Crotchet (Quarter Note)

A crotchet lasts for one beat.

• Four crotchets fit into one bar

• This is the note value dancers count most often

💡 Each step matches one number when you count.

| 1 2 3 4 |

Quaver (Eighth Note)

A quaver lasts for half a beat.

• Eight quavers fit into one bar

• This is where we count “and” or “+”

💡 These are quicker steps that fit between the numbers.

|1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |

Semi-Quaver (Sixteenth Note)

A semi-quaver lasts for a quarter of a beat.

• Sixteen semi-quavers fit into one bar

• These are counted using “1 + + a” or similar patterns

💡These are very fast steps—perfect for quick feet, or fancy rhythms.

|1++a 2++a 3++a 4++a |

Full visual breakdown of music note division.

Why This Matters for Dancers

Once dancers understand how music is broken down, counting becomes easier—and dancing becomes more musical. Instead of guessing or copying, dancers can move on purpose, with clarity and confidence.

When you understand your music, your body knows when to move, how to move, and why the movement feels right.

What's next?

Check in soon for the next post in our Music Theory Series:

UNDERSTANDING TIME SIGNATURES

Because great dancers don’t just dance to the music—they dance with it. 🎶🩰

DanceIt Studios

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