Lessons from Drumming

Lessons from Drumming

Years ago I studied African Dance. One of the joys of that kind of dance is that it’s always performed—even in regular classes--with live drumming. The music is not separate from the dance and the drummers are not separate from the dancers. In 1994 I was in a summer dance workshop at Omega Institute. The teacher explained the relationship between dancer and drummer. I wrote these lessons on a card and I found that card this week. It applies now more than ever:

1. Listen for the beat under the beat.
2. Listen for the break; listen for the signs and signals that tell you to change or to stop what you are doing.