I see nothing wrong to dancing to any kind of music live or not they all share a beat that just grabs hold of my spirit and my soul and I can't help but move my hips.

I would dance to either band or cd.. I actually prefer dancing to music that I don't expect.."what's next".. I like it to pull from my sould when I dance.. not 12345678

One word. Intimidating. I'll speak for myself (but I bet there are others out there that share my sentiments.) I respect the music and I certainly respect the musicians, and I want to do right by both of them. I just personally don't think that I'm quite there yet, when it comes to feeling confident enough to dance to live music. I love seeing others do it. There is absolutely nothing like seeing a musician and a dancer get in a good groove with each other. Dancing to live music is high on my personal BD goal list. Just give me a little time.

T

I think that you are expressing a very one-sided view - and as a dancer who deeply appreciates live music and who also knows about the logistic problems that can entail, it seems that what you wrote does not do justice to dancers. I have found that the vast majority of dancers enjoys live music, and will eagerly embrace the opportunity to dance to a band.

I have danced informally and performed to live music by ME and non-ME musicians quite a few times; I have had the grandest time at some pretty unique fun gigs with non-ME musician friends, in addition to the deep joys of more traditional performances with a ME band.

With that background, I'd say that there are aspects that may make it desirable to perform to a recording. It can be kinda intimidating especially to more junior dancers to initiate a collaboration - some (not all!) musicians can have a rather unapproachable air around them. It is also more desirable for a band to perform with the top dancers, so initiating a collaboration can appear inappropriate for the more average dancer - it is a matter of politeness not over-estimate one's skills and desirability as a collaborator. Further, it can add a lot of effort to coordinate with a full band and make sure everybody is happy with logistics (all of a sudden, it's not one person and an iPod - it's 5 or 6 or 7 people with a huge stack of stuff!!!), artistsic choices, financial issues (which is a whole n'other can of worms), you name it - there's a whole lot to worry about. While this interaction can add great energy beyond words, it may not always be the ideal path - everybody has to find the right choices for their own life circumstances.

There is a tradeoff between the wonderful energy of having live music and having the creative control over a performance: When I dance to tunes from my music collection, I can easily edit a song by George Abdo (whose incredible voice alone is a good reason to go CD, btw) to fit a special effect (e.g. have him repeat a phrase 5 times to accomodate a group of five dancers), I can shorten or lengthen tunes, I can include a funny/special effect song in my set, I can pick different bands for different elements, and I can change my mind about the playlist the very last minute. I can dance to tunes the band may not have in their repertoire, I can pick Turkish or Arabic music, depending on my vision for a performance. Asking a band for many of these things would be rude and ignorant, it would never occur to me to do that - e.g., asking a musician to shorten a song by cutting out the taksim is just not an option. So, if I have a more specific vision in mind or plan for a student showcase, when I have to work with very specific, strict time and space constraints, going with recordings may be a better choice.

Further, from what I know, asking a professional band to perform for a single song for an unpaid staged event (i.e., the usual student showcase) is not a good idea: The overhead for a full band to play for 5 minutes is usually prohibitive - as a considerate dancer I know that. I feel lucky to have worked for such events with a solo musician who lived upstairs from me and who is more nimble in terms of logistics - we were able to carpool, for instance, and I could help him carry his gear - which made it all a lot easier. When it comes to paid performances, adding a full band is typically equally prohibitive for obvious reasons. So, the opportunities for collaboration with a full band tend to be limited for the average dancer.

And, it depends on the venue: In a smaller venue, as part of a relaxed, longer set, having a musician play a taksim with the dancer is a luxury and real treat. The interaction and collaborative spirit is wonderful, and I see having the variety and organic nature of real music as a creative inspiration. However, for other venues and events, the constraints just don't allow for that. When a troupe dances a tightly choreographed piece (e.g. in a more theatrical production where staging is crucial, or where props are used by a group), it is much harder to do proper justice to a taksim. And, sadly - for many dancers, the reality is more towards student showcases as performance opportunities.

In summary: I love dancing to live music, it is very special and much more fun that dancing to recorded music, but the reality of logistics comes into play: dancing to a band requires the right circumstances.

Well, I'm neither band nor dancer (but I've worked with plenty of both) and I think Eric answered his own question when he placed all the blame on the dancers' lack of interest and training, instead of considering all the other factors (economics, logistics, clients demands, etc). I've experienced firsthand too many bands turning down too many gigs with dancers because they were below them in some way or another.

It's a tired cliche but when you point a finger, three more point back at yourself.

I love dancing to live music...now tell me where and when I can do so on a regular basis. With a band that is used to having dancers and is skilled and attentive.

Personally I love the challenge and dynamic that comes along with dancing to a band, but I see very little opportunity to do so. That may have something to do with my style, which is essentially tribal fusion...but I would (and do) jump at the chance to perform with a band. But in the past six months or so, I've only been able to do that maybe three times--twice with the same band.

And I agree with Brad...I think you need to consider the many other factors besides simple disinterest. Sure, there are many dancers that are intimidated by live music or would just rather know every nuance of what they're dancing to...but a lot more goes into it. Perhaps dancers aren't inspired by an "amazing" band simply because it's not their taste in music. Perhaps they had a bad experience with a band or musician and it turned them off to it. Etc. etc...

I think there are a few factors. One is that not a lot of teachers train their students to do improv, so dancers can feel lost without their choreography. Even for dancers who do improv, there's a big leap between improv to recorded music that you know inside out and the perceived unpredictability of a live band. I used the word "perceived" for a reason though--I think if you really know your Arabic music theory and structure, a band is rarely completely unpredictable. But that leads into another factor: I think it takes longer to really understand Arabic music than it does to learn Arabic dance movements, so it can take a while for a dancer who seems perfectly proficient with recorded music to feel confident about dancing to live music.

Taste definitely enters into the issue as well, though. I dance Egyptian/Arabic style, swish and ditch veil entrance, a baladi progression rather than a chifte, not a lot of zils, etc. Most of the live bands in my area play American routines, enter with a veil wrap, then a veil piece, etc. Although I admire their musicality and skill for its own sake, it's not particularly artistically fulfilling for me to dance to them. It's fun once in a while, but it's not what my dancing is about. I would *love* to have more opportunities to dance to bands playing in the style of music that I'm trained to dance to.

As a musician, I can tell definitley say that the interplay between dancer and musician is something you will NOT get from recorded music. However, the thing about a recording is that it's the SAME THING EVERY TIME. This is safe and predictable for the dancer. A lot of dancers who can't improvise are nervous dancing to music that they can't predict.

Well one thing I can say right now is that there are great musicians and there are great musicians for dancers. The amazing unpredictable drum solo (the kind that goes...dum..........tak..........tak....at random, with lots of silences) - looks really cool if the dancer has it on recording or has practiced with the drummer... but it is much more difficult when it's your first time hearing it. Or when the drummer throws in a fake ending...if the dancer doesn't know it's a fake ending, she looks like an idiot.

Basically the last two times I've danced with a live band, I've felt like it was some kind of game that the drummer was playing, to see which one of us would win. I wrote somewhere else about the experience: "It was like a game of battleship, and he was winning."

I'm going to keep doing it of course, to get better - but I can see why people would be scared or discouraged by it.

Ohhhhhhh I love dancing to live music!!!! OHHHHHHH it's just the greatest feeling anyone could ever experience..........mmmmmm live drums!!!!! I have been spoiled rotten in my short dance life (almost three years). My troupemates and I are the luckiest ladies in the world because we have our "own" musicians, a trio of amazing drummers (shameless plug for The Loping Camel from Olympia Washington! Yip!) how cool are we! :-)

Robin, our resident drummer and third of TLC, comes over every sunday to class to practice with us for an hour and a half, and we have an outstanding relationship with him. They know what we want and we know how to follow their beat. We have this amazing non-verbal communication when it comes to the dance, and we blend in perfectly. One of my troupemates and I danced our first duet choreo outside the troupe to live drums, when we were invited to perform at a hafla where they were the main band playing. That same night the last track of our troupe's canned music wouldn't play....well they started jamming for us and we closed the show with a gold seal, together! we got raving applause from the audience.....

They have a drum jam session every third friday, and drummers and dancers from all over the place are invited to participate (it's free! another shameless plug!), and I attend religiously to practice and to have fun! It helps me a lot because I still have trouble identifying the different rhythms. Sometimes I practice my moves, sometimes I join the circle and borrow one of their drums or play the zills or the tambourine. It helps me connect with the spirit of the music. I try to support TLC as much as I can by attending any show I can get into, and I am so thankful to have the chance to practice with them in a regular basis, and the monthly sessions are the most helpful event.

When I go to the drum jam sessions I get the chills just by listening to them, sometimes as many as 30-35 drummers from in and out of town jamming the house. It's a feeling I can't describe.....can't wait for the April session!

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"Life is Rhythm is Life is Rhythm is Life is Rhythm".......The Loping Camel