Music and Movement-Can you really have one without the other?

If someone were to ask me if it were possible or even a good idea to have music without movement or movement without music, I would say absolutely not. For instance, in my family you were not allowed to sing without dancing or vice versa. I know, it sounds pretty bizarre but I would not make this stuff up. Even to this day at most family functions, my crazy Aunt June and my mother, April, will not let anyone fix their plate of food without doing a little dance or moving to the music.

Music and movement related to the Native American and African cultures are like leaves to trees. Over the ages, they have evolved- together. In Native American culture, the drum keeps the beat and is known as the pulse or the heartbeat which, in turn, inspires the movement or dance. Music and dance have the same impact on the African culture as well. The music in African culture also inspires a very spiritual series of movements often representing aspects of nature and giving praise to god and ancestral spirits.

Even though dance and music have been tremendously altered, one still compliments the other. More recently, dance it being incorporated into Anglo sacred rituals such as churches and prayer services. The dance movements performed are usually non suggestive in nature and stay within the religious limitations of what is acceptable. For example, in my church there are praise dancers and spiritual section dance leaders who motivate the crowd to praise and worship.

Overall, it was inevitable for the two to combine strictly because I believe you can not, I repeat, can not have the wonders of elaborate drum beats and such unique syncopated rhythms as the African people and other heavily melodic cultures without any sort of movement. Music was meant to aid and inspire movement.