Close your eyes and listen
One concern I get a lot from students is how hard it can be trying to catch the beat of a song. Sometimes my students feel there’s no way they can hear the music enough to know when to start moving let alone keeping the rhythm consistently. Believe you me, you are not alone. So I’d like to suggest an exercise to try out.
First find a playlist of the particular genre of music you are having trouble with. You can use Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube. Search a particular genre of music ie: Mambo or Zouk. Let the playlist play while finding a comfortable place to lie down on your back. Gently close your eyes and begin to breathe in and out through your nose. Allow yourself to simply listen to the music. Notice the instruments that are being played. Notice the speed of the music. Notice the breaks and nuances of the song. See if you can visualize the particular rhythm of the dance to the song. See if you can count the music either in 4’s or 8’s (for most songs) or 3’s if it’s a Waltz or a Viennese Waltz. Or if it’s easier count the music with the particular rhythm of the dance you’re working on. An example would be: rock step cha-cha-cha, rock step cha-cha-cha. Maybe T-a-n-g-o if that’s the genre. Or Slow slow quick quick if it’s a Foxtrot.
Songs in all genres will vary a little in speed and tempo so it’s great to spend a few minutes listening to a variety of songs within that particular genre. You’ll also begin hearing the similarities between songs after a while. You’ll become more and more aware of the rhythm just by focusing all your attention listening to the song. For those of you that can hear the rhythms clearly this exercise will work to help you memorize the song you like and learn it so well that in the future you could potentially hit a pose or dip your partner during a break in the music melting hearts left and right!
When we are in the studio learning how to dance we are much more concerned with the pattern, the connection, the rhythm of our feet that we seldom get to focus on the music that’s being played. Instead, we listen to our teachers' cues and just trust that they are leading us in the right direction (Thank you for trusting us). Doing this exercise regularly, I believe, you’ll become more and more aware of the rhythm going on in the song. All it takes is for you to close your eyes, listen and breathe in the rhythm. And who knows, maybe you’ll impress all your teachers in the future.