Hi. My name is Rana (Ra-naa) and I go to Prendergast School. I have been dancing since I was twelve years old until now, halfway through my GCSE course.
Music plays a massive role in my life as a dancer. A person can create a piece of choreography influenced by the music, from the rhythm and tone to the bass and beats.
The style of the choreography is very much influenced by the style of the music. Just listening to music alone in my room, for example Billie Eilish’s ‘Xanny’, I notice the layers. Many of the instruments, you don’t notice initially. She has piano playing quietly in the background, which you have to listen closely to hear. Billie has drums that work alongside the electronic bass to give a more ominous and eerie atmosphere. As dancers, we take on the bass and the underlying instruments and allow our bodies to move in a way which incorporates all the musical components (including the lyrics).
In my early years of dancing I began with popping and animation. I ended up listening to “Trap Nation” on YouTube where I danced to many remixes and some original production. I was intrigued by the many layers and techniques added, but it didn’t sound overwhelming at all and I was able to create a story with my movements, and this led me into other genres of music, from UK grime to modern contemporary.
Music as a whole can easily play on your emotions and create imagery in your mind, whether it is instrumental or a capella.
For example, for me, Ed Sheeran’s ‘I Don’t Care’ was a love story, but mixed in with a nightclub. Another example was Ariana Grande’s ‘Breathin’. I imagined Ariana making it out of the horrible place she was in, and strengthening herself to carry on.
This all has inspired me to take up a career in dance. A nine to five job is not for me.
