How can original swing music be composed so that it is suited to contemporary Australian swing dance?

Abstract

Swing music and swing dance comprise a shared artform that is often practiced separately in the present day. Swing musicians and swing dancers may have different understandings of this shared artform and the characteristics of swing music that make it suited to swing dance. Using practice-led methodology and critically reflective practice, a range of new swing music compositions were written that explored conventional understandings of the genre. These compositions also incorporated concepts unconventional to the genre to test the suitability of these concepts for swing dance. The compositions were performed at a swing dance social where data was gathered through video recording and a survey. Additionally, a focus group of expert dancers were invited to discuss the suitability of the compositions for swing dance shortly after the performance. Many conventional understandings of swing dance music were confirmed by the data. It was found that dancers and musicians had different conceptions of rhythmic energy. Unconventional concepts incorporated into the compositions were found to have mixed suitability, where some presented new and interesting challenges to swing dancers while others strayed too far from conventions of predictability and rhythm for dancers to find them suitable. This study offers insights into the differing understandings of the genre musicians and dancers may have and provides an exploration of contemporary Australian practice of swing dance music.