Here's how I saw it handled by professionals: Circa 1982-3 when I was in Washington (DC) I went to a concert by Dedannan (popular Irish group at the time) and the promoter of the show had also hired a "traditional" Irish stepdancer. For some reason the band didn't like the dancer, and everytime he'd get up to dance they would start to play the music faster and faster and even faster, until the dancer would give up and pout his way off the stage. Don't know the cause, but it was interesting to see.

Chet