This is a good question, and a difficult one to answer. I've played a lot of different types of dances for a lot of different dancers, and worked in the stage band for a performing ensemble. There is a lot more to it than you think.

Dancers need to hear different things in different dances. Some dances need to build in tempo as the dancers warm up, while others need to kept precisely at tempo because the steps can only be executed at a certain speed. Some benefit from a sharp off-beat, while others need a strong and flowing pulse. There are also dances that have their own lilt, and if you get it, the room rises to it's feet, and if you miss it, they just sit their.


Our choreographer used to say, "It is not enough to play the music, you must play the dance!"