How to Connect Music & Movement: A Simple Starter Plan for Lyrical Dance

Have you ever been so moved by a song that you felt the story in your bones? That’s the heart of lyrical dance. Here’s your guide to translating that feeling into motion.

Lyrical dance lives in the beautiful, often heartbreaking, space between ballet and contemporary. It’s not just about executing steps; it’s about telling a story. The music isn’t just a backdrop—it’s the script, the emotional compass, and the primary partner for the dancer. The goal isn't perfection; it's connection.

If you’ve ever wanted to express the swell of a cello or the ache in a singer’s voice through your own movement, this simple starter plan is for you. Let’s begin.

1Find Your Song (The Right One)

This is the most important step. Don't just pick a song you like; pick a song you feel. You need a track that evokes a clear emotion—longing, joy, sadness, hope—and has dynamic shifts in energy and volume.

Starter Suggestions:

• Acoustic or Piano-Driven: "All I Want" by Kodaline, "Turning Page" by Sleeping At Last
• Cinematic/Orchestral: Almost anything by Ruelle or Zimmer
• Emotional Pop: "Elastic Heart" by Sia, "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi

Pro Tip: Listen to the instrumental version of your song first. Without lyrics, you can hear the raw emotion of the music itself—the pulse of the drum, the cry of the violin—which often provides the purest inspiration for movement.

2Listen. And Then Listen Again.

Put on your headphones, close your eyes, and just listen. Don’t think about dancing yet. Your only job is to absorb.

• Map the Song: Identify the key changes. Where is the soft, quiet verse? Where does the chorus swell? Is there a powerful bridge or a breakdown? Mentally note these sections.
• Find the Instrumental Highlights: Is there a specific piano riff, a string section, or a drum beat that stands out? These moments are golden opportunities for a special gesture or accent.
• What is the Story? What narrative does the song tell? Even without lyrics, the music tells a story. What is it? A memory? A goodbye? A new beginning? Define the emotion in a single word.

3Let the Music Move You (Literally)

Now, stand up. Play the song again. This time, let your body react instinctively.

• Start Small: Don’t worry about steps. How does the music make your fingertips feel? Your head? Does a certain note make you want to collapse or reach for the sky?
• Follow the Dynamics: When the music is soft and gentle, let your movements be small and internal. When it crescendos and grows powerful, let your movement expand. Use your entire kinesphere.
• Find Your Stillness: Lyrical is as much about the pause as it is about the motion. Hit a note and hold. Let the silence between the notes be part of your dance.

This isn’t about creating a routine; it’s about building a movement vocabulary directly from the music.

4Build a Simple Phrase

Take the organic movements you just discovered and string 30 seconds of them together. This is your first phrase.

Structure it simply:

• Opening Pose (4 counts): How does your dance begin? In a curl on the floor? Reaching out?
• Movement (16 counts): Use your instinctual moves. Add in basic steps like a chassé, a pivot, a lungé, or a simple turn if it feels right.
• Highlight (4 counts): Hit the biggest note in that section with your most powerful gesture or extension.
• Resolution (6 counts): How does the phrase end? Settle into a new pose.

Repeat this process for the next section of the song. Before you know it, you’ll have a full dance.

5Practice with Intent

As you run through your movement, your focus must remain on the marriage of sound and motion.

• Every movement has a purpose: Is that arm sweep representing the violin? Is that fall to the floor answering the singer’s cry?
• Film yourself: Watch it back without sound. Can you still *feel* the music just by watching the dynamics of your movement? If not, go back and connect more deeply to the accents and shifts in the track.