Jazz Improvisation: Musicality Training

June 3, 2016Ksenia Parkhatskaya

This Jazz Improvisation is the result of 2h musicality training with my husband and musician/ composer – David Duffy and one of the greatest musicians of all times, a pure and endless inspiration Oscar Peterson.

David was directing my dance by guiding through the music. Teaching me how to listen to music, what to hear and what to accentuate in my dance. A true musicality training!

One of the advices that David gave me was that I should always listen to the idea that musician puts in the solo piece (for ex. solo with loads of triplets, very melodic, solo with breaks and little melodic intrusions etc). Another advice was to think of the whole piece perspective. To see the development. Don’t give it all from the beginning and then have nowhere to grow. It is important to hear and react to the volumes of intensity of the music.

Oscar Peterson has always been my inspiration. Since the first day I heard him on radio Hermitage in St Petersburg, I was in love. His improvisation is a flow that has ideas, perspective, development, groove. The best teacher of musicality for me.

Special thanks for the space to Jeder ist Tanzbar, Anna, Oli, Ali & Katja! Tanzbar became my home for the last 2 years.

Music – Oscar Peterson “On a Clear Day”

Dancer – Ksenia Parkhatskaya
Video – Slava Bogatov, David Duffy
Editing – Ksenia Parkhatskaya

“REVIVAL” a bebop, jazz dance choreographic piece by Ksenia Parkhatskaya. Performed at Rock That Swing’15. Photo credit: Tamara Pinco
Ksenia Parkhatskaya

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