Dancing is Music (4th Edition) by Udo Schmidt is a comprehensive study of music theory and musicality written specifically for ballroom and Latin dancers. Rather than teaching dance figures, the book explains how music is structured and how dancers can interpret rhythm, phrasing, tempo, and musical expression to improve performance.

Written for competitors, social dancers, teachers, and coaches, the book bridges the gap between music theory and practical dancing, showing how musical knowledge can be applied directly on the dance floor.

What You’ll Learn

Unlike traditional music textbooks, this edition explains musical concepts from a dancer’s perspective, including:

• Metre and time signatures
• Pick-up bars
• Syncopation
• Musical phrasing
• Rhythm and polyrhythm
• The relationship between metre, rhythm and tempo

The book then demonstrates how these concepts influence movement through dedicated chapters on:

• Dancing to the metre
• Dancing to the rhythm
• Dancing within musical phrasing

Dance Music Analysis

One of the most valuable sections examines the musical structure of all ten International Ballroom and Latin dances, including:

• Samba
• Cha Cha Cha
• Rumba
• Paso Doble
• Jive
• Slow Waltz
• Viennese Waltz
• Slow Foxtrot
• Quickstep
• Tango

Each chapter discusses the musical characteristics of the dance and how dancers can better understand its rhythm and phrasing.

Dance Theory

Beyond music, the book also covers important dance theory topics, including:

• Basic principles of dance movement
• Characteristics of each ballroom and Latin dance
• Choosing suitable music
• Counting and counting-in
• Thinking ahead while dancing
• Musical phrasing in dance

Throughout the book, musical examples and notation illustrate how rhythm, tempo, and phrasing relate directly to movement, making technical concepts easier to understand and apply.

Ideal For

• Ballroom and Latin dancers
• Dance teachers
• Coaches
• Competition dancers
• Social dancers
• Students studying musicality and dance theory

Whether you want to improve timing, understand musical phrasing, or gain a deeper appreciation of dance music, Dancing is Music (4th Edition) provides a practical reference that connects music theory with the art of dancing.