Modern Dance

The popular form of music enjoyed today in Longbridge is derived from the ‘dance’ section of story form, and features a much more regular meter with fewer time changes, and most often exhibits a crescendo beginning with a relatively low-energy rendition of the song’s theme, which builds to the ‘dance’ proper.

This buildup is repeated 2 or more times in each performance. Modern dance style retains some other features from story form, which is unsurprising since it the earliest form of music and very influential on all musical styles of the bridge. Some retained features of story form include:

• Slipping between 3-count and 2-count versions of the same tempo
• Triplet swing feel
• Audience vocalising in simple, memorable chants

Despite retaining some recognisable features, modern dance style is much more variable and flexible in how songs are constructed. Songs are usually in a 2-count timing with even meter length, and unlikely to change meter length during the same song. Performers will often curate songs to have compatible keys and tempos, and will perform the set continuously, letting each song smoothly blend into the next, or fill the gaps with musical elaborations by solo performers.