The Diamond Solitaire Moment

 

How to make special moments sparkle.

Have you ever looked at how a diamond solitaire ring is constructed?

It’s designed to show off that one beautiful stone.
 

From the cut of the diamond to the way the setting lifts it up high, every part is designed to make it sparkle.
 
 

Special moments in the music are like diamond solitaires.

Sometimes the music gives you an important accent moment. First it signals that something special is coming, then gives you an important (but often subtle) accent.
 

This makes more sense if you listen to an example.
So listen to the first minute of Betwanness Beek, then keep reading:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd1UpZbMoHA
 

I think of these as “diamond solitaire moments” because that helps me remember that they’re supposed to be special.  In order to keep them special, you have to find the right balance of each of the moment’s three parts.
 

But first you need to know what those parts are:

 

1) The setting

When the melody warns you that something important is coming.  
The setting of a ring may be simple or fancy, but it’s whole purpose is to draw your attention to the diamond.  
 

2) The sparkle

A dramatic pause moment, often decorated with an accent or “lazma” (when the rest of the orchestra “chimes in”).
The diamond is the focus of the ring.  It may be big and bold, or tiny and dainty, but it holds your attention.
 

3) The sigh:  

The pause after the pause, that releases the dramatic tension you held during the sparkle. 
You don’t just glance at a diamond.  You pause, look deep into its facets, and watch it sparkle.  And, in the face of something that beautiful, you can’t help but sigh.

(You might want to listen to that first minute of Betwanness Beek again, and look for the setting, the sparkle, and the sigh.)
 

Those three parts add up to one exquisite moment

Diamond solitaire moments are just gorgeous. And they are great opportunities for the kind of subtle, emotional dancing that makes the audience go “ahhhhh”.

But they can also be really intimidating.

 

Why are diamond solitaire moments so scary?

 

For one thing, there can be a lot going on.

You may have trouble deciding which instrument to follow, and when.

And they’re often subtle.

The sparkle is the most important moment, but it may not be as loud or bold as the setup.

Plus, they can go by quickly.

I’ve heard all three parts happen in as little as four counts.

And when you get intimidated, you either pull back, and don’t address the moment, or you rush through and over-dance it.

Either way, the moment stops being so special.

 

So how do you keep those moments special?

The key to keeping diamond solitaire moments special is to make sure that you’re addressing all three parts, but keeping them in the right balance.

Now, musicality is personal.

There’s no right or wrong balance of the three parts. And there’s no one “right way” to approach diamond solitaire moments.

But give this strategy a try:

 

1) Use the setting set up the sparkle

As you dance the settings, remember that you’re setting up the sparkle, not making your primary statement.  You’re saying to the audience “hey, something important is coming!”  

In some cases, you may need to tone down your dancing to keep the sparkle the star.  But a bolder setting can work, as long as you use it to build a feeling of anticipation.  

(A good rule of thumb is that the set-up should land you in the right position for your sparkle.  You should not have to move or adjust anything.)

Subtle options might include: smaller circles and figure 8s, flowing into a different pose, changing your arm frame to the other side, etc.

Bold examples might include: big hip circles, turns landing in a pose, very deliberately gathering your arms in & extending out into pose.
 

2) Play up the sparkle

Remember that the sparkle is the focus of this moment, so milk it.  

This is harder than it sounds.  The sparkle is usually very brief, the accent may be subtle, or it could even be just a dramatic pause. But it’s still the star of the moment.  

So focus on making the moment dramatic, rather than on doing big bold “stuff”.  
 
Some ideas to consider:

• Clean, small isolations (A controlled pelvic circle is more effective than a big hip circle. Try tiny shoulder shake instead of a big snake arm.)
• Say to the audience in your mind: “hey, this is the important stuff!”
• Glance at the audience to connect with them
• Close your eyes to draw them in
• Consider tiny adjustments instead of moves:  change hand or head orientation
• Take a step backwards (you’d be surprised how effective this is)
• Just hold a pose  (dramatic stillness)
• Inhale
• Sigh it out

 

3) Don’t forget the sigh

After the sparkle, include a brief moment of stillness before you start the next setting.  If you were singing the melody, this is where you’d inhale before singing the next phrase.   Hold this as a true pause, and resist the urge to move.

The only thing I want you to do here is to breathe into the moment.
 

Watch out for over-dancing

Once you can hear the three sections of the diamond solitaire moment, it’s tempting to dance each one full-out.

But if you do a big fancy turn as the set-up, a giant hip snap for the sparkle, and an over-dramatized sigh, it’s just too much. When all three parts are bold, none of them feels special.

So remember that that less is more. Don’t feel like you have to “do something interesting” in each stage.
 

But I want to dance every part of the music!

Trying to dance every part of the music at once is a recipe for busy dancing. As a performer, your job is to pick and choose. As Diana Vreeland said: “elegance is refusal.”

When you use this strategy, you’re not dancing every part of the music, but you are acknowledging every part. You’ll just be acknowledging some parts in a more subtle, sophisticated way, so the special moments stay special.

(And don’t forget: subtle elements like poses, inhales and sighs, and tiny adjustments are dancing too!)
 

Let’s try an example:

Are you ready to try this for yourself?
 

Step 1: Listen:

Listen to the 1st minute of Betwannes Beek one more time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd1UpZbMoHA
 

The whole first section is built on diamond solitaire moments:
Setting: a languid melody on the strings
Sparkle: a high-pitched “plink”
Sigh: stillness

The song repeats that moment 3 times (with pitch changes), then on the fourth repeat, you get the setting plus a transitional phrase.

Then the whole section repeats again.
 

Step 2: Brainstorm

Take a few minutes to brainstorm some ideas for each part:

Setting: what goes with the strings? (Think of both bold ideas & subtle ones)
Sparkle: what goes with “plink”?
Sigh: how will you keep life in the stillness while you sigh?

(If you want, you can also brainstorm ideas for the transitional phrase. That’s not a diamond solitaire moment, but since it appears in this section of the music, you might want to anyway.)
 

Step 3: Play!

Repeat the first minute of the song (actually the first 57 seconds) over and over, and play with different ideas.

The key word here is PLAY. You’re not performing yet, just trying on different ideas.

Think of it like on clothes. If one isn’t a good fit, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad dancer. Just discard it, and try on the next idea.

Tip: If you hate rewinding, try using infinitelooper.com to repeat that section:
http://www.infinitelooper.com/?v=Rd1UpZbMoHA&p=n#/0;57
(it’s MAGIC!!!)
 

Summary

Diamond solitaire moves are special moments in the music where the song tells you that something special is coming, then gives you an important (but often subtle) accent.

These are gorgeous, expressive moments. But a lot of dancers get intimidated, and end up skipping or over-dancing them, which makes them less special.

To keep the special moments special, dance each of the three phases: set up the moment, play up the sparkle, and don’t skip the sigh.

Remember that the sparkle is the star, even if it’s more subtle than the set-up. So really milk the sparkle, and don’t skip the sigh.
 

Next Steps

Try the Betwanness Beek example above.

Then look for some other diamond solitaire moments in your music collection, and try those too.

With practice, those moments will sparkle like a princess-cut diamond.

 

Your turn:

Have you ever noticed these moments in the music before?

How did you handle them in the past?

Which part is easiest: the setup, the sparkle, or the sigh?

What other songs do you know of with diamond solitaire moments?
(It would be super helpful if you included the artist, and when in the song it appears.)

Does anyone know where you can buy a legal copy of Warda’s version of Betwannes Beek?
(Amazon only has the pricey CD import*, and Setrak Sarkissian’s cover version*.)

Update: Wallace-Ruby let me know that it’s available on a 2-CD set* that’s available really cheap used on Amazon!

If anyone wants to share other sources, or knows where you can buy a legal download version, I’d love to hear that too.
 

Share your thoughts in the comments.

 

* Note: links marked with a * are Amazon affiliate links, meaning that I will get a small commission (typically a few cents) if you make a purchase through them.

If you’d prefer that I not get that commission, just search Amazon directly for the title you’re looking for. That’s 100% okay by me.