UNHEARD BUT VISIBLE - DEFINING DANCE AND MUSIC SYNCHRONY IN SILENT FILMS.

The authors of this paper introduce a method of establishing the dance and music synchrony of silent films by observing the play of musical instruments in case of the early dance films before the 1960s. They claim that applying the method needs the joint recording of the dancer(s) and the musician(s), as well as a thorough knowledge of instrument use, that of the ways of instrumental decorations and the movement analytical skill, which supported finding the connection between music and dance. They note that recording the dancers and the musicians in the same picture frame (or with time coded separate cameras) even in case of video recording is vital from the point of studying the interactions between the dancers and the musicians and their non-verbal communication, which is not possible without seeing the musicians as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]