In addition, there is an interesting exercise that develops skills of observation, imagery, figurativeness and imagination. Its importance is in converting one experience to another: sound to smell, a taste to bodily sensation and then in reaction.
All this helps to create a living and lively character which is easy to believe.
A play gives an actor a sense and support as a dancer finds starting point in his partner's initiative and the music. The ability to feel the music with its mood, energy, tempo and phraseology is incredibly important. Exactly this context affects the quality of movement. When you understand the message of music, when you realize what you want to express, what points to emphasize, you can pick up a truthful gesture.
A skill of making associations and describing came to my life from the theatre and reading and helped me in dancing, too. Musical associations add personal meaning to the notes, make this music your own.
Everybody has musical associations, we don't spend our lives in silence. We all have significant moments of life, spontaneous associations, we all find cross-musical similarity. Each music, like kitchen, has its own flavour.
And since our body is always striving to be in congruence with music (because matching a rhythm and coordinated movement make us hormonally happier), it is important to listen to different music in order to find something new.