Generally speaking, music and dance share all qualitative elements like dynamics, energy, and other means of expression in addition to the timeline both music and dance exist on.  The basic difference between music and dance is that music exists in an aural environment and dance in a visual one. 

In many ways, the accompanist is a sort of teaching assistant to the teacher, assisting in providing stimulus with which to carry out the classroom material.  The teacher and musician should be able to communicate clearly, quickly, and effectively.  Often this communication takes place without actual verbal dialogue.

The teacher, while demonstrating the exercise gives the necessary information not only to the students in the class but to the musician as well.  This includes musical information such as tempo, meter, accents, phrasing, the structure of the exercise, and any other qualitative information, which will help the musician in making good musical choices to provide the appropriate support and atmosphere for the exercise. 

To provide musical accompaniment to the dance class. The accompanist is responsible for providing musical support to the dance class in terms of dynamics and mechanics.  Dynamically, the musician should make musical choices which provide the right type of energy, whether it be slow and meditative, or fast paced and with high energy.

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