You know, when they want to begin another round of practicing some routine. Does it have anything to do with the way musicians always say 1, 2, 3, 4?
Yup.
The dancers need to be ready to hit the “one” of the next repetition.
Dance moves are frequently done in “eights”, meaning each part of the routine has eight music beats. So they could say, 4 3 2 1, or say 5 6 7 8. The tempo they say 5 6 7 8 gives the dancers the tempo (speed)at which they will dance.
I’d say that the “1,2,3,4” that, for instance, a band counts off is to set the tempo to begin the song.
For dancing, the “5, 6, 7, 8” is usually being counted after a piece of music has already started, and it’s counting the END of a phrase, leading into the next. Songs with regular phrases tend to be phrased in sets of 8 (unless they are in 3/4 time). Dances are typically choreographed to phrase to the music. Most songs have some sort of intro section before the main phrases or verses begin. The “5, 6, 7, 8” gets counted in the last measure of the intro section (assuming 4/4 time).
Of course, the intro might consist of 4 sets of 8, for instance, but “5, 6, 7, 8” is easier to count in than “29, 30, 31, 32!” 
The added half beat of the word ‘seven’ probably is a useful element too, I’d guess.
They do it to lead into the next section of what was happening.
When I volunteered for an opening ceremony, we learned what we did section by section… sometimes out of order, until it was put all together. If we messed up somehow we wouldn’t always go back to he start, we’d just stop and move back a few steps before moving forward again.
We even ended up counting the steps under our breath or in our heads, and for months after I would dream the count and dance my part in my sleep.
When the music is in 4, dancers usually count every two bars as a count of 8. When the music is in 3, dancers usually count every two bars as a count of 6, thus you would hear “ONE two three FOUR five six” instead of “FIVE six SEVEN eight.” For example, listen to a soundtrack or cast recording for “A Chorus Line” and you hear the director/choreographer do both, in 8 for the jazz section, and in 6 for the ballet section.
It’s faster than counting “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8”
No one’s mentioned the fact that the usual count-off is actually “five (pause), six (pause), five six seven eight.”
It’s all about giving the tempo and getting the dancers ready to go.
BTW, bit of tap trivia – one of the most basic tap steps is something called the time step, which everyone learns very, very early on. (Well, learns at least one version of – I know five or six, what with various embellishments, and I’m sure there are plenty more, hoofers being the inventives sorts they are.)
Turns out the time step dates back to vaudeville – the dancers would come out and do a couple of time steps to give the pit orchestra – who they’d quite possibly never seen before – the cue as to the exact tempo they wanted the music to be played at. IOW, they were (literally) marking time.
It’s because choreographers have a secret love for all things Laverne & Shirley.
It’s their way of paying homage to them on a daily basis.
5,6,7,8…Shlemeel, Shlemazel, Hossenfeffer Incorporated.
Really? I almost never hear that. If the counter were going to count on the 1 and 3 like that, they’d just say “1…3…5,6,7,8”.
17 years of tap lessons – at least four different major teachers (plus innumerable substitutes) – I’ve always heard “five, six, five-six-seven-eight.”
Maybe it’s different in different types of dance?
No, the point is that the first “5, 6” is a cue to let the dancers know to get ready, and the subsequent “5,6,7,8” sets the tempo for the following “1” which is when the dancers begin.
As others have posted, and according to my sister who was in dance, the 5 [pause], 6 [pause] is to accentuate the half beat/half step in an otherwise 8 count dance routine, or 2-4 beat if your playing the piano.
My other sister, in a band, says that 1-2-3-4 count is typical of songs played in the 4-4 count/beat.
Right; I realize that. But the first 5 and 6 are actually on the previous measure’s 1 and 3. In my experience, instructors will either count those beats as “1…3…” or will say something like “ready, and, 5,6,7,8”.
'course, twickster has been dancing much longer than I.
I’m bringing this thread back to life, because I had the same question, and I don’t feel like it’s been adequately answered here.
What is the history of the 5-6-7-8 count off? The consensus answer to the OP is that 5-6-7-8 represents the end of an 8 count set. So why then will a dance captain or choreographer count two full measure of 4/4 as “5-(pause)-6-(pause)-5-6-7-8”? It’s as though the first four counts are forbidden from the the count off.
I assume it has to do with some historical background, but why? Why aren’t dancers counting in the same language that musicians do?
All I can think of is that they got used to “5-6-7-8” as being the lead-in for the start, then they wanted to give even more advance notice and repeated the first two.
But that’s all just a guess, since I’ve (still) never heard anyone say that. I’ve heard “1…3…5,6,7,8”, I’ve heard “Ready…and…5,6,7,8” and other variations, but not a repeated 5,6.
As an aside, ask any of my friends. They will all tell you that I (allegedly, but indisputably) wrote “Ah-One, Ah-Two, Ah-One, Two, Three, Four!” © digs
I do need to get around to asking bands for royalties, but when I do, I’ll quit my job, and, well, they need me there… and my wife doesn’t want me underfoot.
So hey there, any drummer who wants to click your little sticks together and shout my catchphrase, feel free!
Of course if you are pressed for time you can count in, “8,” and then just hope for the best.
I have heard it on numerous occasions, and the current dance captain I’m working with says it -which was partly a catalyst for my query. I will say that I’m more used to the simple “5-6-7-8”.
I’d say it might be a regional thing, except that I’ve heard Americans, Brits, and Aussies all using the repeated 5-6. Maybe it’s a generational difference? The dancers I’ve worked with have all been younger.
Even apart from that, though, I’m still curious why dancers are counting in a different meter than musicians -especially when it comes to historical context. Musicians play 8 count phrases all the time, but they’re usually counted in two sets of 1-2-3-4.