Yes, we shall. But before we do, we need to decide what music to play. Will it be classical? Contemporary? Pop? Electronica? Country swing? The music comes first and the dance conforms. That’s the way it usually works, and not only for social dance. A choreographer’s first inspiration is most often a piece of music, prompting images of bodies in motion.

Not so for Lisa Chow. Chow, longtime artistic director for Desert Dance Theatre, generally crafts the dance first, then adds the music. It’s not quite as out‑there as the team of choreographer Merce Cunningham and composer John Cage–they used to create the music and dance separately, then put them together to see what happened. But Chow’s method is still out‑there.

The important thing is, it works for Chow and for Desert Dance. And one of the reasons is the composer Chow invariably hires to score her dances: Step Raptis. Raptis is a percussionist, composer, sound designer and, it should be noted, something of a dancer himself. He’s also Chow’s husband, which gives him an interpretive step up, so to speak.

“Step knows how to do this because he’s a dancer himself, and because he’s used to improvising music for dance classes,” says Chow. Speaking about her newest dance creation, called “Relations,” Chow says it began in her head as the general notion of all humanity being related.

“To me, this piece is about how people are really a big family and how different people can relate with each other. People have a lot in common, no matter what race they are.”

Chow shaped the 13 minutes of dance before turning the result over in a video to Raptis. The result: a unique creation that uses Raptis’ electronic music to underscore Chow’s ideas. “Relations” will premiere in a concert featuring work from the company’s repertoire at 8 p.m. on April 29 at the Mesa Arts Center’s Virginia G. Piper Repertory Theater, 1 East Main St. in Mesa. Tickets are available by calling (480) 644‑6500.

Desert Dance has its own built‑in supplier of music, though most of the myriad modern‑to‑contemporary dance companies around our Valley rely almost solely upon recorded music. In that regard, A Ludwig Co–the oldest established permanent floating dance game in this town–has pulled off a coup for this coming weekend’s concert at the Tempe Performing Arts Center.

Company director Ann Ludwig has engaged a 65‑piece wind band to provide live music for her company’s program titled, “On the Beating Path.”

Dance music is often orchestral, sometimes pianistic, and frequently electronic or otherwise chamber‑sized. But...a band?

“I just thought it would be great to have this big sound in the hall!” Ludwig exclaimed. And where professional‑level orchestras require payment, top‑level community bands typically play for the fun of it.

So, along with the Arizona Wind Symphony, conducted by Bill Richardson, A Ludwig Co will dance its way to winds‑and‑percussion glory this Thursday through Sunday at T‑PAC, located at 132 E. Sixth St. in Tempe. Times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 20‑23. For ticket information call (480) 350‑8388.

If a full‑sized wind band can play music for an 8‑member dance troupe, what’s next? Before you know it, there’ll be people blowing the tuba in art galleries. And by “before you know it,” I mean next Tuesday, April 25.

That’s the day David Pack, tubist extraordinaire for the Phoenix Symphony, brings his 40 pounds of brass coil to Shemer Art Center, 5005 E. Camelback Rd. in Phoenix. Pack will pack the halls of Shemer with low‑down brass music for one hour starting at 7 p.m., as visitors listen while viewing artworks on the walls. Think of it as a one‑man “Pictures at an Exhibition.”

Admission is $5 at the door, or free to Shemer members.