Year Look-Back: 2017

At the end of each dance season, I like to do a wrap-up of the songs I used during the year - a sort of song "yearbook" for myself.   It's mostly for me to be able to look back and say "when did I use that song"? , but maybe someone will enjoy it too. (Here's a link to 2014,  2013... and 2012... and 2011) This year's recital was entitled "A Kaleidoscope of Dance", but most of my pieces were competition and unrelated to the theme. Links open in iTunes, unless otherwise noted :)

TEENS

• The Projectionist (Sleeping at Last) - Advanced contemporary, ages 14-18 - loved how this piece came together. Concept was they were in the audience at the movies, then got "lost" in the story.
• Hunger (Of Monsters and Men) - Beginner contemporary, ages 13-18
• Fix You (Coldplay) - Intermediate contemporary, ages 11-17
• People Get Ready (Eva Cassidy) - Intermediate lyrical trio, ages 14-16 - danced with suitcases
• Honest (Shawn Mendes) - Sr Tap solo, age 18 - dancer is a huge SM fan... had to do a song by him for her senior year!
• Dance Dance (Vitamin String Quartet) - Advanced tap solo, age 16 - I think this was the most difficult tap solo I've choreographed to date - dancer was up to the challenge!

TWEENS

• Rockelbel's Canon (The Piano Guys) - Advanced tap, age 10-13 - my favorite routine this year - really had fun pulling out the different rhythms in the song
• A Thousand Years (Christina Perri) - Intermediate ballet, ages 10-12
• Sing (Pentatonix) - Intermediate tap, ages 10-13 - loved this song - so much fun!
• Hip To Be Square (Huey Lewis) - Intermediate musical theater jazz, ages 10-13 - the kids had so much fun with the characters.. half were nerds, half were cheerleaders.  Our story was they learned from each other and became friends by the end of the dance.
• Unwritten (cover by Boyce Avenue) - Advanced tap solo, age 12
• I Feel Pretty (Oscar Peterson Trio) - Advanced tap solo, age 11 - super tricky time signature changes for this dancer

CHILDREN

• Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky) - Intermediate Ballet for ages 9-11 - costumes half in black, half in white - was a lot of fun to be dramatic
• Try Everything (Shakira) - Beginner jazz, ages 6-8 - the kids loved this song so much, they sang the first part of it, even for the show (oh oh oh oh OHH!) - I like the message behind the song as well - don't be afraid to try something
• At The Hop (Danny & The Juniors) - Beginning tap, ages 6-8
• Various selections from Narnia soundtracks - Beginner ballet, ages 6-8, called this "The Golden Coronation" - had girls dressed up in golden tutus as princesses, my gentleman in gold top (the prince).  He had a scepter and "crowned" all of the princesses.  They loved it.  Music was a little hard to follow sometimes.
• Fairy Dance (James Newton Howard) - beginner ballet, ages 6-8 - I liked how the tempo changed during the song.
• Three Little Fishies (Finding Nemo soundtrack) - beginner tap, age 4
• Dinosaur Rock N Roll (Joanie Bartels) - beginner jazz, age 4 - my assistant was the "dinosaur" for this one!  Super cute.
• Brave (cover by Savannah Outen) - intermediate tap, ages 9-11 - in hindsight this piece was a bit to mature for them to pull off... but they worked hard on it!

RECITAL OPENER 

• Over the Rainbow (Pentatonix) mixed with Let's Go (Tiesto ft. Iconapop) - we started in black and white and then when the 2nd song began, the kids came out with tie-dye shirts (our recital T-shirt was tie-dye this year)

What was your favorite song that you used from last year? Share in the comments