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

New Music Monday: Alone - Jessie Ware

Loving this new song from Jessie Ware called "Alone". Would be a great lyrical or jazz piece.

When the chorus comes in it has a really nice pick up and the whole song just kind of grooves.

Enjoy!

 

Summer Playlist 2017

Happy (End of) Summer!  Keep the summer vibes going as we move towards fall and update your playlists with fun summer tunes!  Here is a list of songs I've mixed into my classes to keep them feeling updated. Most links open in iTunes store - The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate.  All opinions are my own.

Is This Love (LVNDSCAPE & Bolier Remix) - Bob Marley: Instant beach vibes remixed into a good 3-minute warm-up song. (Link to YouTube)

Believer (Kaskade Remix) - Imagine Dragons:  A fun twist on this summer hit.

Thunder - Imagine Dragons: Another one from Imagine Dragons, love this song right now

Someone Who Can Dance - Icona Pop: Another good steady beat for warm-ups

Most Girls - Hailee Steinfeld:  My middle school classes love this song

LovE is LovE is LovE (Benji Schwimmer Edit) - LeAnn Rimes:  Great message, fun song - have been using it for leaps and turns class (link to YouTube)

Celebrate (feat. AJR) - Ingrid Michaelson:  A nice laid-back summer tune

Told You So - Paramore:  Have been using this for tap warm ups in my senior classes. Has a good steady beat.

Switch (feat. Anitta) - Iggy Azalea:  Would be fun for a tap, jazz or hip hop combo.

Location - Khalid:  A nice groove for cool down and slower warm-ups.  I also used it in tap with my seniors for a nice mellow

Enjoy!

Summer Playlist

Happy Summer!  Time to refresh those playlists with some fun summer tunes from the Billboard Top 40!  Here is a list of songs I've mixed into my classes to keep them feeling updated.

That's How We Do - Teen Beach Movie 2:  Super fun and upbeat song - would be great for a tap or jazz combination - currently using it in my 7-10 year old tap class

Drop That - Jacob Plant:  A nice funky electronic beat - fun for tap or hip hop - totally instrumental

You Know You Like It - DJ Snake & AlunaGeorge - have been using this in teen tap

This Feeling - L’Tric: A fun feel-good song - great for warm-ups

I Don't Like It, I Love It (feat. Robin Thicke & Verdine White) - Flo Rida: My other go-to warm-up song

Fire Under My Feet - Leona Lewis:  A nice moderate tempo for tap or jazz

Fun (feat. Chris Brown) - Pitbull:  Another moderate tempo

Lean On (Remixes) [feat. MØ & DJ Snake] - EP - Major Lazer:  Steady beat for across the floor combos for older students

Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix Radio Edit) - Omi:  This song.  I have a love-hate relationship with it.  The kids love it and it has a nice calypso-y feel to it that makes it fun for tap, so I had to include it.  Be warned - this will be the song that plays over and over in your head when you go home for the night.

Rude (Acoustic) - MAGIC!:  This is from last summer, but I have been loving using the acoustic version for tap.  Such a fun little groove.

Enjoy!

What songs have you been obsessed with this summer?

Fall 2014 Playlist for Teens

We interrupt this renovation saga with a playlist!  I was updating my playlists for the fall and here are a few new songs my teen/college classes have been enjoying.  I say "teens" because some of these songs have some questionable PG-13 subject matter, so use with caution (as far as I know, there are no swear words).

Stretching Songs

Stay High (Hippie Sabatoge Remix) - Tove Lo (questionable subject matter)
Unkiss Me - Maroon 5
Stolen Dance - Milky Chance
My Fault - Imagine Dragons
Work Song - Hozier
First (Hold My Hand) - Cold War Kids

Upbeat Songs

Celeste - Ezra Vine - an indie rock tune, good for warm-ups
Let The Groove Get In - Justin Timberlake
Flirt (Acoustic or regular version) - Zac Waters - both links link to YouTube because this song is not on iTunes yet!!
King of the World - Young Rising Sons
Dear Future Husband - Meghan Trainor (some questionable lines in this song, so beware)
Fireball (Instrumental Version) - In the Style of Pitbull

Lyrical/Contemporary Songs

I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Bootstraps - link opens in YouTube
Still - Daughter
Photograph - Ed Sheeran Riptide - Vance Joy


How has the beginning of the new dance year been for you?  Found any new music?  Share in the comments!

The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate

2014 Music Selections

Because I'm a huge music / stats nerd, I like to share my song choices from each year.  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 2013's music list if you're curious... and 2012... and 2011)

Our first half of our recital had a theme which was "dance inspired by literature or literary themes", so you may notice that some of my songs are related to books.

Links open in iTunes, unless otherwise noted :)

TEENS

• A Little Party - Fergie:  Senior large group tap, called this "At The Ball" and had the girls dress up in fancy dresses, gloves and masks as if they were at a ball out of a fairytale.
• Talk Nerdy To Me - The girls titled this dance!  We mixed together three songs for this "nerd" dance:  Cool Jerk, I Wish (Skee-Lo), and Boom! Shake the Room (whattup Fresh Prince!?). This was a lot of fun to put together...:P
• Royal Rebellion - another WAY overused song, but I mixed Royals (Lorde) with the instrumental half of Emily Well's Symphony 2 and the Click Boom Boom (to attempt some originality) for a large group contemporary, ages 15-18
• Medicine - Daughter:  large group contemporary, ages 15-18
• Youth - Daughter: senior contemporary duet, age 17
• Roar - cover by Tori Kelly & Scott Hoying:  Tap solo, age 17 (YouTube link)
• Miss Otis Regrets - Bette Midler:  Musical Theater Tap solo, age 14
• Eet - Regina Spektor:  Contemporary solo, age 16 - can't pass up a year without using a Regina Spektor song!

TWEENS

• Crazy In Love - The Puppini Sisters: Small group tap, ages 13-15
• My Anthem - Christina Grimmie: solo, age 11
• Wings - Little Mix: SO overplayed at competitions, but my kids loved this one.  In hindsight, I wish I hadn't picked such a popular song.  Small group tap, ages 11-13
• Torn - Nathan Lanier:  small group modern, ages 9-11
• The Gravel Road - James Newton Howard:  Large group ballet, ages 9-12.  Theme was "The Giving Tree", costumed half as trees and half as children

CHILDREN

"I'm Late" - white rabbit tap solo
Loved this one!

• I'm Late - Mary Martin: solo, age 9, costumed as white rabbit
• Mr. Sandman - The Puppini Sisters: Trio, age 9
• Jungle Rhythm - The Jungle Book 2:  Large group tap, age 5-6
• What's New At The Zoo - Do Re Mi Soundtrack: Large group jazz, ages 5-6, hilarious song, costumed as different zoo animals.  I only wish I had a little boy to costume as a zoo keeper
• Technologic - Daft Punk / Happy - C2C - Large group tap, ages 6-9.  Entitled "Cookies", they used Girl Scout cookie box props.
• Wizard Wheezes - Harry Potter soundtrack:  large group tap, ages 7-10, called this "It's A Mystery" and we used magnifying glasses - theme was supposed to be mystery books
• Hawaii 5-0 Mix - JiveBunny / Wipe Out - Surfaris:  Large group jazz, ages 7-10.  Used beach props (towels, beach ball, surf board)
• Define Dancing - WALL•E:  Large group ballet, used for ages 6-8 and 7-10, entitled it "The Jellyfish Ballet" and used umbrella props

Can I get a show of hands for who used an "over popular" song this year and regretted it?  What was your favorite song to choreograph to this year?  Comment below.

Our "Frozen-Inspired" Dance Camp

Our most asked camp question since last December has been "Are you doing a Frozen Camp?"  So due to popular demand... a Frozen (inspired) Camp is what we did!

Our studio offers two types of camp: 5-day "Dance Camp" for ages 6-10 and 4-day "Princess Camp" for ages 4-7. For both camps, the students come each day for three hours from 9am - noon and we dance and do arts and crafts. Each year we do a different theme and base the week's lessons around that theme. We hold an impromptu little "show" on the last day of camp for family and friends.

I would say our approach to camp is very relaxed - focus on dance, crafts without a lot of theatrics / costumes - it works for us and leaves us with a lot of happy campers.

We did the Frozen (inspired) Camp for our Princess age group (ages 4-7) at the end of June, and we actually had to close off registration a week prior because of the demand!  (For comparison, our July Princess Camp was half as full as the Frozen Camp was).

I'm going to break up the posts into a few different sections, and hopefully they will give you some ideas for your own camp.
1) Music (this post)
2) Crafts 
3) Games & Activities 

General Camp Agenda 

8:50-9:05am - Parent Drop-off and Student Sign-in
9:05-9:30am - Warm-up and "Get to know you" activities - I like doing the Name Game as an icebreaker
9:30-10:00am - Ballet Dance class (learning choreography / technique)
10:00-10:45am - Craft Time
10:45-11:00am - Snack Time
11:00-11:40am - Tap class (learning choreography / technique)
11:40-12:00pm - Games / Cool-down

Dance Camp Playlist

All links open in iTunes - the Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate
I know you will all be surprised when I tell you that the most used album during our Frozen-Inspired Camp was... the Frozen album. Shocking, I know! But we also used a few other non-Frozen songs during our camp so that we (the teachers) didn't go crazy from having songs stuck our head all day!

Songs We Used for Choreography
Let It Go - Idina Menzel - for a ballet / lyrical
Love Is an Open Door - Kristen Bell - for jazz
For the First Time in Forever - for lyrical / sing along
In Summer - Josh Gad - for tap
Fixer Upper - Frozen - for tap

Songs We Used in Class (for creative movement, games, and technique)
Winter's Waltz - Frozen good for across the floor in ballet
Ice Dance - Edward Scissorhands - creative movement and free-dance
Let It Go / Vivaldi's Winter - The Piano Guys - good one for dramatic dancing, freeze dance
Waltz of the Snowflakes - The Nutcracker
Love Is an Open Door (Instrumental Karaoke version) - good for pass the beanbag, or warm-ups


What non-Frozen songs can you think of that would fit in well?

Summer Playlist Updates!

Hope you're all having a great summer!

Need some refreshments for your class playlists? Look no further - here are a few tunes to change up your playlist.  I'm teaching mostly tap this summer, so my playlist tends to lean in that direction, but most of these songs could easily crossover into jazz / children's hip hop / contemporary.

CHILDREN / TWEENS

- Call It Whatever (Bella Thorne)
- Really Don't Care (Demi Lovato)
- Dar Um Jeito/We Will Find A Way (Avicii / Santana) - the theme to the World Cup, a really good upbeat song
- Can You Do This (Aloe Blacc) -  I've been using this as part of an improv combination - on the chorus we trade 8's in tap class
- Classic (MKTO)

TEENS 

- Love Runs Out (One Republic) - its been all over the radio stations, but I love using this in tap class for warm-ups
- Basically I (Robert DeLong) - good warm-up / across the floor song
- On Top Of The World (Imagine Dragons) - a happy little song that makes me smile
- Luck (American Authors)
- Sing (Ed Sheeran)
- Problem (Ariana Grande) - another Top 40 rounds out my summer playlist update

See music player below to hear clips:



The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate.

Refreshing Covers of Pop Songs: Postmodern Jukebox

I regularly troll YouTube looking for covers of pop music, however when you search "cover + song title", you inevitably end up with 100 acoustic covers done by anyone with a piano, guitar and a voice. Generally nothing too exciting, usually a slower version of the pop song.

Side note - if you ARE looking for acoustic covers of pop songs done really well, check out Boyce Avenue, Madilyn Bailey, and Savannah Outen.

Anyway, when I stumbled onto Postmodern Jukebox, I knew I had struck gold.  Pop songs with a vintage twist, they are such a unique cover band.  Do you like Doo Wop?  Ragtime? Swing? Ever wonder what pop songs would sound like if they were sung in speak-easies?  Yeah, me neither, but now I can't stop listening.

Here are my three favorites (although it was very difficult to choose - check out their album, aptly named "Twist Is The New Twerk" on iTunes for more!):

We Can't Stop:

Their doo-wop cover of "Timber" is pretty amazing as well.

A little jazzy version of "Careless Whisper" with a little "Take 5" thrown in there for fun:



And this last one has to be my favorite, simply because it includes tap dancing (!!!):



Grab their album on iTunes and listen on repeat!

The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate.

Warm-up & Work Out Playlist

I love starting class with cardio-inspired workouts to get the blood moving before we move into larger movements.

Here are some songs that my dancers love "working out" to! (links open in iTunes)




Pop Music

• One in a Million - Down With Webster   
• The Spark (ft. Spree Wilson) - Afrojack - These first two songs are lesser known, which means they aren't overplayed on the radio and the kids don't know every word, but they still have a great beat. 
• Hey Brother - Avicii 
• Timber - Pitbull ft. Ke$ha -  I have a killer tap stamina warm-up to this song for my advanced girls - I get requests for it every week... not sure if the kids like the tap exercise or just listening to the song. :) 
• Weekends!!! - Skrillex (feat. Sirah) 

Indie Music

• Changing Of The Seasons - Two Door Cinema Club 
• Luck - American Authors 
• Further On - Bronze Radio Return 
• Now I See - Tessa Rose Jackson - a little more laid-back - would be good for light warm-up or cool down 

A Few Others

•  Danza Kuduro (feat. Lucenzo) - Don Omar (oldie but a goodie) 
• Devil With the Blue Dress On / Good Golly Miss Molly - Mitch Ryder 

The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate.

Halloween Playlist

Looking for some new songs to add to your Halloween playlist?  Here are some suggestions to spice up your playlist.

All links open in iTunes - The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate

Tap

Superstition - Stevie Wonder - classic with a moderate tempo

Love Potion No. 9 - The Clovers

Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones

Devil With the Blue Dress On - Mitch Ryder - keeps those toes a-tapping

Headless Horseman - Kay Starr - tells the story of the Headless Horseman in a cheery sort of way

Little Demon - Screamin' Jay Hawkins- a fun 50's rock-sounding tune

Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical

Howl - Florence + The Machine

I Put a Spell On You - From "Hocus Pocus" soundtrack, or Nina Simone, and the cover by She & Him is particularly haunting

Howlin' for You - The Black Keys - we've been using this for across the floor combinations in my jazz classes this week - works good for turns and battements

Strange and Beautiful (I'll Put a Spell on You) - Aqualung - a melancholy melody in 3/4 time

Other Fun Songs

Dinner With Drac, Pt 1 - John Zacherle

What's A Girl To Do - Bat For Lashes - basically the plot to Twilight summed up in a song

Grim Grinning Ghosts Remix - (link opens to YouTube - couldn't find a link) could maybe use this for hip hop?

And of course, you have to add The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) - Ylvis just for fun!

Looking for more ideas?

Pumpkin-inspired creative movement and our Halloween playlist from 2011.

New Music: Feelin' Good - Christina Grimmie

This song came on my iPod this morning on my drive to work and I coudn't help tapping along to the steering wheel.  I think I'll be using this song to warm-up to in the fall...enjoy!

Open in iTunes:



By the way, her whole album ""With Love" - Christina Grimmie is worth a listen.

Full disclosure: The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate :)

2013 Music Selections

A look back at all of the songs I used for choreography this past year.  This post is more or less for my own archival purposes, but maybe someone will find something new too!

Want more? Here are 2012 and 2011's lists.

TAP CHOREOGRAPHY

• Come Fly With Me - Michael Bublé: brother/sister duet
• Lucky Strike - Maroon 5: senior duet
• Say - John Mayer: senior small group
• Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs - senior large group
• Cheek to Cheek - Jane Monheit:  senior solo
• I Got Rhythm - Nikki Yanofsky: teen solo
• The Music Box:  teen duet, mixed two songs - Music Box by Regina Spektor & a techno version of Habanera (the song that plays in the beginning of the Regina Spektor version)
• Sinking Feeling - Roisin Murphy: senior duet
• Suzy - mixed two songs - Suzy & Dragons by Caravan Palace: junior large group
• Nothing Gets Better Than This - Max Schneider:  junior large group

MODERN / CONTEMPORARY / BALLET

My little "Nutcracker" dancers

• Us - Regina Spektor: junior large group modern
• How - Regina Spektor:  senior large group contemporary
• I'm In Here (Acoustic Version) - Sia:  contemporary teen solo
• Hi - Psapp: senior small group modern
• Home - Philip Phillips: junior small group modern
• We Bought A Zoo - Jonsi: junior large group ballet
• Waiting Outside The Lines - Greyson Chance:  teen large group lyrical

CHILDREN'S MUSIC

• Pose - A.N.T. Farm:  tap dance ages 6-8
• Think - Aretha Franklin: jazz dance ages 6-8
• T-R-O-U-B-L-E - Travis Tritt: tap dance ages 7-10
• Nutcracker - I combined two songs from the Nutcracker and called it "Nutcracker Sweets": ballet dance ages 5-6
• Die Puppenfee (The Fairy Doll): XVII. No. 16 Ballabileh (called this the "Dance of the Dolls"): ballet dance ages 6-8 
• Mean Girls - Sugarland:  large group, ages 10-12

Apparently this was the year of Regina Spektor and combining songs!  Oh well, onto the next year :)

What was your favorite music you choreographed or danced to this year?

All songs open in iTunes, Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate.

Summer Music!

Me doing some beach dancing in Maine!

Hello all - hope everyone's summer is going good.. as we move into August, here's a list of the songs that have been getting the heaviest rotation on my summer dance playlists!


 

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Ballet Class - I like to use Sunny Choi's tunes during our stretch to keep things fresh - links open in YouTube since her covers aren't available on iTunes
22 (Taylor Swift Cover) - Sunny Choi
I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor Swift cover) - Sunny Choi
Just Give Me A Reason (P!nk Cover) - Sunny Choi

Stretch / Lyrical Class
All I Want - Kodaline - nice and slow for stretching
Pompeii - Bastille
Gone Gone Gone - Philip Phillips
Red Hands - Walk Off The Earth

Tap Class
Wake Me Up - Avicii - love this one!
You Make Me Feel So Young - Michael Buble - my favorite off his newest album
Wild - Royal Teeth
Mountain Sound - Of Monsters & Men
I Love It (Radio edit) - Icona Pop

Jazz Class
People Like Us - Kelly Clarkson
Cups (You're Gonna Miss Me) - Anna Kendrick
Treasure - Bruno Mars
Blurred Lines (clean) - Robin Thicke


The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate.

Western Week at Dance Camp!

We just finished up a week of Dance Camp and we had a blast!  Our theme was "Out West" and we had a lot of fun coming up with different crafts to keep ourselves occupied.

I can't wait to tell you all about it next week but in the meantime, I'll share our playlist for the show:

Western / Hoe-Down Theme (ages 6-9)

• Boot Scootin' Boogie - Brooks and Dunn
• Dueling Banjos
• The Ballad of Bullseye - Walt Disney (Toy Story)
• Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl - Walt Disney (Toy Story)
• The Hampster Dance Song
• Barefootin' - Scooter Lee
• Old Joe Clark - The Stripey Boys (not on iTunes)

Have a great weekend!

NMM: DJ Earworm - Shine Brighter 2012

Don't miss this year's remix by DJ Earworm - he combined 25 of 2012's pop hits to create one song... and the kicker is that it actually sounds pretty awesome!  The kids seem to like this one a lot.  My pre-teens ask me to play it each week, and the first week it took them a while to actually focus on the steps in warm-up because they were trying to figure out what this song was!

As of this post, I believe you can still download the song on SoundCloud.

If you love mash-ups like this song, check out more mash-ups here.

NMM: The Lucky Ones - Kerli

I am currently loving this song by Kerli "The Lucky Ones".  I've been using it for tap and jazz warm-ups this week and its got a great beat (and no bad words!).


Grab it on iTunes:

NMM: New Year

Enjoy this post?  Vote for me for Top Blog Contest!  How?  Go here and leave a comment on this post.

It's hard to find a picture of new beginnings in January,
but here is a "snow egg" in a nest that's in front of our house.

--------
With it being January, I wanted to make a playlist of songs about beginnings, fresh starts and the future.


Enjoy! (All of the links below open to iTunes)

I'm Beginning To See The Light - Maynard Ferguson - an instrumental jazzy tune with a big band feel, that would be nice for a classic jazz or adult tap class.  There's another great version by Michael Buble too!

At the Beginning - Anastasia (Music from the Motion Picture) - classic Disney love song - could work for a lyrical dance.

Starting Now - Ingrid Michaelson - I've used this quick-tempo song for combinations in modern, jazz and contemporary class.  It starts out sounding acoustic and then builds to a full band, which is nice for a dynamic change.

Where Do I Even Start? - Morgan Taylor Reid - This song was used on Grey's Anatomy, so you know it's dramatic!  I am a sucker for songs with piano harmony sections, so I liked this one right away.  I would use it in lyrical or contemporary class or possibly for a lyrical ballet piece.

New Age - Marlon Roudette - Another nice lyrical / contemporary song.

Intro - xx - One of my teachers used this song last year for a jazz / contemporary piece.  I could see it working for a modern dance as well.  Has a great creepy beginning and then changes into an intense and building melody.

Wanna Be Starting Something - Michael Jackson - Doesn't need explanation :) There is also a newer version featuring Akon, but you gotta love classic Michael.

This is what my front yard looks like in January...
snow and ice!

New Soul - Yael Naïm - Ever since it was featured on that iTunes commercial, I hesitate to use it in class, but it would be such a fun song for a young modern class or for a solo.

Brand New - Emilie Mover - She has such a fun voice - this is a nice uplifting song with a country or bluegrass feel.

What other songs make you think of new beginnings and the New Year?  Leave a comment!

Eric Hutchinson - The Basement

Obsessed with this song and there's a pretty great video that goes with it.

Happy Weekend!

Grab it on iTunes: The Basement by Eric Hutchinson 

2012 Song Selections

Now that the competitions and recitals are over, I'd thought I'd share my list of songs I used this past year for choreography. (Here is 2011 in case you're curious)

All links open in iTunes, unless otherwise noted

TAP
Hit The Road Jack - Ray Charles: Large group tap
Medley: It Don't Mean a Thing / Jumpin' At the Woodside - Swing: Large group tap, ages 13-18
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz: Small group tap, ages 12-15
Americano - Lady Gaga: Large group tap, ages 13-18
Tea Party - Kerli: (had to really edit this version, so beware!), large group, ages 11-14
Hold On - KT Tungstall: Small group tap, ages 13-15
A Shine On Your Shoes - Jane Monheit: Solo, age 11

My magic hat!
Faces obscured for privacy

Born To Entertain - Broadway Kids: Solo, age 10 (Amazon Link Broadway Kids: Sing Broadway)

LYRICAL / CONTEMPORARY
Paradise - Coldplay:  graduating senior dance
Addicted To Love - Florence + The Machine:  jazz / contemporary collaboration - alumni dance (so ages 18+)
Who You Are - Jessie J: Large group contemporary, ages 11-14
Wonderwall (cover) - Ryan Adams: Large group contemporary, ages 15-18
Remnants of a Lullaby - Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Lyrical solo, age 15
The Call - Regina Spektor: Large group lyrical, ages 10-13

OTHER
Magic - B.O.B.:  jazz, ages 6-8, complete with magic hat prop!
Ever Ever After - Jordan Pruitt: jazz, ages 5-6
Rodeo: IV. Hoe-Down. Allegro - Copland: Large group ballet, ages 6-8
Fairy Dance - James Newton Howard: Large group ballet, ages 7-9
Crayola Doesn't Make A Color... - Kristin Andreassan: Large group modern, ages 7-9