It's that spooky time of year! Time to plan your Halloween dance classes. I've put together a list of 20+ unique Halloween songs to give you inspiration for your classes in October and Halloween choreography. If you'd like even more ideas for Halloween songs, you should also check out my post "15 Fun Halloween Dance Songs" that I wrote a few years ago. I love this jazzy, soulful song originally sung by Donovan. Lana Del Ray brings a modern sound to it and it is great for an older jazz or contemporary class. 2.The Halloween CD by Craig Wingrove This album is perfect for planning your October ballet classes! 3.My Family (from the Addams Family Motion Picture) Hip hop dancers of all ages would enjoy dancing to this song from the new Addams Family movie. 4.Skeletone by Caspar Babypants (mention Them Bones) Caspar Babypants has a very large collection of songs for young children. This particular song definitely has a spooky feel with a skeleton theme and a bit of The Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg. Them Bones is another Babypants song that is great for Halloween. 5.Monster Methuselah by Mary Lambert Mary Lambert is also a great artist for young children. Kids will like this song because of the repeating chorus that would be easy to choreograph some fun hand gestures or simple choreography to. 6.Spooky Halloween by John Maxim (mention The Witch & Her Cat) This song, along with John Maxim's The Witch and Her Cat are perfect for a little Halloween fun in a pre-ballet class. 7.Castin' My Spell by Johnny Otis I happen to love Johnny Otis and his boppy 50s sound. If you like that too, this song would be a lot of fun for a jazz class. 8.Spooky Walk by Jacob Johnson This is a great song for preschoolers! As you go on a spooky walk, you see a tiger, an alligator, and a bear. You could use simple actions for each of the creatures you come across on your spooky walk or let the children improvise. There are no YouTube videos of the song, but it can be found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spooky-Walk/dp/B01MXRS21K or on Spotify or Apple Music. 9.Ghostbusters (version for Frappe) by Nate Fifield If you teach ballet and you have not checked out Nate Fifield's albums, you need to. This song is perfect for a Halloween ballet class. 10.Do You Know How Pumpkins Grow? by the Kiboomers Another great song for a preschool dance class. It could be fun to bring in real pumpkins for the children to dance around. 11.Ghosts by On An On This is a dynamic, yet steady and somewhat ambient song that would be great for an older contemporary class. 12.Dance-A-Story "Enchanted Toy Store" by Richard Maddock This song is perfect for guided improvisation for young children. It is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dance-Story-Enchanted-Toy-Store/dp/B01EH2GMTY. It is also available on Spotify and Apple Music. 13.Witchy Woman by the Eagles This is a great 70s rock song with some twang by the Eagles. I also love the cover done by the Hollies. 14.Bats by Daniel Ingram (from My Little Pony) This song from My Little Pony would be fun for a Preschool or young elementary school age tap or jazz dance class. 15.Batty Bat (From Sesame Street) I used to dance with this song when I was a young child! Your dance students will love this classic Sesame Street Song. You could even bring towels for scarves for the students to use as their "wings". 16.Monsters Under the Bed by Dylan Cartlidge I can see this unique, high energy song being used for an older hip hop or jazz class. 17.Do the Skeleton Scat! by the Wiggles Little kids love the Wiggles! Their songs are easy to dance to! This is perfect for a tap class. 18.We are Monsters by Mr. Eric & Mr. Michael This song would be great for any kind of stomps or marches in young childrens class. This song is great for teaching children to stay on the beat of the music. It could also be fun for improvisation. 19.Heffalumps and Woozles (From Winnie the Pooh) Have fun doing a Halloween Combination to this classic from Winnie the Pooh! 20. I Put A Spell On You by Screamin' Jay Hawkins I personally love the energy that Screamin' Jay Hawkins brings to this song. This would be awesome for an older jazz class. Or, if the older sound isn't your thing, try this newer version by Annie Lennox. 21.Grim Grinning Ghosts by VoicePlay Last, but not least, I love this fun version of the Disneyland classic from the Haunted Mansion! I plan to use it for some Halloween tap choreography.
What Halloween songs do you love to dance to? Let me know in the comments!
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Recently, I got a message from a reader, Zoe: Hi! I'm teaching a VERY basic Jazz class to 8-10 year-olds! I was looking for a clean, upbeat, and possibly christian song to choreograph for our final recital. If you could give me a few ides, that would be awesome! Zoe Finding upbeat and CLEAN music can be rough... Especially if you are trying to avoid the Top 40 songs that everyone else is playing. I'd love to help! Here are some suggestions. 1. Smile Big by Leftover Cuties I'll admit that this is a song I've used more than once. I've maybe choreographed to this song 3 times...it's that good. And I don't get sick of it! This song has so much character and is great for little ones or beginners because the lyrics themselves remind the dancers to perform and smile big! 2. All of Me by Tanlines I use this song a lot for warm-up, but the steady beat and catchy chorus make it great for beginning choreography as well. 3. That Beep by Architecture in Helsinki This catchy song is sure to put you in a good mood! This is also a good choice for warm-up for younger dancers because it is exciting, yet not too fast. 4. Boomerang by Lucy Schwartz I've shared this song before, but it is worth sharing again! This is another song that I have used multiple times for choreography and I don't get sick of it. I've used both for jazz and tap choreography. 5. Bop 'til You Drop by the Nylons This song makes me want to dance! And I promise it will make young kids want to dance too. Get ready to boogie! 6. Hound Dog by Elvis Presley I personally love using classic oldies for choreography. They are familiar songs, but still fresh because they are not currently overplayed. You can't go wrong with Elvis and poodle skirts. 7. Papa Loves Mambo by Perry Como Speaking of classics, I LOVE this song. This is another song that is exciting, while not being too fast for littles to keep up. 8. Brighten it Up by Matt Stansberry & the Romance This is a hand-clapping, soulful song that will have you singing along and tapping your toes. 9. Jump in the Line by Harry Belafonte This song makes me think of bright tropical colored costumes! With Fringe. Lots of fringe. 10. New Shoes by Paolo Nutini Put your dancers in some colorful Chuck Taylors and boom, you have an adorable concept.
I couldn't find many upbeat Christian songs for kids that I loved for choreography, but I will keep listening and make another post if I find some! What song would you love to use for a kids jazz class? Tell me in the comments below!
1. In Ruins by Fol Chen Okay, first let me address the creepy voice at the beginning... I have no idea what he is saying. If you figure it out and it is disturbing or something, please let me know. But, regardless, I like the dynamics and fun accents in this song. The layers of instruments and vocals give a choreographer a lot to work with. 2. Jazz Baby by Carol Channing from Thoroughly Modern Millie If you're looking for a sassy, musical theater style jazz song, this might be the one for you. It's not very fast (until the energetic instrumental break about 2 minutes in), but it's full of attitude and character. 3. Birds Fly Away by Theresa Andersson I don't know about you, but these drums make me want to dance! This is a happy and upbeat song that would be a lot of fun to dance to. 4. Shot at the Night by the Killers Because it's on Vevo, I can't post the official music video on my blog, but if you haven't seen it you should watch it here because it's pretty cute. :) This would be a slower jazz dance, but I think it has a lot of potential. It has a cool 1980's feel to it. 5. Moneygrabber by Fitz and the Tantrums I like that Fitz and the Tantrums' music has an old school Motown feel, especially this song. You may have heard some of their more recent songs on the radio like The Walker and Out of My League. 6. I'm Shakin cover by Jack White (Originally by Little Willie John) Once again, Jack White has taken a great song and boosted it to the next level. This song is super groovy and will definitely make you want to move. One challenge this song poses, however - it may be hard for beginning dancers to count. This is not like your average pop song. You can't just count it in sets of 8 over and over. When I count this song, I switch from sets of 8 counts to sets of 10 and sets of 6 throughout. Listen to it and count it, you'll see what I mean. You'll have to have dancers that can remember the different lengths of each musical phrase. It could be challenging, but awesome! 7. Ballroom Blitz by Sweet As you can probably tell, I like old music and I don't hesitate in using it my choreography. This 70's song is fast and a lot of fun. I've used this song for a competition jazz piece and it did very well. I would use it again! 8. The Fox by Niki and the Dove Unlike most of the other songs on this post, this not exactly a happy or perky song, but it's electronic, indie, and cool. If you're wanting to do more of an intense jazz dance, this may be your choice. 9. How You Like Me Now by the Heavy Go ahead, try to listen to this song without dancing. If you like this, also check out their songs What Makes a Good Man and Same Ol'. You've got lots of good options with these guys. 10. Just My Type by Saint Motel From the very beginning, this song is just plain catchy. You'll be singing it all day and you won't even be mad about it. I used this song for an audition dance last year for my dance company. Later in the year, my dancers still remembered the song and wanted to use it again. We didn't, but it's so good that we could have!
Well, there you go. 10 jazz dance songs! Hopefully this helps in your search. Keep dancing! -Haley It's officially arrived - the week of Halloween! Dance teachers everywhere will be doing fun Halloween inspired classes this week. This time of year is so fun for students. I still remember when I was in school and my ballet teacher taught us barre exercises to Halloween music during the month of October. We had a blast and it made a great impression on me. Over my years of teaching, I've realized that finding new Halloween music can be hard. Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Ray Parker Jr's "Ghostbusters" are always go-to choices, but after you've heard them over and over, sometimes you just need something new and the students do too. I've compiled a list of 15 Halloween songs I've used or plan to use. Some are traditional, while others are more obscure. Hopefully this will help all teachers looking for spooky new music. Maybe you're just looking for songs to add to your Halloween party playlist? This is for you as well! 1. This is Halloween by Danny Elfman from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas In all honesty, this movie has always terrified me...but this song makes for great Halloween choreography. 2. Sally's Song by Fiona Apple (also from The Nightmare Before Christmas) Though I'm not a fan of the movie, I really enjoy this song. As a senior in high school, I choreographed a solo to this song that I used in auditions for several university dance programs as well as my senior solo at my studio. 3. The Monster Mash by Bobbby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers Check out this awesome clip with Dick Clark on American Bandstand! This song will always be a Halloween freeze dance classic. 4. Purple People Eater by Sheb Wooley This song is great for young kids because it lends itself perfectly to actions. Also, they think the silly voices are HILARIOUS. 5. The Addams Family Theme Short and sweet...or should I say short and spooky? This year I'm choreographing a combo en pointe to this song. 6. Rama Lama (Bang Bang) by Roisin Murphy I have no idea what she is actually singing about, but this song just sounds Halloweeny, doesn't it? If you don't agree, surely Wade Robson's choreography to this song on So You Think You Can Dance will change your mind. I've taught a combo to this song in many teen jazz classes and it's always a hit. 7. Walking with a Ghost by Tegan & Sara This song has a great tempo for warm-up and conditioning. 8. Walking with a Ghost by KADEBOSTANY No, this is not a Tegan and Sara cover. (Though, if you want one of those, check out this one by The White Stripes). This is a much different song that just happens to have the same title. I'd describe it as a mix of piano, tango, Adele, rap, and a horn section. Intrigued? 9. Ghost in My House by Lucy Schwartz Click here to see my post featuring this song and more of Lucy Schwatz's music. 10. The Ghost Inside by Broken Bells While we are on the topic of ghosts, why not throw in this groovy song? 11. Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon They'll be howling with this one. 12. The X-Files Theme Believe it or not, I've seen some great choreography to this song! 13. Disney's Grim Grinning Ghosts This song may or may not have scared me as I watched it on the Disneyland Sing-Along VHS as a child. 14. Love Potion Number 9 by the Clovers Why do so many of the good Halloween songs come from the 50s? 15. Double Trouble by John Williams from Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban Who doesn't love Harry Potter? This beautifully spooky song would be prefect for a Halloween ballet class!
What are your favorite Halloween songs? Feel free to share! I hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween. Keep dancing! Haley Today I am featuring the music of the talented, Lucy Schwartz. It's likely that you've heard her before, as her music has been featured on many movies and TV shows such as The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, Shrek Forever After, Nashville, Parenthood, and more. I don't know Lucy Shwartz, and she certainly didn't endorse this, but I do have a connection with her music. I love how she tells stories through sound with her cinematic and climactic style. It translates beautifully into choreography. I also love that each of her songs is completely unique from the others, so her work could be used for many different styles of dance. Personally, I've used it for contemporary, jazz, lyrical, and tap, but there are so many possibilities. Here are a few of my favorites by Lucy Shwartz, but if you like them, by all means - look up more! http://lucyschwartzmusic.com/ 1. Boomerang Let's start this off with a boom, shall we? I am using this song this year for jazz choreography and my dancers and I love it! This song has so much personality with it's bouncy beat, catchy lyrics, and even a tap solo (at 2:38), which happens to be triple time steps, if anyone is wondering. Plus, the music video is full of cute dogs, so it's definitely worth checking out! 2. Gone Away I used this song for a lyrical piece I choreographed for a high school dance company several years ago. It's beautiful and soft with a nice build, which makes it easy to choreograph to. I did have to edit out the "D word", but it was an easy fix. 3. Graveyard Lucy's songs are so perfect for dance, she even uses modern dance in her videos. 4. Ghost in My House I used this song for a contemporary combo and it was a hit. I'd love to see this one interpreted on stage! You can download this song and a few others from the Timekeeper album here on Noisetrade. 5. Running I've never used this one, but it's on my to do list. I'm seeing a modern dance with lots of running evolving into contact improv... What do you think? 6. Timekeeper There is something about this songs that reminds me of magic. Listen for yourself.
Again, if you like any of these, check out the rest of her work. Would you use her music in your choreography? Let me know! First post! On this blog I plan to regularly feature new (or old) music that I feel would be great to add to your music library as a dancer, teacher, or choreographer. To kick off the blog, I thought I'd give you a list of some of my favorite songs I have used for choreography and teaching in the past. Hopefully at least one of these will spark interest for someone! 1. Hypnosis Theme by Wax Tailor This French artist collaborates with many other artists and uses his turn-table style of mixing music and text to create beautiful and unique tracks. I used this creepy and mysterious song as a part of my senior graduation choreography project in the Modern Dance Department at the University of Utah. 2. Mr. Pitiful by Matt Costa I recently used this bouncy, up-beat tune for a character jazz piece with black folding chairs and a bit of miming. It did really well at competitions and my students easily got into character with this song. 3. Steam Heat from the Pajama Game I recently won a People's Choice Award at a Broadway themed dance recital for my choreography to this song. It was a tap number (complete with bow ties and bowler hats) but this song would also be great for a jazz piece. I used a newer version of this song... but Bob Fosse is one of my favorite choreographers of all time, so I hope you enjoy his original choreography from the Pajama Game movie. 4. All I Want (Piano & Strings Sessions Version - Instrumental) By Future of Forestry Click on the link below to get the instrumental version that I used for free (legally!) at Noisetrade.com. http://noisetrade.com/futureofforestry/the-piano-strings-sessions A quick word about Noisetrade... If you like music, you need to check it out! Here, artists let you download their music for free to build publicity. You have access to lots of free music from upcoming artists and some you've probably heard of like Nate Ruess of FUN. and Ingrid MIchaelson. Plus, if you want to support the artists financially, you can make a donation to them right there on the website. Anyway, I choreographed a large ballet piece to the instrumental version of this song. My husband said it was his favorite dance he's seen me choreograph. Black leotards, interweaving lines, dramatic lighting...this song inspired a great one for me. 5. Tigerlily by La Roux You've probably heard La Roux's "Bulletproof", which was very overplayed on the radio stations a few years ago, but you may not have heard "Tigerlily", which is better in my opinion. I choreographed a competition jazz dance to this song a few years ago and still love it today. Electronic. Attention-grabbing. A little spooky during the bridge section. Check it out. 5. Atlantic by Sleeping at Last I had a hard time choosing which song by Sleeping at Last to post. If you like this, please research him. I use his music for all sorts of things. I specifically like to use this song for improvisation in my classes at the public school I teach at, but I also used his song, "Next to Me" for my wedding video. His voice is just as beautiful as his instrumental tracks. 6. Eleven by Thao & Mirah I used this song in a piece I choreographed for a high school dance company a few years back. It's fast, exciting, and original. Almost industrial electronic meets oriental? Maybe not. I'm not quite sure how to describe this song, you'll just have to listen to it for yourself. Also, enjoy the video of people dancing with scarves. 7. Railway by BOY This has been one of my favorites for warm-up in modern class. I constantly have students asking me for the title and artist. It's calm, yet driving. And I love her voice.
It was soooo hard to pick only 7 songs. I'm excited to post music every week! I'll post some new finds as well as songs that I've rediscovered in my library. What do you think? Would you use any of these? What would you be interested in hearing? Anything I should look into? Leave me a comment below! |
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