Life has many exciting "first moments"... First steps, first day of school, first kiss, first home... The list goes on and on. Utah Dance Artists, one of the fabulous dance studios that I teach at, is dedicating their Spring 2016 Recital to these moments. The recital theme is "That's a First! Dances Inspired by Life's Fabulous First Moments." I have to admit that when I first heard the theme I thought, "What...? What does that mean?" But, as I've grown to understand the idea, I've become very excited for this theme! There are so many possibilities and so many personal memories that can be commemorated. I have spent the past month or two searching for songs that capture these first-time life moments. It's been challenging and exciting; I've found quite wide selection! While I am saving some of my best ideas for myself, I certainly can't use all of them, so I thought I'd share. These song could be used for many different ages and styles, Hopefully these will help some of my UDA teachers who need a last minute (or back-up) idea. But really, no matter where you teach, these songs could inspire great choreography in any venue! 1. First Love by Adele I've been an Adele fan for a long time. Before "Rolling in the Deep" and "Set Fire to the Rain" there was this song. I'm thinking advanced contemporary, but what do you think? 2. Breaking Up is Hard to Do by Neil Sedaka (First Break-Up) How cute would this be for a preschool class?! 3. Money from the musical Cabaret (First Paycheck) A great song for a musical theater/jazz piece. 4. Fixing a Hole by the Beatles (First Home) Who doesn't love the Beatles? They are played often in my tap classes, so my students definitely like them. I was originally thinking of this song for tap choreography. I wanted to use a house piece of scenery that the dancers would 'fix up" during the dance by using tools such as hammers - banging to the beat of the music. The idea is up for grabs if you want it! 5. Being Alone by LOVE ON A REAL TRAIN (First Time Being Alone) I just think this song is awesome. I could see this being used for modern or contemporary choreography. 6. One is the Loneliest Number by Three Dog Night (First Time Being Alone) Another great song for the same idea. This one is rockin! 7. Best Summer Ever from Teen Beach Movie 2 (First Summer Vacation) Ok, I'll admit I would probably get reaallly sick of this song if I had to listen to it every week... But I know that any young jazz class would love to dance to this song. And it would probably be really cute. :) 8. I've Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash (First Road Trip) I guess this could be titled First Time Hitch-Hiking, but I don't really want to promote that, so we'll stick with First Road Trip. This would be perfect for a tap dance. 9. NYC form the Musical Annie (First Trip to NYC) Ok, so maybe a trip to NYC isn't a first that happens in everyone's life...but it should be! I'm a tap teacher, so a lot of the ideas I had were for tap, but this could also be a fun jazz dance. 10. Everything I Own by Bread (First Loss of a Loved One) I saved the best for last this time. Sadly, this is is a first moment we can all relate to eventually. This song may be old, but a modern, contemporary, or ballet piece to this song would be BEAUTIFUL.
Do you have any great "first moment" ideas that you aren't using? Share your ideas! Do you have a great idea, but can't find the right music to match it? Let me know and I'll see if I can help. Did any of these spark an idea for you? Comment below! Good luck on your choreographic endeavors! -Haley
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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!
1. Shelter by Birdy The young and talented Birdy is growing so popular that she doesn't need an introduction, but there really is something almost haunting about her voice. Two years ago, after debating back and forth with a dancer about her solo music, we finally settled on this song. I wasn't extremely excited about it at first, but over the year it grew on me and I really began to enjoy the subtle nuances of the piano and her voice. Hopefully you will enjoy them too. 2. Made Up Of by Barnaby Bright Another soothing female voice with heart breaking lyrics. I haven't used this song yet, but it's been on my list for a while now. 3. The Bad Days by David Ramirez This is one of my newest finds. You can find a beautiful acoustic version of the song for FREE right now on Noisetrade. This is a song that anyone who's had a long, serious relationship can relate to. 4. Be Still by the Killers It has Brandon Flowers' voice and synthesized beats, but this is no Mr. Brightside. Meet the slow side of the Killers. These lyrics are encouraging and motivational - great if you're into emotion, but not into sad songs. 5. Ulysses by Josh Garrels Josh Garrels is one of my favorite artists of all time. Period. He is a Christian artist who doesn't have the sound of a Christian artist (Though I wouldn't consider this to necessarily be a "Christian" song). He sings about love and truth and it's beautiful. Check it out. 6. Look at Me by Keri Noble I danced to this song in my high school years. It's still beautiful and dynamic though. 7. I Won't Let You Down by Alex Clare This is another hopeful, heart-felt song. Though it may be repetitious, his emotion makes up for it. By the way, you've probably heard his song "Too Close". 8. Wide Awake by Josh McCants No, this isn't a Katy Perry cover. Josh McCants is another non-cheesy Christian artist. This song does have a religious tone, so it may not work in all settings, but you have to chance to use it, do! 9. Lonesome Feeling by Brad Mackeson If you haven't noticed, I tend to like songs sung by male artists with a slight Americana or Folk feeling to them mixed with some slow piano or guitar. This is no exception. I couldn't find a video of this song, but please click on the link to see Mackeson's free Acoustic EP on Noisetrade. I think Lonesome Feeling could be great for a solo, but I really enjoy several of the songs on this EP. The non-acoustic version of this song is also pretty cool. 10. When We Are One by Gabriel Mann It's been 10 years since the release of this song, but the build starting at about 3:18 still gets me every time. I did my first solo to this song, so it's very nostalgic for me, but just give it a listen and see if it doesn't give you chills too.
So, what do you think? Are any of these solo worthy? Do you have other suggestions? I'd love to take listen the songs you love too! There's just something that I like about sassy, girly jazz. Maybe it comes from my competition dance days, but I get really excited when I find a new upbeat, sassy song. Here are some songs that would be awesome for jazz choreography! 1. Hey I Don't Know by Kongos Their song Come with Me Now made it big on the radio, but this song is (also on their album Lunatic) has just as much bluesy attitude, with little more of a happy, bouncy feel. I choreographed a small jazz number to this song last year and it was awesome. Beware, it might just get stuck in your head. 2. One Heart by Leftover Cuties I love Leftover Cuties' retro style and sound. I choreographed a competition jazz piece to this song a couple years ago. This could be a fun song for any age group. 3. Shake the Room by Gamu I'm currently using this song for the 2nd time! Usually I get so tired of a song that I would never use it again, but this song is keeping me excited! Last year I choreographed a cute jazz duet and right now I'm actually using it for a tap duet. The fast beat is great and it's always fun to shake it a little, right? 4. Put the Gun Down by ZZ Ward I was hesitant to include this one because it can be a little TOO sassy, if you know what I mean. I definitely had to cut this song to keep it family friendly, but once I did, it made for an awesome dance. I choreographed a trio for some older teens and it did really well at competition. (I cut out the 2nd verse and chorus [:56-1:42] and part of the bridge [1:46-1:56]). 5. Time Machine by Ingrid Michaelson I've seen many lyrical dances done to Ingrid's songs, but in this one she much sassier than normal! I personally just like to dance to it. Can you blame me? 6. Change by Churchill (The song starts 36 seconds into the video). The first time I heard this song, I listened to it over and over and over... It's catchy! I've never used it in choreography, but I love using it in warm-up and do so often in jazz class. I hope you enjoy!
What sassy jazz songs do you love? Comment below! Just for fun before I begin this post, here's a throwback to one of my favorite hip hop numbers I did in my high school years. Yes, I'm the one in the middle with the duck face... So, you're teaching a hip hop class for kids, but all the good hip hop songs seem to be too inappropriate for the little ones. What do you do? Morgan recently commented, "You want to know my struggle? When I teach hip hop to elementary kids in after school program, I struggle every year to find good clean music that doesn't involve the name Justin Beiber or other similar artists. Any suggestions would be great!" It can be a challenge to find clean hip hop music! I've used Justin Bieber and similar artists a few more times than I'd like to admit. However, I do know there are other options out there. Now, before I get into some of my ideas, let me say that there are a lot of different hip hop styles out there. The songs that I suggest certainly won't work for everything. If we want to get technical, b-boys (break dancers) probably won't want to use the same music as dancers who do popping or locking. Krumpers won't use the same music as dancers who do "liquid" or "lyrical" hip hop. I'm no expert on each of the individual hip hop genres, but if you're just looking for some clean music for kids, hopefully this helps. :)
The Bridge has lots of tracks that simply have good beats and use an electronic sound. Look through their music and find a song at the tempo you need, and you won't have to worry about lyrics. I've used this for hip hop skills across the floor. 2. The Muppet Show Theme Song by Ok Go This song may not technically be classified under hip hop, but it totally works! I choreographed a kids hip hop piece to this song where half of the kids were "puppets" and the other half were "puppeteers" and acted as if they were controlling the puppets' movements. It was cute, the kids had fun, and the parents liked it too! 3. Pro Nails (Rusko Remix) by Kid Sister Dubstep. Lots of people are using dubstep in hip hop, while others are criticizing it. All I know is, when I've used this song, my students have loved it - especially every time it says, "Uh Oh!" For some reason, that gets them every time. Incorporate that into your choreography and you're golden! (I've also used this song for a modern combination and my teen students liked that as well.) 4. Recess by Skrillex Alright, yeah, more dubstep-ish music. I've used this song for choreography and it was a lot of fun. If you like the dubstep sound, you should also check out Basshead. Bassnectar is a good song to start with in my opinion. 5. Where Did You Go by Morgan Page, Andy Caldwell & Jonathan Mendelson This one has more of pop sound. It reminds me more of a Chris Brown song if that's your thing.
In addition to these songs, I've found that that kids like when I use some well known oldies like U Can't Touch This by MC Hammer. They also like remixes of theme songs from TV shows and movies, like this Inspector Gadget remix (this also immediately gives them a character to work with). And, of course, they love songs they've heard on the radio. When I was teaching a hip hop class a few years ago, the big requests were Stereo Hearts by Gym Class Heroes and You Make Me Feel... by Cobra Starship as well as several Justin Bieber songs. It doesn't hurt to throw those in sometimes too, but it's definitely nice to have other options. So, hip hop teachers, what suggestions would you make? What songs do you love to use with kids? Where do you look? Leave a comment and share, because we could all use more ideas! -Haley 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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