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
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Choreography by Haley Israelsen Nelson. Photo Credit: Benjamin Allen Dynamics are essential. Maybe it's just me, but I get really disappointed when I hear a song that begins with great choreographic potential, but then ends up being monotonous, repetitive, and just...boring. Don't get me wrong, monotonous, ambient songs have their place in choreography, but usually I prefer a song that takes the listener on some kind of journey. I love songs that tell a story - they capture your intrigue in the beginning, build to an epic climax, and then resolve at the end. These are the kinds of songs I want to feature today. Songs that build dynamically! So if you're like me and hate sifting through lots of songs with no dynamic flavor, keep scrolling and enjoy! 1. My Body is a Cage by Arcade Fire It doesn't get much more epic than this organ and drums combo. When I first listened to this song, I thought it might fall into a repetitive slump as many electronic pop songs do. But, I was pleasantly surprised! The ending is intense and attention grabbing. Make sure to listen to the whole song. 3. Rise by Josh Garrels Josh Garrels. Once again, he is a Christian artist, but not your average Christian artist. This song builds beautifully. If you are choreographing in a venue where you can use his music, do it. 4. Love is Blindness cover by Jack White (originally by U2) If you've seen the recent Great Gatsby movie or even the trailer, you may recognize this song. Jack White gives this U2 song a dynamic rock kick. 5. Conditions by Jesse Morrow I choreographed and taught a contemporary combination to this song a couple years ago and it was a hit. I love his voice against the simple piano chords. The song builds in energy at about 2:20. I would also recommend his song Can't You See. Check that out if you like his sound. 6. Arrival of the Birds and Transformation by the Cinematic Orchestra If you are looking for a song that tells a story, movie soundtracks are a wonderful place to look. These songs are from Disneynature's documentary The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos. I like what this YouTube video did; it combined two similar songs from the soundtrack to make a longer piece. I suppose you could do that or use either of the separately. The Cinematic Orchestra did a beautiful job with this soundtrack. If you are a part of the dance community, my guess is that you've heard their song To Build a Home, which is also beautiful, but is used a lot. Anyway, I picture ballet piece when I hear this song. What do you think? 7. Sea Fog by Keane Ok, I'll admit, I've had a soft spot for Keane's sound for a long time. There's just something calming yet exciting about this song. This would make for a captivating lyrical or contemporary piece. 8. Try a Little Tenderness by Otis Redding Ready for some 60's music to change things up? I thought so! Alright, I just love Otis Redding's voice because it is raw and real and he makes you believe what he's saying! The climax of this song gets me every time. Really, please, someone choreograph a dance to this song! I don't care what style it is, this just has to happen. Also, if you haven't seen the clip from Pretty in Pink featuring this song, please watch it now here. This is the best part of the whole movie. It's sure to give you some movement inspiration... 9. It's Around You by ANR The cool and quirky song builds nicely and won't leave your audience bored. I've choreographed to this song and it was a lot of fun to dance to. 10. Amsterdam by Coldplay Coldplay. Yep. This song is from their 2002 album which also included many other favorites of mine such as The Scientist and Green Eyes. The climax at around 3:57 is still amazing!
Well, there you have it. 10 songs that are sure to bring a dynamic climax to your choreography! Do you have other song ideas? Let me know; I'd love to hear them! |
HaleyDancer. Teacher. Choreographer. Music Collector. Resource. Archives
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