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
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