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!
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This song gets me pumped! It's like big band meets electronic hip hop. And Angela McCluskey's voice is sort of reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald. So much love. 2. Sunset by Panda Panda! I was so excited to hear that Panda Panda released a second album! I use his first release, The Black and White EP, in class all the time! This album, Cherry Blossoms, did not disappoint! Panda Panda's mix of electronic and acoustic music along with the occasional clip of recorded text is the perfect background for improvisation or dance workshopping. I've used it for student choreography as well. You can get the album free (legally!) from Noisetrade here! (I promise Noisetrade doesn't pay me or anything. I just love them!) 3. Tell Me There's a Garden by Jospeh I've been loving and using Joseph's music for a while now, and I've featured them before, but I've noticed that they've gotten a lot of attention lately for their song White Flag. These sisters definitely deserve the attention! Their harmonies are so unreal! But while White Flag is a good song, it's not nearly as good as many of their other songs, in my opinion. So, I just had to share this one with you. I used this song last year for some contemporary modern choreography I set on my dance company at school. This song means a lot to me and I hope you'll love it too! 4. The Gene Sequence by Barclay Crenshaw I came across this song recently and thought it was so cool! With it's unique electronic sound and hip hop beat, it's just like a mysterious cacophony of goodness. 5. Let the Games Begin by Aloe Blacc This past winter, the concert at my school was titled, "Let the Games Begin". The students created choreography inspired by games. We had a good variety with everything from Twister, to football, to the Quiet Game. This song from the Race soundtrack was the perfect finale song for our concert. 6.Colors by Verite I used this song in my set warm-up this year and my students seemed to really like it. The is an electronic pop song with a strong beat and echoing female vocals. 7.Liv and Leo by Danny Black Danny Black is Dan Schwartz, the guitarist of one of my favorite bands, Good Old War. He came out with a solo album earlier this year titled, Adventure Soundtrack. Not only is this album the perfect background for all of your outdoor adventures, it is also the perfect pick for your next piece of choreography! Each song on the album has a very different sound as he uses both acoustic and electric guitar. I used this particular song for choreography in my last concert. Dan is an excellent musician and you won't want to miss hearing this one! 8. Built for this Time (The Hidden Memoir EP version) by Zayde Wolf I originally found another version of this song, which has a beat more constant throughout the song, but I actually like this version better. This dramatic song could definitely make for some epic choreography! Also, does this music video make anyone else laugh? The little boy is just so cute with his angry face, haha. 9. Hunger of the Pine by Alt-J You may have heard other tracks by Alt-J like Breezeblocks and Left Hand Free, which are both great songs, but you may not have heard this slower, more eerie side of their music. It's definitely interesting! Give it a listen! 10. The Raven's Song by Aaron Embry This is a sweet little song with piano and vocals. Like the lyrics say, "It's short, but it's strong." It's from the Soundtrack of Wish I Was Here, which I've never seen, actually. This is the only recording of the song I can find too. But...I kind of like the roughness of the recording. It makes it seem kind of sentimental, like listening to an old record. It's a pretty song.
Well, that's it for now. Let me know if you like these, end up using any of them, or need more recommendations! 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 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! 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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