New Music Monday: Torn – Nathan Lanier

Posted in Music by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

Another great instrumental track (see “Let It Go / Winter” mash-up from last month if you want another instrumental), here is “Torn” by Nathan Lanier. It’s very “epic soundtrack-y” – I’m using it this year for a modern class who requested a dance where half could be good and half could be evil. It seems to be suiting them well.

I believe it was used on SYTYCD a few seasons back, but haven’t seen it hit the competition circuit too hard yet, so I figured I’d share!

The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate.

24Feb2014

NMM: The Piano Guys – Let It Go / Vivaldi Winter

Posted in Music by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

Happy Monday!

Here is a beautiful classical music mash-up of from The Piano Guys, mixing Vivaldi’s Winter and Disney’s Frozen “Let It Go” to start your week off right:

Download the track from iTunes

The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate.

5Feb2014

Warm-Up & Work-Up Playlist

Posted in Music by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

I love starting class with cardio-inspired workouts to get the blood moving before we move into larger movements.

Here are some songs that my dancers love “working out” to! (links open in iTunes)

Pop Music

One in a Million – Down With Webster

The Spark (ft. Spree Wilson) – Afrojack – These first two songs are lesser known, which means they aren’t overplayed on the radio and the kids don’t know every word, but they still have a great beat.

Hey Brother – Avicii

Timber – Pitbull ft. Ke$ha – I have a killer tap stamina warm-up to this song for my advanced girls – I get requests for it every week… not sure if the kids like the tap exercise or just listening to the song. 🙂

Weekends!!! – Skrillex (feat. Sirah)

Indie Music

Changing Of The Seasons – Two Door Cinema Club

Luck – American Authors

Further On – Bronze Radio Return

Now I See – Tessa Rose Jackson – a little more laid-back – would be good for light warm-up or cool down

A Few Others

Danza Kuduro (feat. Lucenzo) – Don Omar (oldie but a goodie)

Devil With the Blue Dress On / Good Golly Miss Molly – Mitch Ryder

The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate.

17Oct2013

Halloween Playlist

Posted in Music by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

Looking for some new songs to add to your Halloween playlist? Here are some suggestions to spice up your playlist.

All links open in iTunes – The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate

Tap

dancing pumpkin Superstition – Stevie Wonder – classic with a moderate tempo

Love Potion No. 9 – The Clovers

Sympathy for the Devil – The Rolling Stones

Devil With the Blue Dress On – Mitch Ryder – keeps those toes a-tapping

Headless Horseman – Kay Starr – tells the story of the Headless Horseman in a cheery sort of way

Little Demon – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins– a fun 50’s rock-sounding tune

Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical

Howl – Florence + The Machine

I Put a Spell On You – From “Hocus Pocus” soundtrack, or Nina Simone, and the cover by She & Him is particularly haunting

Howlin’ for You – The Black Keys – we’ve been using this for across the floor combinations in my jazz classes this week – works good for turns and battements

Strange and Beautiful (I’ll Put a Spell on You) – Aqualung – a melancholy melody in 3/4 time

Other Fun Songs

Dinner With Drac, Pt 1 – John Zacherle

What’s A Girl To Do – Bat For Lashes – basically the plot to Twilight summed up in a song

Grim Grinning Ghosts Remix – (link opens to YouTube – couldn’t find a link) could maybe use this for hip hop?

And of course, you have to add The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) – Ylvis just for fun!

Looking for more ideas?

Pumpkin-inspired creative movement and our Halloween playlist from 2011.

16Sep2013

NMM: Freight Train – Sara Jackson-Holman

Posted in Music by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

Love this song! First heard it on Grey’s Anatomy (which, by the way, is a wonderful resource for angst-y, dramatic lyrical songs!) and we’ve been using it in our contemporary / lyrical class.

Listen to or download it in iTunes

Enjoy!

The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate.

9Sep2013

New Music Monday: Ballet Goes Pop

Posted in Music by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

Recently got turned on to this album by Adult Beginner’s ballet music post (side note: if you don’t already read Adult Beginners’s blog, you should because she is awesome and its about ballet and other fun stuff!).

If you’re looking for some new stuff for this year’s ballet class, check it out!

Ballet Goes Pop – Album open in iTunes

Don’t miss frappes to Single Ladies, and grande allegro to I Kissed A Girl, adagio to Someone Like You. I hope they make another series soon!

TDB is an iTunes affiliate.

15Aug2013

New Music: Feelin’ Good – Christina Grimmie

Posted in Music by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

This song came on my iPod this morning on my drive to work and I couldn’t help tapping along to the steering wheel. I think I’ll be using this song to warm-up to in the fall…enjoy!

Open in iTunes: Feelin’ Good – With Love

By the way, her whole album With Love – Christina Grimmie is worth a listen.

Full disclosure: The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate 🙂

15Aug2013

2013 Song Selections

Posted in Music by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

A look back at all of the songs I used for choreography this past year. This post is more or less for my own archival purposes, but maybe someone will find something new too!

My little “Nutcracker” dancers

Want more? Check out 2012 and 2011‘s lists.

TAP CHOREOGRAPHY

Come Fly With Me – Michael Bublé: brother/sister duet
Lucky Strike – Maroon 5: senior duet
Say – John Mayer: senior small group
Dance With Me Tonight – Olly Murs – senior large group
Cheek to Cheek – Jane Monheit: senior solo
I Got Rhythm – Nikki Yanofsky: teen solo
The Music Box: teen duet, mixed two songs – Music Box by Regina Spektor & a techno version of Habanera (the song that plays in the beginning of the Regina Spektor version)
Sinking Feeling – Roisin Murphy: senior duet
Suzy – mixed two songs – Suzy & Dragons by Caravan Palace: junior large group
Nothing Gets Better Than This – Max Schneider: junior large group

MODERN / CONTEMPORARY / BALLET

Us – Regina Spektor: junior large group modern
How – Regina Spektor: senior large group contemporary
I’m In Here (Acoustic Version) – Sia: contemporary teen solo
Hi – Psapp: senior small group modern
Home – Philip Phillips: junior small group modern
We Bought A Zoo – Jonsi: junior large group ballet
Waiting Outside The Lines – Greyson Chance: teen large group lyrical

CHILDREN’S MUSIC

Pose – A.N.T. Farm: tap dance ages 6-8
Think – Aretha Franklin: jazz dance ages 6-8
T-R-O-U-B-L-E – Travis Tritt: tap dance ages 7-10
Nutcracker – I combined two songs from the Nutcracker and called it “Nutcracker Sweets”: ballet dance ages 5-6
Die Puppenfee (The Fairy Doll): XVII. No. 16 Ballabileh (called this the “Dance of the Dolls”): ballet dance ages 6-8
Mean Girls – Sugarland: large group, ages 10-12

Apparently this was the year of Regina Spektor and combining songs! Oh well, onto the next year 🙂

What was your favorite music you choreographed or danced to this year?

All songs open in iTunes, Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate.

31Jul2013

Summer Playlist

Posted in Music by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

Hello all – hope everyone’s summer is going good.. as we move into August, here’s a list of the songs that have been getting the heaviest rotation on my summer dance playlists!

Ballet Class – I like to use Sunny Choi’s tunes during our stretch to keep things fresh – links open in YouTube

22 (Taylor Swift Cover) – Sunny Choi
I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor Swift cover) – Sunny Choi
Just Give Me A Reason (P!nk Cover) – Sunny Choi

Stretch / Lyrical Class

All I Want – The Kodaline – EP – nice and slow for stretching
Pompeii – Haunt – EP
Gone, Gone, Gone – The World from the Side of the Moon (Deluxe)
Red Hands – R.E.V.O.

Tap Class
Wake Me Up – Avicii – love this one!
You Make Me Feel So Young – Michael Buble – my favorite off his newest album
Wild – Royal Teeth
Mountain Sound – Of Monsters & Men
I Love It (Radio Edit) – Icona Pop

Jazz Class
People Like Us – Kelly Clarkson
Cups (Pitch Perfect’s “When I’m Gone”)- Anna Kendrick
Treasure – Bruno Mars
Blurred Lines (Radio Edit) – Robin Thicke

The Dance Buzz is an iTunes affiliate.

28Jun2013

Western Week at Dance Camp

Posted in Music, Studio Life by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

We just finished up a week of Dance Camp and we had a blast! Our theme was “Out West” and we had a lot of fun coming up with different crafts to keep ourselves occupied.

I can’t wait to tell you all about it next week but in the meantime, I’ll share our playlist for the show: