Now that the competitions and recitals are over, I’d thought I’d share my list of songs I used this past year for choreography. (Here is 2011 in case you’re curious)

All links open in iTunes, unless otherwise noted

TAP

Hit The Road Jack – Ray Charles: Large group tap
Medley: It Don’t Mean a Thing / Jumpin’ At the Woodside – Swing: Large group tap, ages 13-18
I’m Yours – Jason Mraz: Small group tap, ages 12-15
Americano – Lady Gaga: Large group tap, ages 13-18
Tea Party – Kerli: (had to really edit this version, so beware!), large group, ages 11-14
Hold On – KT Tungstall: Small group tap, ages 13-15
A Shine On Your Shoes – Jane Monheit: Solo, age 11
Born To Entertain – Broadway Kids: Solo, age 10 (Amazon Link Broadway Kids: Sing Broadway)

My magic hat!
Faces obscured for privacy

LYRICAL / CONTEMPORARY

Paradise – Coldplay: graduating senior dance
Addicted To Love – Florence + The Machine: jazz / contemporary collaboration – alumni dance (so ages 18+)
Who You Are – Jessie J: Large group contemporary, ages 11-14
Wonderwall (cover) – Ryan Adams: Large group contemporary, ages 15-18
Remnants of a Lullaby – Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Lyrical solo, age 15
The Call – Regina Spektor: Large group lyrical, ages 10-13

OTHER

Magic – B.O.B.: jazz, ages 6-8, complete with magic hat prop!
Ever Ever After – Jordan Pruitt: jazz, ages 5-6
Rodeo: IV. Hoe-Down. Allegro – Copland: Large group ballet, ages 6-8
Fairy Dance – James Newton Howard: Large group ballet, ages 7-9
Crayola Doesn’t Make A Color… – Kristin Andreassan: Large group modern, ages 7-9

What was your favorite song that you danced to this year?

9Jul2012

NMM: Agnes Obel – Avenue

Posted in Music by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

A pretty little song from Agnes Obel, Avenue has a music-box-esqe piano melody accompanied with her haunting vocals. I think it would make a nice group number for ballet, contemporary or modern.

And it’s in waltz time! Bonus!

Grab it on iTunes:

22Jun2012

Review: Ballet Words of the Week

Posted in Teachers by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

I am happy to report back with a review of the “Ballet Words of the Week” that I received from Dance Teacher Press in Dance Advantage’s giveaway back in February.

We were more then mid-year through our classes when I won the Words of the Week booklet, Ballet Combination Book and Ballet Step by Step. I brought all three tools into the studio for my teachers to use and I will say the one getting used the most is the Ballet “Words of the Week“, probably because it was the easiest to integrate into our syllabus.

The Words of the Week is made out of calendar-sized sturdy cardstock and is spiral bound. It fits nicely in a dance bag or it could be hung on a wall. We keep ours on our studio bookshelf. The colors are bright and not too girly, which was nice since I have a few boys at the studio. It includes 50 terms, which cover basics to more advanced vocabulary.

I ended up using the word booklet once a month with my Ballet I class and they always looked forward to it. This class is age 7-9 and it is their first year of ballet. I would bring out the book after our stretching time.

Continue reading →

14May2012

Performance Pinspiration

Posted in Blog Challenge, Pinspiration by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

In honor of May’s Blog Challenge, Performance Pics, I scavenged Pinterest for some great pictures that made me think of those exciting minutes leading up to a great performance!

Check out these photos and follow me on Pinterest while you’re at it!

Hair and make-up first…

Source: Pinterest

Russian State Ballet – Photo by: Helen Maybanks Photography

Warm-up before the show

Russian State Ballet – Photo by: Helen Maybanks Photography

Peeking to see if your special audience member arrived yet:

Azra Šahinović Photography

Photo by Natalie Frigo

The busy dressing room, everyone rushing to make sure everything is perfect.

Source: Tumblr

Finding your way backstage, calming your nerves and getting ready for the show to start.

Source: Pinterest

One more run-through before going on stage…

Source: Tumblr

Waiting for the cue..

Source: Tumblr

Follow The Dance Buzz on Pinterest for more awesome dance photos!

Do you have a pre-performance ritual or a favorite part of the performance? Share below in the comments!

7May2012

Dance Imagery, Illustrated

Posted in Blog Challenge by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

Finally got around to posting this for the April Challenge – favorite Dance Imagery!

I was reading Moira’s response to the challenge about Irish Dance imagery (or lack thereof) and realized that all of my imagery happens when I teach modern, jazz or ballet… not too much in tap class. I am going to pay attention in the next few months and see if I can’t come up with some tap imagery.

In the meantime, here are my favorite images, which all happen to be in ballet. Probably because my youngest students are my ballet class and I try to use a lot of imagery to help concepts stay in their minds and bodies. Enjoy… and please don’t laugh too much at my drawing skillz 🙂

Balloons on the ears!

Balloons tied to your ears: To keep necks long, and ankles, knees, hips and shoulders over toes in releve, I ask my students to pretend they have balloons tied to their ears to keep them lifted up.

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April Pinspiration: Leaps & Jumps

If you’re not on Pinterest – don’t join, it’s too addicting! If you are – add me to see all the lovely dance things I find around the web.

This week I was looking for some inspiration in the way of leaps and jumps and I found some lovely unique leaps I’d like to share so you can feel all warm and fuzzy inside too.

Now if only I could get my students to look like this…

“Rachel P.” By Eduardoizq

Boys represent! Look at that height… (Unknown photo source)

Gorgeous – Photo via Pointe Magazine’s Pinterest

Top photo – rehearsal | Bottom photo – performance – Photo by: Gene Schiavone

Fierce! Photo By: Peddecord Photo

Photo By: Richard Calmes

Epic C-Jump – Unknown Source

YES. (Unknown Source)

Hopefully your day just got a little bit better by looking at these lovely leaps! I know mine did 🙂

Happy Wednesday!

22Feb2012

The Dance Things I Love

Posted in Pinspiration by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

In no particular order, the dance things I love:

When my littles rush into class because they can’t wait one more second to start dancing

Opening up the first costume shipping box of the season

The hush of the audience as the lights go down in the theater

Celebrating the small accomplishments

Warm-up camaraderie before a performance

Continue reading →

13Feb2012

Love Playlists for Jazz & Hip Hop

Posted in Music by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

And we have come upon our last Valentine’s playlist! Click here for previous weeks (tap, children, lyrical).

This week’s playlist is everything else I found that didn’t fit under certain heading – mostly for jazz or hip hop, with a little classical ballet mixed in at the end!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little series… have a great Valentine’s Day!

JAZZ
Stereo Love – Edward Maya ft Alicia
Somebody To Love Remix – Justin Beiber ft. Usher
Seasons of Love – RENT
One Love – David Guetta
Bad Romance – Lady Gaga
Groove Is In The Heart – Dee Lite
Heartbeat – Enrique Inglesias

HIP HOP
Love Lockdown – Kanye West
Countdown – Beyonce
Good Feelin – Flo Rida
You Make Me Feel So – Cobra Starship
BALLET
DJ Got Us Fallin In Love – Sunny Choi
Love Story – Taylor Swift
The Heart Asks Pleasure First – Ahn Trio