2014 Song Selections

Because I’m a huge music / stats nerd, I like to share my song choices from each year.  It’s mostly for me to be able to look back and say “when did I use that song”? , but maybe someone will enjoy it too.

(Here’s 2013’s music list if you’re curious… and 2012… and 2011)

Our first half of our recital had a theme which was “dance inspired by literature or literary themes”, so you may notice that some of my songs are related to books.

Links open in iTunes, unless otherwise noted 🙂

TEENS

TWEENS

CHILDREN

“I’m Late” – white rabbit tap solo

Loved this one!

Can I get a show of hands for who used an “over popular” song this year and regretted it?  What was your favorite song to choreograph to this year?  Comment below.

Our “Frozen-Inspired” Dance Camp

frozencampheader

 

Our most asked camp question since last December has been “Are you doing a Frozen Camp?”  So due to popular demand… a Frozen (inspired) Camp is what we did!

What works best for our studio is doing a half-day camp, where the students come 4 or 5 days a week from 9am-noon.

Each year we do a different theme and base the week’s lessons around that theme. We hold an impromptu little “show” on the last day of camp for family and friends.

We did the Frozen (inspired) Camp for our Princess age group (ages 4-7) at the end of June, and we actually had to close off registration a week prior because of the demand!  (For comparison, our July Princess Camp was half as full as the Frozen Camp was).

I’m going to break up the posts into a few different sections, and hopefully they will give you some ideas for your own camp.

1) Music (this post)
2) Crafts
3) Games & Activities 

General Camp Agenda

8:50-9:05am – Parent Drop-off and Student Sign-in
9:05-9:30am – Warm-up and “Get to know you” activities – I like doing the Name Game as an icebreaker
9:30-10:00am – Ballet Dance class (learning choreography / technique)
10:00-10:45am – Craft Time
10:45-11:00am – Snack Time
11:00-11:40am – Tap class (learning choreography / technique)
11:40-12:00pm – Games / Cool-down

Dance Camp Playlist

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

I know you will all be surprised when I tell you that the most used album during our Frozen-Inspired Camp was… the Frozen album. Shocking, I know! But we also used a few other non-Frozen songs during our camp so that we (the teachers) didn’t go crazy from having songs stuck our head all day!

Songs We Used for Choreography

Songs We Used in Class (for creative movement, games, and technique)

What non-Frozen songs can you think of that would fit in well?

New Music Monday: Torn – Nathan Lanier

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.

New Music Monday: Ballet Goes Pop

Ballet MimeRecently 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.

Summer Playlist

Beach DancingHello 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.

Holiday Music Update

Our ‘happy elf’ at the studio!

Does your holiday playlist need some updating?

Here are a few songs that you can add into the usual rotation to spice things up a bit this year (links open in iTunes):

Jazzy Tunes

The Happy Elf – Harry Connick Jr.

Cool Yule – Louis Armstrong

I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm (Stuhr Remix) – Kay Starr

(Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With the Bag – Kay Starr

A Little More Mellow

The Christmas Waltz – She & Him

Christmas Lights – Coldplay

Snowfall – Ingrid Michaelson

Somewhere In My Memory – Home Alone Soundtrack (I actually recommend the entire Home Alone Soundtrack by John Williams for some fun music that has a Christmas-y feel to it – I especially love the track “Holiday Flight”“)

And a few more…

Hurry Home – The Good Lovelies

Bring Me Love – Marie Digby

Last Christmas – Taylor Swift

March of the Toys (Instrumental Version) –

From 2011:  Holiday Music Round-up

From 2010:  NMM: Holiday Music

2012 Song Selections

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

 

My magic hat!
Faces obscured for privacy

LYRICAL / CONTEMPORARY

OTHER

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