My recent thoughts on music choices left me wondering what I would choose if given the opportunity to craft out my own set of routines. So, armed with my Ipod, and a free afternoon, I did just that.
And here it is - My own dancing playlist.
Ballroom ...
Waltz -
There are so many tracks I could have chosen for this. Waltz is personally one of my favourite dances, thus making the music to which it is performed all the more important. At the moment I love "Feed the Birds" from the Mary Poppins sound track. The gentle rhythm creates a beautiful accompaniment to the rise and fall of the dance. The instrumental section with increased levels of input through the use of bolder instruments creates an interest, an element in which aspects of the dance can be highlighted, thus adding dynamic and character. As the music itself is rather understated it allows focus to be upon the dance itself, those performing would appear to get lost within the music, letting it flow through the dance, rather than being overshadowed by a strong melody.
Having actually danced to this, I can appreciate how this piece helps the flow of a sequence and really allows you to create a sense of elegance and grace within the dance.
Foxtrot -
For this dance I have chosen "Have you met Miss Jones". The foxtrot is supposed to be fluid and smooth, gliding effortlessly across the ballroom. This song has a real swagger to it, thus helping to emphasise the sway of the dance. I love the Big band feel to this music as it creates a real sense of swing, and I love the power created by the instrumentals, again adding drama to the dance. Foxtrot routines need to be kept relatively uncluttered, as overdoing it could result in the dance itself looking messy therefore loosing the desired effect, yet this is where the music comes into play. By having music with defined highlights you can craft the routine around it and sculpt a performance which feels great to not only watch, but to dance.
Quickstep -
For the Quickstep Ive gone for "Wont go away" By the Feeling. Ive not used this formally, i.e. not in lesson or competition, but Ive used it in my own practice time and I think it works quite well. The piece is incredibly high energy, therefore accompanies the dance perfectly and creates a real sense of fun. The strong beats within the track allow for choreographic elements to blend within it, and the up tempo rhythm adds to the character of the dance. As the song itself has a very short introduction, it allows the dance to begin almost instantly, without the requirement for a long sequence of opening choreography, thus creating an instant rapport with an audience, as their interest should be engaged from the off.
Tango -
For the Tango I have selected Santa Maria by the Gotan Project. I adore this track, its so passionate and aggressive, so full of drama. The song has such a strong rhythm to it, instantly identifying it as a tango piece. The piece I feel really add an authentic character to the dance itself, and allows both performers and the audience to engage with the dance and really feel the actions within it. I'm usually quite torn with tango music ... a sort of love/hate relationship. Sometimes I prefer a modern track as opposed to the traditional, or vice versa, depending on the routine and which piece of music appears better suited to it. This particular piece of music allows for elements of Argentine tango to be integrated, along side the ballroom tango, again creating an element of interest and pure authenticity to the dance.
Viennese Waltz -
Ok, so at the moment I have big love for the Viennese Waltz. It just looks so effortless ( if danced correctly ... ) yet can some how end up so disastrous if an element doest fit. The dance has three main steps, so can become repetitive and lack interest. So the music needs to be perfect, it needs to carry emotion, tell a story. So my own choice for this dance would be " Queen of my Heart" by Westlife. The song has a beautiful lilting melody, the slow '1 2 3, 1 2 3' of the beat can be heard well, making it a simple song to keep time too. But technicalities aside, this song has such a story to it, a tale of love and romance, which is to me what this dance should be about. The strong chorus allows for elements such as the fleckerl, or pivot turn, breaking up the constant directional natural/reverse turns with an aspect of interest. This piece also allows for a slightly elongated opening routine, developing the character and story of the dance, rather than having a minute thirty filled with rotation.
American Smooth -
I have in this instance chosen music to suit a Viennese style routine, as I personally favour them to the typical foxtrot based dances. With American smooth, it follows the same guidelines as any of the ballroom dances, but with the addition of lifts. As I have chosen a Viennese style, again I feel that the music needs a character, that can be played out through the dance. My chosen track for this dance is "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson. This song is slightly more upbeat than the Westlife track, and the beat is a little more difficult to keep in time with, likely due to the 'pop' nature of the song. As you are only required to be in hold 40% of the time, it gives you a lot of freedom of movement, and I feel this song has a mass of highlightable elements, lending themselves to separation movements and lift work. I also think the lyrics of the song are quite strong and would create a powerful performance.
Tango -
For the Tango I have selected Santa Maria by the Gotan Project. I adore this track, its so passionate and aggressive, so full of drama. The song has such a strong rhythm to it, instantly identifying it as a tango piece. The piece I feel really add an authentic character to the dance itself, and allows both performers and the audience to engage with the dance and really feel the actions within it. I'm usually quite torn with tango music ... a sort of love/hate relationship. Sometimes I prefer a modern track as opposed to the traditional, or vice versa, depending on the routine and which piece of music appears better suited to it. This particular piece of music allows for elements of Argentine tango to be integrated, along side the ballroom tango, again creating an element of interest and pure authenticity to the dance.
Viennese Waltz -
Ok, so at the moment I have big love for the Viennese Waltz. It just looks so effortless ( if danced correctly ... ) yet can some how end up so disastrous if an element doest fit. The dance has three main steps, so can become repetitive and lack interest. So the music needs to be perfect, it needs to carry emotion, tell a story. So my own choice for this dance would be " Queen of my Heart" by Westlife. The song has a beautiful lilting melody, the slow '1 2 3, 1 2 3' of the beat can be heard well, making it a simple song to keep time too. But technicalities aside, this song has such a story to it, a tale of love and romance, which is to me what this dance should be about. The strong chorus allows for elements such as the fleckerl, or pivot turn, breaking up the constant directional natural/reverse turns with an aspect of interest. This piece also allows for a slightly elongated opening routine, developing the character and story of the dance, rather than having a minute thirty filled with rotation.
American Smooth -
I have in this instance chosen music to suit a Viennese style routine, as I personally favour them to the typical foxtrot based dances. With American smooth, it follows the same guidelines as any of the ballroom dances, but with the addition of lifts. As I have chosen a Viennese style, again I feel that the music needs a character, that can be played out through the dance. My chosen track for this dance is "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson. This song is slightly more upbeat than the Westlife track, and the beat is a little more difficult to keep in time with, likely due to the 'pop' nature of the song. As you are only required to be in hold 40% of the time, it gives you a lot of freedom of movement, and I feel this song has a mass of highlightable elements, lending themselves to separation movements and lift work. I also think the lyrics of the song are quite strong and would create a powerful performance.
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