Unconventional Dance Music

[NeoDevin]

I'm looking for songs that are good to dance to, but that you might not normally expect to hear played by a ballroom dj. Like rock/pop/hip-hop songs that you can dance to. Standard or Latin, it's all good.

[ballroomboilergirl]

One of my favorite sambas is "Baby Boy" by Beyonce featuring Sean Paul. It's HOT...think of a dimly-lit club with a bunch of people sweating on the dance floor... :wink:

A good "unconventional" tango is "Hey Sexy Lady" by Shaggy...definite tango beat, but with a hip-hop flava.

I can't think of anymore right now, but I'll let you know when I do... :wink:

[Phil Owl]

I'm looking for songs that are good to dance to, but that you might not normally expect to hear played by a ballroom dj. Like rock/pop/hip-hop songs that you can dance to. Standard or Latin, it's all good.


Cha-Cha: The Sinister Minister by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

Foxtrot: Spy vs. Spy by John Scofield

Fast Swing: None of The Knew They Were Robots by Mr. Bungle

[tango]

Since you are in Canada, pick up Sam Robert's :: 'We Were Born in a Flame' album. It's great to dance too, we use it to practice a lot. Cha-Cha, Rumba, Swing & Waltz. I'm sure you can foxtrot to a couple of the songs too. Most rock tunes you can swing, cha-cha or rumba with.

[lindy jihad]

if you want to dance lindy hop to "Unconventional Dance Music", just go to a westie dance.

:lol:

[TheArchon]

Try Senor Coconut- Besame Mucho remix... a great cha cha cha song.
In this remix album there is even an halirious remix cha cha for Riders On the Storm...

But cha cha, alot of the dance song in disco, are dance cha cha cha, it isn't realy hard to find.

[Sagitta]

Welcome to the forums TheArchon!! Cool user name! How did you come up with that? Posting names (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=949&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=posting+names&start=30)

I have been wondering about Besame Mucho as I have seen it come up a couple times. It seems to be a must-have. This must be really popular. I wonder which version is the easiest to follow, which one is the most funky...etc? I believe that the other version mentioned has been the one by Dianna Krall, and a third has been the one from "Dance with Me".

[Vin]

This is great, I have been looking for unconventional salsa music.
A couple I think you could salsa to,
Lady Marmalade, the newer version for the movie Moulin Rouge
I want your sex by George Michael.

[SDsalsaguy]

A couple I think you could salsa to [...] Lady Marmalade, the newer version for the movie Moulin Rouge
Not cha cha? :?

[Sagitta]

A couple I think you could salsa to [...] Lady Marmalade, the newer version for the movie Moulin Rouge
Not cha cha? :?

I agree. It sounds like a cha cha to me.

[pygmalion]

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Always go for the original, if you can. The Patti Labelle version circa 1973 was also a cha cha. A little slower tempo, but a cha cha nonetheless. I'll try to pull out the CD and do some salsa -- see what happens. 4/4 time across the board, you know, so it's possible.

My problem is that I keep hearing that cha-cha-cha on 4 and 1, but I'll try it.

[Spitfire]

A few that come to mind...

Desifinado - Stan Getz for Mambo/Salsa
Disappear- INXS would work for Hustle or Cha-Cha
I'll Keep Holding on - Simply Red for NC2S

This since I've never heard them at any dance.

[TheArchon]

Welcome to the forums TheArchon!! Cool user name! How did you come up with that? Posting names (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=949&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=posting+names&start=30)

I have been wondering about Besame Mucho as I have seen it come up a couple times. It seems to be a must-have. This must be really popular. I wonder which version is the easiest to follow, which one is the most funky...etc? I believe that the other version mentioned has been the one by Dianna Krall, and a third has been the one from "Dance with Me".

Thanks for the welcome :)

the version i meant is Cesaria Evora - Besame Mucho (senor coconuts chachacha remix) , Senor Coconut did a whole cd with known songs remixed to cha cha dance music.

There is also, tiny whiny bikiny(i dont recall the whole name), Dalida version for this song is recommended.

[Vin]

I may be wrong about lady marmalade as I haven't danced to it yet, but I am pretty sure you could salsa to it.

[Porfirio Landeros]

Desifinado - Stan Getz for Mambo/Salsa.

Why wouldn't you do a Black-Sheep-Bossa-Nova? ;)

Metallica, Enter Sandman = Heavy Metal Cha Cha :twisted:

[lindy jihad]

Why wouldn't you do a Black-Sheep-Bossa-Nova? ;)
waaaaahhahha
best. post. ever.

\m/

[Phil Owl]

Cha-Cha:

Steve Winwood: "Why Can't We Live Together", "Bully"

[DancingMommy]

I'm looking for songs that are good to dance to, but that you might not normally expect to hear played by a ballroom dj. Like rock/pop/hip-hop songs that you can dance to. Standard or Latin, it's all good.

For WCS: Fast Love by George Michael; Getiin' Jiggy With It, Freakin' It or Wild Wild West by Will Smith

For Cha Cha: Legend of a Cowgirl by Imani Coppola; Boom Shak A Lak by Apache Indian

SexBomb by Tom Jones (can go either WCS/Swing/Cha)

Samba: Habibi De by Hashim Abbas (he's Egyptian)

Hustle: Land of the Living by Kristine W

Merengue: The Tide is High by Blondie

ECS: Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas, Love Rollercoaster by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wipeout by the Fat Boys (featuring the Beach Boys) - could possible WCS to this one too...

WCS/Lindy: Baby (You've Got What it Takes) Brook Benton/Dinah Washington

Tango: One Night in Bangkok by Murray Head (from the muscial "Chess")

Can we say "weird" for some of these? But hey! They ARE unconventional and as far as I'm aware no ballroom DJ has *ever* played SexBomb, teeheehee.

And I would dance to them. I wouldn't care if I was the only one on the floor. I dig my old school flava...

[DancingMommy]

A couple I think you could salsa to [...] Lady Marmalade, the newer version for the movie Moulin Rouge
Not cha cha? :?

I agree. It sounds like a cha cha to me.

SOUNDS LIKE??? Dude! It's practically strict tempo..... In fact, I have a "ballroom" cd that actually has a remake of LM but *not* from MR.... It predates the movie by 2 or 3 years. I like the movie version BETTER since it is actually "stricter" in tempo. Hmmmmmm

[ballroomboilergirl]

Come to think of it, I think you can Viennese Waltz to "How Much is That Doggie In the Window"...now I would pay to see people trying to do that!

Another good REALLY uncoventional cha-cha is "Push It" by Garbage.

You can rumba to "Sadeness" by Enigma...its one of those weird psycadellic songs on one of those Pure Moods compilations you order on TV...

Now I don't know much about Bossa Nova, but I think you can bossa nova to the theme from Austin Powers...anyone care to correct me? What is bossa nova, anyway? :P :lol: :oops:

[ballroomboilergirl]

For WCS: Fast Love by George Michael; Getiin' Jiggy With It, Freakin' It or Wild Wild West by Will Smith

For Cha Cha: Legend of a Cowgirl by Imani Coppola; Boom Shak A Lak by Apache Indian

SexBomb by Tom Jones (can go either WCS/Swing/Cha)

Samba: Habibi De by Hashim Abbas (he's Egyptian)

Hustle: Land of the Living by Kristine W

Merengue: The Tide is High by Blondie

ECS: Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas, Love Rollercoaster by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wipeout by the Fat Boys (featuring the Beach Boys) - could possible WCS to this one too...

WCS/Lindy: Baby (You've Got What it Takes) Brook Benton/Dinah Washington

Tango: One Night in Bangkok by Murray Head (from the muscial "Chess")

Can we say "weird" for some of these? But hey! They ARE unconventional and as far as I'm aware no ballroom DJ has *ever* played SexBomb, teeheehee.

And I would dance to them. I wouldn't care if I was the only one on the floor. I dig my old school flava...

It's really too bad that the Awards are over, because these song picks are HILARIOUS...next time I practice EC Swing with my partner, I'm definitely gonna rock the "Kung Fu Fighting"! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[pygmalion]

Yup. There are a lot of hidden Viennese waltzes out there that people usually do slow, romantic dances to. But if you listen closely, you can hear fast 1-2-3 on the background. Voila! Viennese waltz.

And about bossa nova. Actually I think that post was an old, better left unexplained joke. But bossa nova is a sweet, sort of bouncy jazz music that originated in Brazil and was brought to the United States in the late fifties. The type of music became very popular and got a lot of airplay, and then a dance was choreographed to go with that type of music. The dance has a characteristic one-hip bounce at the end of each series of steps. It also has few, if any bossa-nova specific patterns. It's the styling that makes bossa nova, bossa nova.

I'll try to find some examples of music you might know -- although I'm not hopeful. Most of the bossa nova's I know off hand were of sixties vintage, long before you were born. Dionne Warwick (whom you've probably never heard of LOL) made quite a few. Natalie Cole also has one on her most recent CD. Or you could take a listen to some Antonio Carlos Jobim music -- I think The Girl from Ipanema is one bossa nova of his you might have heard. *shrug*

[ballroomboilergirl]

Yup. There are a lot of hidden Viennese waltzes out there that people usually do slow, romantic dances to. But if you listen closely, you can hear fast 1-2-3 on the background. Voila! Viennese waltz.

Yep, a surprising number of Disney songs are Viennese Waltzes...like "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music and "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from Mary Poppins. Wait a second...those are both Julie Andrews movies...could there be a possible link between Julie Andrews and the Viennese Waltz?!!! :shock: *Twilight Zone theme*

And about bossa nova. Actually I think that post was an old, better left unexplained joke. But bossa nova is a sweet, sort of bouncy jazz music that originated in Brazil and was brought to the United States in the late fifties. The type of music became very popular and got a lot of airplay, and then a dance was choreographed to go with that type of music. The dance has a characteristic one-hip bounce at the end of each series of steps. It also has few, if any bossa-nova specific patterns. It's the styling that makes bossa nova, bossa nova.

Huh...sounds like another fun, silly dance that I would love to learn :lol: Is there any websites that have bossa nova steps? Speaking of silly dances, has anyone here ever done a dance called the Foxy? I learned it a couple weeks ago when my instructor taught fun dances for two weeks.

I'll try to find some examples of music you might know -- although I'm not hopeful. Most of the bossa nova's I know off hand were of sixties vintage, long before you were born. Dionne Warwick (whom you've probably never heard of LOL) made quite a few. Natalie Cole also has one on her most recent CD. Or you could take a listen to some Antonio Carlos Jobim music -- I think The Girl from Ipanema is one bossa nova of his you might have heard. *shrug*

Never heard of Dionne Warwick?! HA! I think the better, question is Jen, "Do You Know the Way To San Jose?" or are you just going to "Walk on By"? :wink:

[pygmalion]

Believe it or not, yes, I've done the foxy. And with the man who invented the dance, no less. Gary Stephens, who invented the foxy, used to coach at my former studio! :D

And yes, I know the way to San Jose. I think we must be kindred spirits after all. :D

And of course, I'll google for bossa nova steps.

[pygmalion]

No luck finding written step descriptions. But I do own a Chris Morris bossa nova video -- and as I remember, there were virtually NO unique step patterns on there. I'll take a watch in the next day or two, and report back the names of the patterns. You'll be surprised. They're all patterns you already know.

[swingin' baby]

lindy/ hiphop lindy groovy tracks are 'Nu Flow' Big Brovaz, 'Gangsta's Paradise' coolio and 'Stuck' Stacie Orrico try 'em out

[ballroomboilergirl]

LOL...I heart you Jen...are you sure we weren't separated at birth? :lol:

Woohoo Bossa Nova...another funny dance I can add to my repertoire :P Let me know if the Chris Morris tape is worth the investment...

LOL, I think you're the only other person on DF that has heard of (let alone DANCED!) the Foxy. It's what I call my "fallback dance"...when a song comes on that doesn't fit any other dance, I do Foxy :lol:

[pygmalion]

LOL...I heart you Jen...are you sure we weren't separated at birth? :lol:

Woohoo Bossa Nova...another funny dance I can add to my repertoire :P Let me know if the Chris Morris tape is worth the investment...



Hugs and kisses, BBG! :notworth:

And don't waste the cash on the Chris Morris video. No substance. (Much better to save the money for a new pair of shoes. LOL) Just find somebody who can show you how to do the hip bounce, and you'll be set.

[dnquark]

How about a viennese waltz to "Witch in the Ditch" by Erasure?.. And a slow waltz to Metallica ("Nothing Else Matters")?

BTW, I think "Lady Marmalade" is a WCS. I always considered it a Cha-Cha, but it always felt not exactly right, maybe a bit too slow. I am completely new to WCS, and haven't tried dancing it to the song, so I may be wrong. Incidentally, I once heard a different version of the song which was faster and felt great for Cha-Cha. I don't think it was the original Patty LaBelle version, but again I may be wrong...

[DancingMommy]

Come to think of it, I think you can Viennese Waltz to "How Much is That Doggie In the Window"...now I would pay to see people trying to do that!

I'm game!

You can rumba to "Sadeness" by Enigma...its one of those weird psycadellic songs on one of those Pure Moods compilations you order on TV...

I believe Gocha Chertkoev & Shorena Gachicheladze did that in 1997 or 1998 at OSB....

Now I don't know much about Bossa Nova, but I think you can bossa nova to the theme from Austin Powers...anyone care to correct me? What is bossa nova, anyway? :P :lol: :oops:

Actually I think you definetly could Bossa Nova to it... Especially since the tiel of the song is "Soul Bossa Nova"..... Dave Stevens of the Dave Stevens Swing Orchestra wrote it.... It just came on my WMP - how is that for weird?

[DancingMommy]

It's really too bad that the Awards are over, because these song picks are HILARIOUS...next time I practice EC Swing with my partner, I'm definitely gonna rock the "Kung Fu Fighting"! :lol: :lol: :lol:

You want I should send you copy of some of them? But dont' tell anyone.... SHhhhhhhhhh....... 8)

[DancingMommy]

Dionne Warwick (whom you've probably never heard of LOL) made quite a few. Natalie Cole also has one on her most recent CD. Or you could take a listen to some Antonio Carlos Jobim music -- I think The Girl from Ipanema is one bossa nova of his you might have heard. *shrug*

NOT THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA!!!!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH Now I won't be able to get that song out of my head.....

Most of Burt bacharach stuff is Bossa... Never Fall in Love Again is one, I'm thinking. I like the Elvis Costello version much better than my psychic friend though....

[DancingMommy]

LOL, I think you're the only other person on DF that has heard of (let alone DANCED!) the Foxy. It's what I call my "fallback dance"...when a song comes on that doesn't fit any other dance, I do Foxy :lol:

Jen's not the only one, LOL.... There are others of us lurking......

Used to <ahem> work with Gary (way back). Never thought much of Foxy myself...... But that's just me. I have my reasons...... I'd rather not air them publicly (spelling?) though.

[samba ajr]

Can we say "weird" for some of these? But hey! They ARE unconventional and as far as I'm aware no ballroom DJ has *ever* played SexBomb, teeheehee.

Well, it depends on the ballroom! At one studio I visit, the DJ plays "SexBomb" at least once each dance. It's his sister's favorite ChaCha! :)

[DancingMommy]

Can we say "weird" for some of these? But hey! They ARE unconventional and as far as I'm aware no ballroom DJ has *ever* played SexBomb, teeheehee.

Well, it depends on the ballroom! At one studio I visit, the DJ plays "SexBomb" at least once each dance. It's his sister's favorite ChaCha! :)

Cool! I guess it depends on the crowd, too. Our local USABDA dance porbably wouldn't have it because people bring their kids....

[SDsalsaguy]

Can we say "weird" for some of these? But hey! They ARE unconventional and as far as I'm aware no ballroom DJ has *ever* played SexBomb, teeheehee.

Well, it depends on the ballroom! At one studio I visit, the DJ plays "SexBomb" at least once each dance. It's his sister's favorite ChaCha! :)

[...] Our local USABDA dance porbably wouldn't have it because people bring their kids....
Well how do you think they got there? :wink:

[ricodancer]

I have found unconventional samba rhythms in some of Paco de Lucia's music, on his "Antologia" cd's 1 and 2- however, these wouldn't be suitable for social dancing- de Lucia's music is complex and often polyrhythmic, as befits his classicism. I am currently working with four of his pieces and will probably use one of the "samba" tunes for a Cabaret duet. He challenges me greatly as a choreographer.but the rewards are wonderful. :D

[DancingMommy]

Well how do you think they got there? :wink:

Well, duh.... 8) But I think the geriatric ones would probably be put over the edge and on their way to visit St. Peter at the pearly gates...

Florida is known as the land of newlyweds and nearly-deads....

[NeoDevin]

How about a cha-cha to "Stupid Cupid" by Mini Pops?

[ShyDancer]

One unconventional song that always makes me laugh...

The theme from Monsters Inc is a Quickstep!

I was watching a couple train to it and couldnt quite place where the song came from..halfway thru it hit me and I have been dying to try dancing to it ever since :D

[Kitty]

The theme from Monsters Inc is a Quickstep!:D

Aaaa! That's one of the cutest movies ever! I want to find it now! I want to have it! I want to dance to it!

[dancingdragon]

Hey Mama by the Black Eyed Peas sounds like a good samba to me ... but I haven't tried it for real, just in my head whilst driving home from work :lol:

Maybe someone should compile an "unconventional dance songs" album - like "All-time Unfavourite Dance Greats - songs you'd never have thought to dance to until someone else suggested it" 8)

[ShyDancer]

Yep dancingdragon! Hey Mama is a Samba, it gets played to death at one studio I go to.
Im not great at samba (yet :wink: ) but that song gets me moving!

[virginiadancegirl]

One thing I"ve noticed is that no one has mentioned "transitional" songs..songs that change tempo one or more times throughout.....

Anyone have any experience with this?

I know there are lots of songs that the tempo pretty much stays the same, but you can do several dances to it....

Just something that popped in my head as I prepare an unusual routine...

:P

[Purr]

I saw the comments about the song "Sex Bomb". There are actually two versions out there that I know of. The first, from the Reload cd, is a cha cha or hustle. The second, from the Reloaded Greatest Hits cd, is a faster remix that makes a good hustle.

[Purr]

I was interested to find out at my last competition that the main theme from the Harry Potter movies is a v. waltz. :o

[xwaltz]

How about a viennese waltz to "Witch in the Ditch" by Erasure????

Ooh, Witch in the Ditch is an awesome waltz. If you know redowa step, it's really fun. :)

[xwaltz]

"I Can See Clearly Now" is a nice happy fun Cha Cha. I think it works better to break on 1.

For a sampling of unconventional social dance music:
http://dance.stanford.edu/discography.htm

[spatten]

I'm working on a really cool international rumba routine to "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence. Don't know if anyone else has done this, but I love it.

Scott

[Purr]

That Evanescence idea sounds so cool...I've wondered how the song would work with bolero breaking into cha cha. 8)

[virginiadancegirl]

That Evanescence idea sounds so cool...I've wondered how the song would work with bolero breaking into cha cha. 8)

See...now that's what I'm talking about!!

Love that idea!!

[Purr]

Thank you. :D

I'm interested in the song "Slow (Chemical Brothers Mix)" by Kylie Minogue, on the Music from the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy cd. I love the varying beats of the song, but I'm not quite sure what to do with it.

[virginiadancegirl]

My partner is doing a samba/rumba with one of his students for a showcase...and he and I are doing a samba/cha cha/paso doble for the same showcase...

I love the one we're doing...soooo cool!

[bordertangoman]

theme tune to Amelie. I think this is a waltz or ish if not

[etchuck]

Yep, the Amelie theme is a VW, and is on the CD "Ballroom Fantasy."

I do want a strict-tempo cover of the Harry Potter theme.

[ShyDancer]

My new favorite Slow Foxtrot tune is.

Beyond the Sea , by Robbie Willams from the Finding Nemo soundtrack!
Very cute!

[dancin_feet]

I agree with the Shaggy song for Tango, that's one of the staples at our studio. My rumba routine was to Matchbox 20's "Unwell" - pretty unconventional.

[etchuck]

My new favorite Slow Foxtrot tune is.
Beyond the Sea , by Robbie Willams from the Finding Nemo soundtrack!
Very cute!

Try the original(?) Bobby Darin version.
There's also a cover(?) by the Count Basie Orchestra on The Ultimate Ballroom Album/CD 6 which isn't too bad either.

Granted, I also have a tendency to lindy to "La Mer/Beyond the Sea," though I agree it fits slowfox better.

P.S. Yeah, I'm a merchant! :)

[pygmalion]

That's a great tune, etchuck. 8)

[Purr]

Has anyone heard the song Hey Mama by the Black Eyed Peas? It's getting a lot of airplay on my local radio station.

I think the song might be technically classified as hip hop, but the back beat of the song sure sounds a lot like samba to me. For laughs, I'm thinking of bringing the CD in, and seeing what my dance teacher does with it. 8)

[cl5814]

At our friday night's dance, they played Celine Dion's "I'm Alive" song. Most people didn't know what to dance to this song.......the instructors afterwards said it was intended as a fast American rumba. What would you dance to this tune ?

[Warren J. Dew]

It sounds to me like the accompaniment is at the right tempo for a mambo or samba.

The melodic line would make me want to dance it at half that speed, though, for which I would choose 'night club style' - basically a very slow continuity style foxtrot.

[cl5814]

It sounds to me like the accompaniment is at the right tempo for a mambo or samba.

The melodic line would make me want to dance it at half that speed, though, for which I would choose 'night club style' - basically a very slow continuity style foxtrot.

Thanks, Warren. Good to know that someone as experienced as you also had a tough choice to make. I think they slowed the song down a little but it was a very fast american rumba. Now that you have said mambo, yes, maybe that would have been better. I had a night club style dance in mind....

[etchuck]

Has anyone heard the song Hey Mama by the Black Eyed Peas? It's getting a lot of airplay on my local radio station.

I think the song might be technically classified as hip hop, but the back beat of the song sure sounds a lot like samba to me. For laughs, I'm thinking of bringing the CD in, and seeing what my dance teacher does with it. 8)

Heck, I'd try it out as a samba, though I guess I'd like to see how a bunch of other people dance to it too.

PS. Try "Freedom '90" by George Michael. Samba? :)

[bjp22tango]

Quickstep

They're Red Hot Eric Clapton from Me & Mr. Johnson

Long song, but fun and upbeat.

[pygmalion]

Gotta check it out. I'd heard that the Me & Mr. Johnson CD is excellent. What do you think? Anything else danceable on it?

[etchuck]

I have to recall the name of the track, but there is a nice waltz on Norah Jones' new CD.

I also was shocked to find that Danny Aiello has an album. People dancing to my playlist in the near future will be shocked to dance rumba to Danny Aiello (cover of "You Belong to Me"). It's definitely more "lounge" than "dance" but hey, I'm social. ;)

[pygmalion]

I saw Danny Aiello perform on a TV talk show recently. He's not half bad, as a singer. I was expecting him to be awful, but he definitely wasn't. It was strange because he's in that little actor check box in my mind. But he can sing. :)

[Ashley]

Samba: Missy Elliot "Get Ur Freak On"
Cha Cha: Stuck
Bolero: Drive by the Cars (Kind of depressing to dance to!)
No Matter What by Boyzone
Wild Horses by the Sundays
Two Step: Velvet by A-Ha (of "Take On Me" fame)
Waltz: Lucky by Bif Naked (not that strange, but it's an excellent waltz!)
Viennese: Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World
Waltz for the Moon from the Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack. It doesn't use real instruments (boo!), and it's quite short, but it's designed to repeat seamlessly.

[pygmalion]

Get Ur Freak on is a samba? :shock: I'll have to listen to that one again. Gotta love Missy Elliott.

[Two Left Feet]

I'm a complete newbie to ballroom, so please forgive if I state the painfully obvious here. I've only been taking lessons now since April and my ability to pair popular/top-40 songs to styles of dance is virtually nonexistent. This thread is extremely helpful for beginners like myself!

Here is what I have compiled so far (some from this thread), and please make any corrections if I'm plain wrong:

SAMBA:
La Isla Bonita (Madonna)
Bailamos (Enrique Iglesias)
Maria (Ricky Martin)
Rhythm Divine (Ricky Martin)
Macarena (Los Del Mar)
Wherever, Whenever (Shakira)
Freedom 90 (George Michael)
Hey Mama (Black Eyed Peas)

CHA CHA:
Smooth (Santana feat. Rob Thomas)
I Need to Know (Marc Anthony)
Let's Get Loud (Jennifer Lopez)
Lady Marmalade (Christina Aguilera, et al)
The Way (Fastball)
Walkin' on the Sun (Smashmouth)
Get the Party Started (Pink)

MAMBO:
Mambo #5 (Lou Bega)
Livin' La Vida Loca (Ricky Martin)
Open Off My Love (Jennifer Lopez)

RUMBA:
Fields of Gold (Sting)
Breathe (Faith Hill)
My Heart Will Go On (Celine Dion)
Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton)
Endless Love (Diana Ross feat. Lionel Ritchie)
Have I Told You Lately (Rod Stewart)
Up Where We Belong (Joe Cocker feat. Jennifer Warnes)
Unwell (Matchbox 20)

TRIPLE SWING:
This Kiss (Faith Hill)
Mustang Sally (Wilson Pickett)
In the Midnight Hour (Wilson Pickett)
The Way You Make Me Feel (Michael Jackson)
Man I Feel Like a Woman (Shania Twain)
I Feel Lucky (Mary-Chapin Carpenter)
Something to Talk About (Bonnie Raitt)
Stray Cat Strut (Stray Cats)

SINGLE SWING:
Zoot Suit Riot (Cherry Poppin' Daddies)
Jump Jive An' Wail (Brian Setzer Ochestra)
She's Sexy and 17 (Stray Cats)
Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)


Any corrections/additions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[pygmalion]

Hi Two Left Feet. Yay! Welcome, welcome, welcome. :D

[ShyDancer]

I heard the most bizarre Rumba the other night .....

Follow Me - Uncle Kracker

:shock:

Id love to give it a go actually! :lol:

[etchuck]

Hmm... I think of that more as a WCS. It seems a bit too fast or upbeat for rumba.

[ShyDancer]

We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister is a Jive!

[ShyDancer]

At our friday night's dance, they played Celine Dion's "I'm Alive" song. Most people didn't know what to dance to this song.......the instructors afterwards said it was intended as a fast American rumba. What would you dance to this tune ?


Samba.

They used this song for the Pro Latin at the Aussies in December..it was fantastic :D

[Joe]

We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister is a Jive!
WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO WITH YOUR LIFE?

[dTas]

i'm wondering... why is that you tend not to hear these songs in a ballroom? they're great songs, great to dance to... why aren't they being played in ballrooms?

note: i just skimmed over this post so if this question was already asked then... sorry.

[Porfirio Landeros]

i'm wondering... why is that you tend not to hear these songs in a ballroom? they're great songs, great to dance to... why aren't they being played in ballrooms?

note: i just skimmed over this post so if this question was already asked then... sorry.Technically, ballrooms are supposed to be paying royalties on the music they play. I know our studio makes blanket payments to at least 3 different labels to cover the songs they play, so I suppose it could be a cost reason why there isn't more variety in some ballrooms.

On the topic of new/interesting music, has anyone heard the new Gwen Stefani CD? Rich Girl seems like a really cool samba, Bubble Pop Electric seems like it could be a Jive, and I seem to recall some cha cha rhythms in at least a couple other songs. Makes me want to dance some Latin ;-)

[Ithink]

Actually there is a No Doubt song that's a good samba too, called "Hey Baby". A couple of friends of mine did a show to it - it's a very flirty, cute samba...

Enya has a few waltz or VW songs that are good.

Pretty Woman soundtrack has Fallen, a good rumba.

Gary and Diana McDonald did a cha-cha show to Michael Jackson's Black or White. I'm pretty sure several Michael Jackson songs off his newer albums are also good WCSs.

[dTas]

i'm wondering... why is that you tend not to hear these songs in a ballroom? they're great songs, great to dance to... why aren't they being played in ballrooms?

note: i just skimmed over this post so if this question was already asked then... sorry.

Technically, ballrooms are supposed to be paying royalties on the music they play. I know our studio makes blanket payments to at least 3 different labels to cover the songs they play, so I suppose it could be a cost reason why there isn't more variety in some ballrooms.

i didnt know studios had to pay royalties on the music they're using. that's very interesting. it makes sense... i wonder why i haven't heard of this before.

how hard/often do record labels crack down on dance studios for not paying?

[mamboqueen]

yeah, they're *supposed* to pay royalties. So are bars, nightclubs, etc. A lot of them get blanket licenses through agencies that do this (RIAA and BMI, I think). I doubt its widely done in the ballroom world, in fact, it's probably not widely known.

I love "Rich Girl" by Gwen Stefani, although with it's infusion of rap, it probably will not appeal to some segment of the dancing population. I'll have to try "Hey Baby", though. That one had not occurred to me!

[Porfirio Landeros]

I wouldn't be surprised if it were the sales representatives that "crack down" on the use of the music. I don't think they call on the studios to turn them in, but rather inform them that they should be paying royalties and that they would happily bring their music libraries into good standing. I've heard this happen with businesses and software licensing, where the sales reps call companies and they work it out without there needing to be any pentalties, broken laws, or hard feelings. I think any honest business person can appreciate this sales-oriented approach instead of a letter warning you of a law suit.

I think the higher profile your business is and the larger the city you operate in, the more likely you will be approached about your software licenses and/or music rights.

[mamboqueen]

I agree, Porfirio.

I used to work in a company that provided copyright licenses for written works. They used the "we'll educate you on how to comply with the law" line rather than "you're infringing and need to stop" line. Most people were pretty accepting of it. We did have a hotline that people could use to turn people in, but those people were always given a chance to comply before they suffered the wrath of irritated publishers. Oddly, the biggest problem we had was with a law firm!

By the way, Porifirio, I love the picture in your avatar. I noticed it in the photo album area, as well as your most recent one (if she wore the longer shirt and you wore the shorter one, the leg length difference wouldn't be as obvious!), and for some reason I was unable to post a comment.

[Porfirio Landeros]

Also, the Lemony Snickett's soundtrack has some interesting 3/4 tracks, for those looking new (and odd) Waltz and Viennese Waltz tracks. Pirates of the Carribean has some, too. If you use a service like iTunes, you can preview/buy the songs a-la-carte, so you don't have to worry about buying a whole album for just just one song.

By the way, Porifirio, I love the picture in your avatar. I noticed it in the photo album area, as well as your most recent one (if she wore the longer shirt and you wore the shorter one, the leg length difference wouldn't be as obvious!), and for some reason I was unable to post a comment.
Thanks, the Avatar is a video frame grab from CalOpen this last weekend, and I just posted a couple of dance video clips.

[mamboqueen]

Opinions please. I heard this song (#3 on the website I'm directing you to) and am absolutely hooked on the song. I *think* it's cha-cha-able....maybe a tad faster?

walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=3655791

[ShyDancer]

I just had a listen MQ ... It could be a Cha Cha, and I agree its a bit slow but not by much!

[Sagitta]

I could cha cha to it...

[scullystwin42]

Hey -

I get to do a show dance in a bit, and i've always wanted to do one to "Mama Told Me Not to Come" by Three Dog Night. I *think* it's a cha cha...

I'm terrible at picking out what dance a pop song can be (musically stupid)... any help here?

Kelly

[Medira]

Hey -

I get to do a show dance in a bit, and i've always wanted to do one to "Mama Told Me Not to Come" by Three Dog Night. I *think* it's a cha cha...

I'm terrible at picking out what dance a pop song can be (musically stupid)... any help here?

KellyYou could chacha to it, though it would probably work better as a swing (WCS moreso than ECS)

[scullystwin42]

ooohhhh... ok. thanks!

ok, i'm gonna ask one more... Striptease by Basement Jaxx. Slow cha cha?

kelly

[Medira]

ooohhhh... ok. thanks!

ok, i'm gonna ask one more... Striptease by Basement Jaxx. Slow cha cha?

kellyWhat CD is it on? I'm not sure if I've heard it...

[scullystwin42]

oh, i have no idea. if i can post it somewhere, i'll link to it... i downloaded it as a single, so... beats me. it's just too fun, though. thanks anyway!

[Medira]

oh, i have no idea. if i can post it somewhere, i'll link to it... i downloaded it as a single, so... beats me. it's just too fun, though. thanks anyway!Please let me know if you find it online somewhere, even just a clip. :) I'm curious now.

[Brush Tap]

I used to dance with an instructor who was also somewhat of a musician... and he was great at picking out unconventional songs to use for ballroom. A lot of times we'd practice our standard routines to songs from Pink Floyd or the Beatles. Mana's Corazon Espinado was a favorite at the studio for cha cha... and on the country side, I Just Want to Dance with You for rumba. Although I have to say my favorite example was when he and his partner/then wife did a showcase number that was a Viennese Waltz to a song by Metallica. I know zero about Metallica, but based on the chorus of this song, I'd venture to say the name of it was "Nothing Else Matters." I still enjoy watching the video of them doing that one.

[ChaChaLicious]

here is a list of songs that i like to dance to when im feeling... ummm... spontaneous... ??

cha cha - Lindsey lohan - Rumors
Samba - Rupee - tempted to touch, Kevin Little - Turn me on
Rumba - Backstreet Boys - incomplete (very slow, but beautiful)
Jive - try something by the mad caddies... its more swing then jive, but im sure they have songs with a jivey rhythm.

enjoy!

[scullystwin42]

Aww, what Floyd, man? that would be awesome. i love the floyd. but i can't think what you'd dance to it. slow rumbas or boleros? most of their stuff is... slow...

Now, beatles, i can see. the Zep would be fun to do too...

but i think i've decided! "Meet me in the red room" from Moulin Rouge sndtk 2. it's a fun samba (i think) very flirty.

[Brush Tap]

I'll have to think on what Floyd songs they were, but we used them for slow foxtrots and waltzes if I remember correctly.

[Brush Tap]

Aww, what Floyd, man? that would be awesome. i love the floyd. but i can't think what you'd dance to it. slow rumbas or boleros? most of their stuff is... slow...

Now, beatles, i can see. the Zep would be fun to do too...

but i think i've decided! "Meet me in the red room" from Moulin Rouge sndtk 2. it's a fun samba (i think) very flirty.

Okay...I reviewed my CDs. For foxtrot: Hey You, Time, Comfortably Numb, and Wish You Were Here. I think Learning to Fly would be a decent west coast swing. I can't figure out what we used as a waltz- nothing that I have.

[cornutt]

I have been into music for a lot longer than I have been dancing, and I've been thinking of ideas for songs that would fit the rhythym of a particular dance, but be off-style for that dance. A few weeks ago, I snuck into our club's Friday night social an edited version of ELP's "Knife-Edge", passing it off as a foxtrot, to mixed reaction. I've been wanting to work up a routine to that, with my instructor, where'd we do a kind of "Men in Black" thing with it. Another rather weird idea: a Viennese waltz to the Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post". (Yes, it's in 6/8.)

[scullystwin42]

ooohhh thanks for the Floyd recommendations... i dig.

I tried to see if Striptease had a sample on amazon, but i don't see it.

The other song i was looking at was "Bathwater" by No Doubt... it's kind of a Tango/Jive combo. The verses sound like a tango, the chorus is definitely jive. I may have time to do two show dances, so i may add that one in too.

dorkily enough, i thought it would be cool to make a cute short dress out of white terrycloth, like a bath towel... but thinking more on that, i'm afraid it would be horribly bad.

And darn all you musicians. i have so little musical knowledge. half the time i dance, i'm just trying to make sure i can hear the beat right. i'm practically beat deaf, i swear. and tone-deaf. and just musically dumb. i just like songs i can dance and karoke to.

[cornutt]

Samba: Habibi De by Hashim Abbas (he's Egyptian)


Here's another one, and I wish I had taped it at the time. I don't know how many people watched it, but last month there was a US summer replacement TV show (actually modeled after a British show, I think) called "Hit Me Baby One More Time". The gig was that they got bands from the '80s and early '90s to come back and do a battle-of-the-bands competition. They each had to play one of their old hits, and then cover a recent hit. The results were mixed, but pretty entertaining.

Anyway, the '80s band Wang Chung was on one week, and for their cover, they did a completely weird, in the Wang-Chungish way (you really had to be there) cover of "Hot in Here". It was so weird, it was actually good. I'm hoping NBC will rerun that sometime so I can get it on tape, and then sneak it into the Friday night rotation at the club in place of the current version. Should be interesting... :bkick:

[scullystwin42]

i just remembered another offbeat band that plays pop music you can dance to.

Red Elvises - a Siberian Swing/rocknroll band - they were the "bad guy" band in Siz String Samurai (excellent movie). http://www.redelvises.com/

They have two great songs that are fun (the lyrics for all of them rock):

"Closet disco dancer" - good hustle and way funny
"Tango" - traditional tango, awesome lyrics. (did the samba in havana/bellydanced in instanbul to songs by abba and nirvana)

their other stuff is a mishmash of other styles.

[Medira]

Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" makes for a rather good chacha and there are two new-ish female vocalists out now who have a good viennese waltz song on their debut cd releases. Amanda Stott's "Homeless Heart" (from the CD "Chasing the Sky") and Anna Nalick's "Breathe (2am)" (from the CD "Wreck of the Day"). Also, check out the New Pornographers' "Mass Romantic" for jive/swing.

[ChaChaLicious]

since im new here on the forum... i have a question which may sound odd to the rest of you, but in this thread all i keep reading is WCS... what in the world does that mean.. i couldnt figure it out for the life of me.. HELP!!!!hh

[scullystwin42]

West Coast Swing....

love the cha cha licious. everything is better with a licious after it.

[ChaChaLicious]

thanks for clearing that up... and your right... everything is better with a licious in the end!!! hehe... but hey... thats all me.. CHACHALICIOUS!!!!

:) :ladiesma: :)

[desidirata]

Pardon my ignorance as an internation style dancer from Australia but i need to ask some questions also. Here we go
1 What is swing?
2 What is the difference between East Coast and West Coast
3 What dances are there in the Rhythm section of your comps?
4 Why these dances?

I hope my questions weren't too hard to annoying to answer

[cornutt]

Pardon my ignorance as an internation style dancer from Australia but i need to ask some questions also. Here we go
1 What is swing?
2 What is the difference between East Coast and West Coast
3 What dances are there in the Rhythm section of your comps?
4 Why these dances?

I hope my questions weren't too hard to annoying to answer

Not at all. #1 can be a question with a verrrrrrry long answer. 8)
Swing is a dance; it's a subculture; it's a lifestyle. In the U.S., there are lots of clubs dedicated solely to swing -- in fact, there are quite a few that are dedicated to specific forms of swing. (In Houston, they have lots of studios that specialize in something called "whip", which I take it is a variant of WCS.)

But to answer the #1 and #2 questions as asked: Most forms of swing include one or more triple steps ("one-and-two", with the "and" being a between-the-beats step). The triple step is usually kind of shuffled. It's a thing that happens in response to the music. In music, "swing" refers to a type of music in a moderate 4/4 time, with the emphasis on the 2 and 4 beats. Also, "swing" refers to a characteristic pattern of varying the time between the beats. (This often gets forgotten about when discussing the mechanics of swing. But it's one of the things that distinguishes swing music from foxtrot music.)

ECS and WCS are both forms of swing that are danced to a 6-count basic. The ECS is danced with the partners in a promenade position; the man's left hand connects with the woman's right hand at waist level to maintain the open side. The ECS basic consists of two triple steps and a rock step, and the figure generally rotates clockwise as it's danced. ECS developed from Lindy, which is considered the progenitor of all forms of swing. (However, Lindy uses an 8-count basic.)

Unlike ECS, WCS is danced in a "slot", with the two partners facing each other and (usually) a one-hand hold in the basic. The basic figure is danced with some combination of tap steps and triple steps making up a 6-count. The woman approaches the man, then rocks back; the final two beats are usually taken up by an "anchor step" which both partners dance more or less in place. In WCS, the figure doesn't rotate, but there are a lot of passing steps in which the partners exchange positions. Supposedly, WCS developed in clubs in California in which the dance floors were very crowded, and it was necessary to devise a step which didn't take up as much room as the rotating figure in ECS. The other interesting thing about WCS is that it gives both partners a lot of space to vary their steps, improvise, strike poses, etc.

International has jive, which is a swing variant that developed during WWII in Great Britian. American and British servicemen started dancing swing in military clubs, and the mix of cultures and music caused it to develop a unique flavor. Jive is usually danced to faster tempos than most other forms of swing. I don't know much about jive, so that's about all I can say about it.

Questions #3 and #4: In the smaller comps in the Southeastern U.S., American style dancing predominates, and so the rhythm dances generally seen are those that are more or less standard for American style: rumba, cha-cha, mambo, bolero, ECS, WCS, and sometimes meringue or hustle. However, some events will offer paso and jive. (Truth is, many of these comps are happy to put in a heat for almost any dance that an entrant is willing to pay for!) As to how this combination was arrived at: In the U.S. at least, most of the Latin-type dances arrived via Cuba. In the pre-Castro days, Cuba was a highly desirable vacation spot for Americans, who went there and picked up on the local dances and brought them back to the States. The Cubans had been quite adept at taking dances from other parts of the world (Spain, Africa, Brazil, etc.) and adopting them to their own local music and customs. These, in slightly toned-down form, became quite popular in America after WWII. Most of the Latin-type dances done in the U.S. today stem from this heritage. (Although there were some others, like bossa nova, that seem to have died out.)

Swing is said to have originated in New York around 1930. It's kind of interesting that the name "swing" got attached to it, since the name and the form of music it was originally danced to (swing jazz) both preceded it by about ten years. (Which of course begs the question: before there was swing dancing, what did people dance to swing jazz? Well, there were a lot of pre-swing, non-Latin dances like Charleston, shag, and peabody. But most of these seemed to have been confined to a particular area of the country). Anyway, the answer to the #4 question is, that these are the things that determined what rhythm dances most American dancers were exposed to.

[Brush Tap]

Just thought of another unconventional ballroom number that my former isntructor and his partner did.... an instrumental of Eleanor Rigby as a tango!

[LucyDiamond]

How about...

Here Comes the Sun (The Beatles) - American Rumba
Don't Stop (Fleetwood Mac) - WCS

Lucy

[alemana]

at the professional level, the American Rhythm dances are:

cha-cha
rumba
swing
bolero
mambo

[desidirata]

Ok thanks guys I think I have a better understanding now. I love Here Comes The Sun btw but I don't know how to dance American Rumba lol

[ChaChaLicious]

i just found an amazing cha cha song. its by the group smash, which is hard to find, anywho... the song is called obsession. its very pop but very quick cha cha. if u happen to get it, let me know what you think!

[scullystwin42]

Alright, this is a follow up to an earlier post. Striptease is NOT by Basement Jaxx, it's by Hawksley Workman. The title sounds like a bad porn song, but it's really not. However, i still lack a clip somewhere.

but i have another question, because, again, i suck at picking out what dance goes with the music...

Weapon of Choice (Fatboy Slim) - samba?

[Bunny]

Cha Cha Cha-

Don't stop moving- S Club 7
Fenomenal- Ray Ruiz
Sway-Shaft
I like the way you move- Bodyrockers

Rumba

Crush- Mandy Moore
The tide is high- Atomic Kitten
Only Time- Enya
From the bottom of my broken heart- Britney Spears
The Way we Were- Barbra Streisand
Soledad- La India
Reach Higher- Gloria Estefan
Burn for you- John Farnham

Samba

Lets get loud- Jennifer Lopez
Sway (Junkie Remix)- Michael Buble
Turn the beat around- Gloria Estefan

Jive-

Reach- S Club 7
Hello Dolly- Bobby Darin

Paso-

Excalibur- King Arthur's theme

[Bunny]

thought of another awesome Rumba song

My Confession- Josh Groban

[Medira]

thought of another awesome Rumba song

My Confession- Josh Groban
Oooh....agreed. I love that song!

Janet Jackson's SloLove makes for a good hustle.

I'm having trouble finding a sample of Hawksley Worman's Striptease...I'll get back to you on it. ;)

[mamboqueen]

I think Let's Get Loud is a cha cha, not a samba.

[Joe]

Not to mention that "Turn the Beat Around" is a hustle.

[scullystwin42]

Speaking of hustle - to the person who posted about Pink Floyd - Scissor Sisters has a killer remix of Comfortably Numb, and i believe it's a hustle.

[chrisjohnston]

At Supershag we use a piece of software called PCDJ.This has a function called Master Tempo which enables us to speed up or slow down music by 52%.This function works great with no voice distortion up to about 30% either way.Therefore it is quite possible to dance 2 or 3 diferent dances to many pieces of music.This software uses MP3 format.Cheers Chris

[Medira]

Something I've heard, but haven't tried, is The Eagles' Hotel California as a Tango.

[Medira]

*BUMP!*

...any new suggestions for music? I'm putting together practice CDs and I'm always looking for new ideas. :)

[swan]

*BUMP!*

...any new suggestions for music? I'm putting together practice CDs and I'm always looking for new ideas. :)

Well...You can always try something that's completely no ballroom tempo & just play the beat in your head...Illustration - ok, another 'hmm...' performance (I wouldn't say horrid this time, as folks on another thread seemed to think that's not so horrible...So I'd use the word 'hmm' ;))

So that's 2 examples of dancing waltz & v. waltz to music that didn't even have any ballroom flavor there...

http://www.mmt-llc.com/music1

That music CD was like 'elevator' piano music :) But you get the point...I've been toying with the idea doing a waltz/fox mix using Half a World Away by Secret Garden (from the Earthsongs album).

A Denver studio owner & I actually had the discussion/debate of doing waltz or foxtrot using The Prayer (Celine's version). I said Sinkinson/Charlotte did the Foxtrot to it. He said that musically or melodically it should be waltz & he did the waltz w/ his pro/am lady.

So I think you should just play with it. It'll be a lot of fun! The best is when there's no strict tempo, I know as a lady, I finally just have to 'listen' & tune into my partner instead of taking over & doing things (which I'm nortorious for :))

Some great foxtrot songs are available from the Tony Bennet & KD Lang album. e.g. You can Depend on me, That's my home, etc. Also One Day at a time by Michael Feinstein - that album, I believe the 1st song (or one of the songs) can be either swing or quickstep!

[cornutt]

Speaking of hustle - to the person who posted about Pink Floyd - Scissor Sisters has a killer remix of Comfortably Numb, and i believe it's a hustle.

A lot of New Order stuff is good for hustle (if maybe a tad fast). "Blue Monday", "State of the Nation", "Perfect Kiss", "Bizarre Love Triangle" (great title!), etc. Also consider doing a VW to "Elegy".

[Medira]

*bump!*

I found two great songs to do Viennese Waltz to...

INXS - Never Tear Us Apart
Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Put a Spell on You

Also, "Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing" by Chris Isaak makes a very fun foxtrot.

[mamboqueen]

INXS - Never Tear Us Apart

On my MP-3 player, love it!

[Medira]

INXS - Never Tear Us Apart

On my MP-3 player, love it!
Hehehe! It's on mine too...and I'm kicking myself for not cluing into the fact that it was a VW before today.

[mamboqueen]

So, when you're walking to work and you hear one of these songs, do your feet start to do funny things??? I danced a cha cha with a pigeon today on the Boston Common. No one gave us a second look.

[Medira]

So, when you're walking to work and you hear one of these songs, do your feet start to do funny things??? I danced a cha cha with a pigeon today on the Boston Common. No one gave us a second look.
They do!

My dad and I did a waltz through the Union Subway Station because that's what the subway performers were playing and we were in an odd mood. We got some funny looks from the other commuters, but he navigated well. :D

[mamboqueen]

Just don't fall onto the tracks! Sheesh...don't want to hear about two waltzers "lighting it up"!

[Medira]

Hehehe! No worries, he was good. :)

[tsb]

it's a little slow, but how about lifehouse's "you & me" for a VW?

regular waltz - "lucky" by bif naked
"come away with me" by norah jones (also "the long day is over")

this excerpt from "meeting of tribes" by baka beyond:

http://rapidshare.de/files/7426673/meeting_of_tribes.cut_WALTZ.wma.html

and for salsa - salsa versions of "hotel california" & "sing sing sing" which are zipped in wmv format - no password:

http://rapidshare.de/files/7426527/salsa.zip.html

[Joe]

Hehehe! It's on mine too...and I'm kicking myself for not cluing into the fact that it was a VW before today.
Maybe it's the angst.

[Medira]

"come away with me" by norah jones (also "the long day is over")
...as well as "Be Here to Love Me"

"La Candela" by Yerba Buena is a great samba

"Just My Imagination" by The Temptations is also a very fun rumba. :)

[Medira]

and for salsa - salsa versions of "hotel california" & "sing sing sing" which are zipped in wmv format - no password:
I'm being prompted for a password for the zip file, so I can't get at the songs... :(

[D-spot]

I have a copy (shush, don't tell the music police) of teh Moulin Rouge soundtrack. Lots of dance music done with a different emphasis.
D-spot
(dances in the GTA also, jived at Eglinton subway to buskers, what a laugh).

[wyllo]

Our collegiate team is doing a showcase tomorrow and here's a sampling of the music people are dancing to. Everyone got to choose their own music and people came up with a lot of variety and nontraditional as well as traditional songs:

Green Day, "Holiday" (swing)
Secret Garden, "Green Waves" (waltz)
Enya, "Caribbean Blue" (v. waltz)
Frank Sinatra "That Old Black Magic" (quickstep/swing)
Kanye West "Golddigger" (cha cha)
Sting "Fields of Gold" (rumba)
Henri Mancini "Theme from The Pink Panther" (foxtrot)

By the way, the theme is "true colors" for those of you who noticed a pattern! :)

[mamboqueen]

This isn't unconventional, but while people are talking music, who sings that "hey mr dj" samba song? My daughter loves it.

[wyllo]

This isn't unconventional, but while people are talking music, who sings that "hey mr dj" samba song? My daughter loves it.

The artist's name is Rihanna.

[Medira]

This isn't unconventional, but while people are talking music, who sings that "hey mr dj" samba song? My daughter loves it.
"Pon de Replay" by Rihanna?

[Medira]

I have a copy (shush, don't tell the music police) of teh Moulin Rouge soundtrack. Lots of dance music done with a different emphasis.
D-spot
(dances in the GTA also, jived at Eglinton subway to buskers, what a laugh).
Hehehe! I'm a Steeltown girl, but work in the financial district. My dad and I danced a waltz to buskers at Union about a week ago. :D Got some funny looks during the rush hour commute...

[mamboqueen]

Lemme go give it a listen.

They must have played it in EVERY latin round at Hotlanta. Got a little annoying.

[scullystwin42]

Kanye West "Golddigger" (cha cha)

By the way, the theme is "true colors" for those of you who noticed a pattern! :)

oooo cool! I like that song - i think it's jamie foxx's hook that catches me - where'd you find a clean version though?

[Medira]

Kanye West "Golddigger" (cha cha)
Hehehe! I danced a funky, fun salsa to this last Sunday. (I know it's not an ideal song, but it worked!)

[Leggie]

Hmm...just been going through my music collection and found these - do you think they'd work, either as the dance I've listed or as something different?

Henry Mancini - A Shot In The Dark (cha-cha-cha?)
The Blues Brothers - Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (jive?)
The Blues Brothers - Sweet Home Chicago (quickstep?)
The Blues Brothers - Think (quickstep, samba?)
The Blues Brothers - Peter Gunn Theme (quickstep?)
AC/DC - It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) (rumba?)
Big Joe Turner - Flip, Flop, and Fly (jive?)
Big Joe Turner - Shake, Rattle, and Roll (jive?)
Billy Joel - Uptown Girl (foxtrot?)
Booker T. and the MGs - Green Onions (foxtrot?)
Cher - Believe (samba?)
Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (rumba?)
David Bowie - Golden Years (cha-cha-cha?)
Dire Straits - Your Latest Trick (rumba?)
Fleetwood Mac - Dreams (foxtrot?)
Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere (cha-cha-cha?)

Okay, I've pretty well done my A-Fs, that'll do for now! Comments very welcome.

[musicchica86]

"Sweet Home Chicago" has always been an ECS for me...

[jon]

Big Joe Turner - Flip, Flop, and Fly (jive?)
Big Joe Turner - Shake, Rattle, and Roll (jive?)

He did a lot of great Jitterbug music, including these pieces. I imagine they could work for Jive too, though the tempo is a hair slow AIUI (40 MPM on the versions I have).

[Quimbly]

There's a really great song from the Star Wars (original movie) soundtrack, by the "Max Rebo Band", which is a great Quickstep. If you can find it, it's fab-u-lous!

[fascination]

There's a really great song from the Star Wars (original movie) soundtrack, by the "Max Rebo Band", which is a great Quickstep. If you can find it, it's fab-u-lous!ooooo...have to tell dh...he loves quickstep and star wars:car:

[Medira]

Heard this one on the radio today and it made me do a double-take: "Crazy" by Aerosmith is a viennese waltz!

[Leggie]

"Sweet Home Chicago" has always been an ECS for me...

I suppose it does have too much of a swing for true quickstep.

[Porfirio Landeros]

ooooo...have to tell dh...he loves quickstep and star wars:car:
The Cantina Song is my phone ringtone 8-B

[Joe]

Haha, mine too! :D

[Quimbly]

ooooo...have to tell dh...he loves quickstep and star wars:car:

Oops, my mistake! It wasn't the Max Rebo Band, it was the Star Wars Cantina Band! The Max Rebo Band was from Episode 6.

You can hear a (poor quality) clip of the song I was talking about ("The Star Wars Cantina Song") here:
http://www.blueharvest.net/sound/songs/band.wav

The composer is Klaus Hallen, I believe.

Cheers,

[Joe]

Um, wouldn't the composer be John Williams?

[Leggie]

That does sound like a fun quickstep!

One dance that hasn't seemed to have had much light in this thread is the (slow) waltz - any further ideas?

[Joe]

I dunno...I was just listening to Barry Manilow's greatest hits album this weekend and heard "Weekend in New England." Didn't realize Barry originally sang it.

[scullystwin42]

That does sound like a fun quickstep!

One dance that hasn't seemed to have had much light in this thread is the (slow) waltz - any further ideas?

Try Cake's "Sad Songs and Waltzes". It's a slow waltz, I believe, and quirky lyrics.

[dTas]

although i'm all for new songs and pushing the envolope i find it annoying when studios try to "update" their song list with new modern songs that "barely" fit the characteristic of the dance they've been chosen to represent.

people go to studios for particular reasons, one of them being that the music is reliable. if i want to push the envelope then i'll go out to a club that plays all sorts of music and play the interpretation game.

[Medira]

although i'm all for new songs and pushing the envolope i find it annoying when studios try to "update" their song list with new modern songs that "barely" fit the characteristic of the dance they've been chosen to represent.

people go to studios for particular reasons, one of them being that the music is reliable. if i want to push the envelope then i'll go out to a club that plays all sorts of music and play the interpretation game.
I know exactly what you mean. I'm actually in the process of putting together practice CDs...one style of dance per CD and it's taking me months to do this because I'm specifically looking for songs that will fit well with the dance.

(Speaking of which, "The End of August" by Yanni makes a lovely slow waltz.)

The interpretation game gets tiring after the first few songs when out socially...especially if you're with a group of people who have difficulty with that sort of thing.

[Boynextdoor]

What about some t.A.T.u songs? Like "Friend or Foe"? "All About Us"? Or "All the Things She Said"? Or any of their other fast stuff?

Anyone else listen to them?

[caityrosey]

I just love the song "Dirty Diana" by Michael Jackson, but that one is tough to figure out what to dance to it...for me anyway.

[Ithink]

I just love the song "Dirty Diana" by Michael Jackson, but that one is tough to figure out what to dance to it...for me anyway.

It could be a fast rhumba, like maybe american style... I guess...

[Leggie]

"Our Shangri-La" by Mark Knopfler - a rumba?

[dTas]

I just love the song "Dirty Diana" by Michael Jackson, but that one is tough to figure out what to dance to it...for me anyway.

why isn't it a cha cha like Gary and Diana McDonald did way back when.

[la morena]

I've just been listening to a load of Christmas songs, and so many of them are ballroom stylee.
I'm thinking... (correct me if I'm wrong)

Foxtrot
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Frank Sinatra)
Santa Baby (Madonna)
Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer (Dean Martin)
Driving Home For Christmas (Chris Rea)
Jingle Bell Rock
Baby, It's Cold Outside (Dean Martin)
Let It Snow (Dean Martin)

Jive
All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey)
Santa, Can You Hear Me? (Britney Spears)
Another Rock And Roll Christmas
Rocking Aroung The Christmas Tree ?
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (Wizzard) ?

Viennese Waltz
Lonely This Christmas (Mud)

[Porfirio Landeros]

why isn't it a cha cha like Gary and Diana McDonald did way back when.Because the song was actually P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) with Dirty Diana mixed in... but P.Y.T. provided the clear Cha Cha beat.

[cantskiforlife]

Am working on my list of unconventional songs...may take a few days due to time constraints, but I'll have it.

but just for starters...

FOXTROT: Oggie Boogie Song from The Nightmare Before Christmas :) :)

JIVE'ish: Remains of the Day from The Corpse Bride

VIENNESE: Un Amore Per Sempre from Josh Groban

WEST COAST: Feel Good Inc from Gorillaz (could do cha cha)

[cantskiforlife]

... Almost forgot

One of my favorite Waltzes...A friend of my best friend wrote it...

Waltz Song - Walter Arnold (beware of the pause :))

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/?aid=1119/singles.shtml

this should give you a link to hear it

[Medira]

Michael Jackson - Man in the Mirror
Al Green - Let's Stay Together
The Temptations - Just My Imagination


...all rumbas. :)

[delamusica]

That does sound like a fun quickstep!

One dance that hasn't seemed to have had much light in this thread is the (slow) waltz - any further ideas?


Try Norah Jones - Come Away With Me - gorgeous!

[Two Left Feet]

Is there any clear way to think about music and what kind of ballroom dance goes with it? I'm most interested in trying to apply ballroom to modern American pop music, mostly for variety's sake.

For example, I still quite haven't figured out the nuances between songs suited for cha-cha versus triple swing. For example, is the song "Cool" by Gwen Stefani a cha-cha or swing? I have the same question about "Don't Cha" by the P*ssycat Dolls [the board wouldn't let me type the "P" word before "cat"]. I think they're both cha-cha's but I'm not confident in saying so. Trying to identify what song goes with what kind of dance drives me insane. Sometimes it is obvious, like "Mustang Sally" seems clearly a triple swing and not a cha-cha and "Get the Party Started" by Pink is clearly a cha-cha.

And what about the songs from the modern day rappers, like 50 Cent? Many of the beats remind me of mambo, like "Candy Shop" and "Just A Lil Bit." Or are these songs NOT danceable to ballroom styles? It just doesn't feel right dancing a mambo to 50 Cent, but I can't think what else it would be. Too slow for cha-cha. Definitely not rumba. Hmm, now I think about it, I almost hear slow samba timing. Madness, I say, madness!

"Complicated" by Avril Lavigne, "Everytime" by Britney Spears, "Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson... all rumbas?


Thanks all!
Joe

[gracie]

... Almost forgot

One of my favorite Waltzes...A friend of my best friend wrote it...

Waltz Song - Walter Arnold (beware of the pause :))

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/?aid=1119/singles.shtml

this should give you a link to hear it What a dreamy waltz-- I love it!:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[etchuck]

Is there any clear way to think about music and what kind of ballroom dance goes with it? I'm most interested in trying to apply ballroom to modern American pop music, mostly for variety's sake.

For example, I still quite haven't figured out the nuances between songs suited for cha-cha versus triple swing.

I have to listen to some of the single pieces you cited, and I have a lot of catching up to do. Cha-cha is easy to distinguish from triple-count swing, but it's not so easy compared to west coast swing. Normally you want the bass or rhythm for CC to be 1-2-3-4-and-1-2-3-4-and-1. Most other jives and triple-count swings will emphasize the 2's and 4's. Ciara's "One-Two-Step" is an example of a really good WCS.\
---

A couple of other waltzes to try: The theme to "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is a bit more like contra waltz (between strict tempo waltz and Viennese waltz). Neville's Waltz (waltz) and the Potter Waltz (Viennese waltz) from the HP: Goblet of Fire soundtrack are also very nice pieces.

[Leggie]

Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love: a jive, you reckon?

[etchuck]

Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love: a jive, you reckon?

Classic. Michael Buble has a cover for that too.

[Leggie]

Oh, here's another one I'll throw in...just been listening to the live version of "Money For Nothing" by "Dire Straits" (on their live album "On The Night"), and it seemed to work as a cha-cha-cha! Any confirmations...or not?

[Cobra Jazz Dance R]

Recently danced a fusion duet, nearly 10 minutes long, to Chopin's Ballade in G Minor. It has Viennese Waltz timing recurring throughout, as well as fast polka rhythm toward the end (where it was most brutal, as we were getting tired). The other dances in the fusion were ballet and contemporary. There is a picture on the BelCobraDance website (can't put links up yet!)

[delamusica]

One of my favorite non-conventional songs to dance to -

Pink - Get this party started

A really spunky cha cha!

[swan]

Recently danced a fusion duet, nearly 10 minutes long, to Chopin's Ballade in G Minor. It has Viennese Waltz timing recurring throughout, as well as fast polka rhythm toward the end (where it was most brutal, as we were getting tired). The other dances in the fusion were ballet and contemporary. There is a picture on the BelCobraDance website (can't put links up yet!)

Wow - that's a long piece. My absolute favorite. I recalled trying to play this piece & only got thru about 5 minutes & IT made me quit piano! :)

After the Intro, it's all 6/4, I guess you could do that V. Waltz. But I'd have thought that piece to be 'boring' for balloom showcase music...

[wyllo]

I like to look at movie soundtracks since the songs are made to tell a story. Hans Zimmer seems to use waltz timing fairly often -- "Leave no man behind" is a beautiful, somber waltz from the "Black Hawk Down" soundtack. Also "Barra barra" from the same disc turns into a funky cha halfway through. "Pirates of the Caribbean" is full of waltz/v. waltz timing (my partner and I are working on a waltz/v.waltz/paso medly from the soundtrack for a showcase this spring. It should be interesting!)

[ChaChaLicious]

darkness by disturbed would be a suitable rumba...

[la morena]

A nice but unusual song you can jive to is Satellite Town/Black and White Town (not sure of the title) by the Doves (indie band).
Their previous incarnation was a dance band known as Sub Sub who did a popular dance song which could be a cha-cha: Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use).

[Medira]

*bumping for more ideas*

[cy_phi]

To me, anything by Gotan Project qualifies as unconventional. Their cover of Whatever Lola Wants can be danced to Cha Cha or Tango. In fact, you can uncover some gems in any of the European lounge music compilations like the Hotel Costes or Buddha Bar series.

Other songs:

Peter Gunn - Max Sedgley mix - CC
Cuchi, Cuchi - Los Amigos Invisbles - CC
Kiss - Tom Jones - CC
Monserrat - Orchestra de Playa - Tango
Look of Love - Dusty Springfield - Intl Rumba
Temptation - Diana Krall - Intl Rumba
Don't Cha - *****cat Dolls - American Rumba
Something Stupid - Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman - American Rumba

[gusmahler]

Waltzes--Open Arms by Journey
Take It to the Limit by The Eagles

Many more here: http://www.thedancestoreonline.com/ballroom-dance-instruction/waltz-music.htm

[etchuck]

"Push" by Madonna (latest CD) if sped up a hair could be a rather cool samba.

[Keelzorz]

My new love for cha-cha is Dante Thomas "Miss California". It's one of those songs that makes you want to accentuate your cuban motion, throw your head back, and boogie. It's an amazing song.

In the almost-unconventional music collection, the song "The Rainbow Connection" has been getting a lot of play at competitions this year. Sadly, though, it's not the Kermit the Frog version. I think that could make for a very playful, pretty waltz, and it would engage a lot more people when they heard Kermit singing. :D It's almost too somber without a green frog doing the vocals.

[alemana]

yes please, the frog version. that would be great.

[alemana]

in fact, the more Muppet anthems at comps, the better.

[caityrosey]

in fact, the more Muppet anthems at comps, the better.

Makes you smile.

[Keelzorz]

I'd love to run a muppet themed competition! The competitors would be smiling, the judges could embrace their inner children (I remember Tibor Kerekes dancing to the Spiderman theme at Brown while he was judging the quickstep round), and spectators would see a a much more lighthearted competition. I'm sure there's a ton of muppet-esque music that could be used (from other children's shows, etc), like "How much is that doggie in the window?" for V. Waltz!

Muppets - Mahnamahnah! (EC Swing)
Also, the slightly more adult version, ala "I wanna mahna mahna all night"
Mr. Mio - Mahna Mahna (Jive)

[caityrosey]

Here's a song I've always wanted to dance to: Dirty Diana (by M.J)

What on earth do you dance to that?

[caityrosey]

I'd love to run a muppet themed competition! The competitors would be smiling, the judges could embrace their inner children (I remember Tibor Kerekes dancing to the Spiderman theme at Brown while he was judging the quickstep round), and spectators would see a a much more lighthearted competition. I'm sure there's a ton of muppet-esque music that could be used (from other children's shows, etc), like "How much is that doggie in the window?" for V. Waltz!

Muppets - Mahnamahnah! (EC Swing)
Also, the slightly more adult version, ala "I wanna mahna mahna all night"
Mr. Mio - Mahna Mahna (Jive)

We dance to Mahnamahnah at our dances all the time...but a Quickstep usually.
Another song I love for a quickstep is that song from Star Wars...what's it called...from the beginning in the bar when they meet Han Solo.

[Keelzorz]

Here's a song I've always wanted to dance to: Dirty Diana (by M.J)

What on earth do you dance to that?
Judging off sound clippets from iTunes, perhaps an international rumba? Or an American rumba with a lot of quick underarm turns and snaps? Sounds like fun :cool:

Occasionally, when we need a break, my partner and will play around doing rumba to M.J.'s Thriller. I hope to never hear it at a competition, or I swear we'll start doing Open stylings in a Silver heat....my partner threatened to walk off the floor unless they gave us a better song.

[Keelzorz]

We dance to Mahnamahnah at our dances all the time...but a Quickstep usually.
Another song I love for a quickstep is that song from Star Wars...what's it called...from the beginning in the bar when they meet Han Solo.

Cantina Band, from the Mos Eisley Cantina.

:cool: Me? A dork? Never!

Mahnamahnah, a quickstep? It's always been a swing for us! I'll have to try that sometime. The Mr.Mio version is definatly a Jive, though.

[alemana]

*boggles*

i was kind of kidding, and now i see......

[Medira]

Kermit and Fozzy doing "Moving Right Along" would be a GREAT Quickstep!!

Also, I'll second "Dirty Diana" for a rumba. Billie Jean makes a very, VERY fun cha cha too. :D

[Joe]

It's time to play the music
It's time to light the lights
It's time to get things started
On the Muppet Show tonight!

(Dum dum dum)

[clawhite]

These are some of my favorites:
California Dreamin' - Queen Latifah (Rumba)
Hurt - Johnny Cash (Rumba)
Death Letter - Cassandra Wilson (Rumba)
Oy Mi Canto - Big Mato, Daddy Yankee, etc. (Samba)
Hey Mama - Black Eyed Peas (Samba)
The Power of Bhangra (vs Motivo) - Snap! (Samba)
Big Time Operator (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy) (Jive)
If You Can't Rock Me (THe Brian Setzer ORchestra) (Jive)
Zoot Suit Riot - Cherry Poppin' Daddies (Jive)
Honky Tonk Badonkadonk - Trace Adkins (Cha Cha)
Me, Myself, and I - Vitamin C (Cha Cha)
Short Skirt / Long Jacket - Cake (Cha Cha)
Guantanamera - Wyclef (Cha Cha)

[liangjz]

Violent love - I can't recall,... sorry(foxtrot)
Trouble with love is-Kelly Clarkson(v Waltz)
Seduces me -Celine Dion(v Waltz)
Earth - Gladiador soundtrack

[Medira]

Reach - Idina Menzel (waltz)
Addicted - Kelly Clarkson (viennese waltz)
Let's Stay Together - Al Green (Rumba)

[la morena]

This: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BR657Y/qid=1149254795/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/103-8586363-7555028?s=music&v=glance&n=5174

is almost a ballroom album. Well, not quite but tracks 5,6,7 and 12 make a very good Waltz, Cha-Cha, Jive and Rhumba respectively.

And my new favourite jive is Rachel Stevens' I Said Never Again.

[clawhite]

I love always trying to find new music to dance to - This forum is great. Crazy by Gnarls Barkley is a good cha cha. My instructor nixed Guantanamera - Wyclef (Cha Cha) (my earlier suggestion) as being too slow. (I am doing international, not american)

[slightlydevo]

well I know this is wierd, a friend of mine listens to a metal band opeth, yes their metal (with the screaming) but they do alot of classical guitar, and there was one song that had a very tango feel to it (granted kinda dreary, but all the same, I don't the the name of the song thought, if I talk to him I could let you know.

[clawhite]

Bump Bump Bump. I love this thread - can you tell? On Itunes, someone named CVH has some good ballroom imixes. That is where I got the Queen Latifah California Dreamin for Rumba (Which I LOVE)

Anything else / new??

[Medira]

Bump Bump Bump. I love this thread - can you tell? On Itunes, someone named CVH has some good ballroom imixes. That is where I got the Queen Latifah California Dreamin for Rumba (Which I LOVE)

Anything else / new??
Queen Latifah's version of California Dreamin' is on a CD that she released called The Dana Owens album. It's got some other great tracks on it too. :)

[fire_dancer]

Come to think of it, I think you can Viennese Waltz to "How Much is That Doggie In the Window"...now I would pay to see people trying to do that!

Another good REALLY uncoventional cha-cha is "Push It" by Garbage.

You can rumba to "Sadeness" by Enigma...its one of those weird psycadellic songs on one of those Pure Moods compilations you order on TV...

Now I don't know much about Bossa Nova, but I think you can bossa nova to the theme from Austin Powers...anyone care to correct me? What is bossa nova, anyway? :P :lol: :oops:

That's funny... because my old ballroom instructor had a kid's CD with kids singing backup on the songs (sort of a sing-a-long song) and one of the songs went something like "Come take a trip in my airship, come sail away to the stars...." with the kids singing it. He made us viennese waltz to it. And since it was the only viennese waltz song he liked, that is ALL we ever v-waltzed to for 3 MONTHS!

*holds head in pain*

Even now....months later.... I still find myself humming it when practicing vwaltz. I think I'm scarred for life.

[PureAbsurd]

well I know this is wierd, a friend of mine listens to a metal band opeth, yes their metal (with the screaming) but they do alot of classical guitar, and there was one song that had a very tango feel to it (granted kinda dreary, but all the same, I don't the the name of the song thought, if I talk to him I could let you know.
Though I love Opeth, I can't remember any song suitable for ballroom dancing. Their songs are rather involved and usually have lots of rhythm and contrast changes. But they surely might have some tango sounding passage somewhere.

[clawhite]

Okay. I am still scanning through the imixes on itunes and found some more cool music. International Latin-Volume 1 has good tunes and this user has almost all the other categories as well (American Rhythm , American Smooth, Salsa, International Standard )

[Stiletto One]

A lot of Cake can be used for cute/fun ballroom music.

One for a (slow) international Foxtrot: "Fotografia", by Morelenbaum & Sakamoto. I prefer the version from the album Casa, it has a bit more mood to it; I want to say the one from A Day in New York has a more even tempo, though.

Another good one, for walta, is "Tema Para Ana", also on Casa.

[Peaches]

Odd, but I'd love to hear it at a social...

Holiday by Green Day as ECS.

[Anna]

A lot of Cake can be used for cute/fun ballroom music.

Anything in particular? I've been wondering about Cake, but I can't seem to get most of it to work...obviously Sad Songs and Waltzes for waltz, and I think Wheels miight work for a slow samba, but what else?

[clawhite]

Short Skirt / Long Jacket by Cake is a great Cha Cha

[Leggie]

Off Mark Knopfler's album Shangri-La - Postcards from Paraguay - a samba, I feel.

[Twilight_Elena]

Short Skirt / Long Jacket by Cake is a great Cha Cha

It's a cute song! :D What else by Cake is good for chacha?

T_E

[Anna]

Yeah, I hadn't noticed it's a cha-cha, thanks! I'll definitely keep it in mind.

[dancesportgirl21]

Crazy by Gnarles Barkley works as a cha-cha

[mamboqueen]

Crazy by Gnarles Barkley works as a cha-cha


*Love* that song; in fact, it's the last thing I heard before getting on the train this morning. I think it's a bit "sedate", though. I can't see getting any real "zip" from it.

[Medira]

*Love* that song; in fact, it's the last thing I heard before getting on the train this morning. I think it's a bit "sedate", though. I can't see getting any real "zip" from it.
But, if you work it from the sultry and sassy angle, you could really play it up in a way that's similar to Angie Stone's "Wish I Didn't Miss You"

[victordancer]

does anyone know the name of the song danced by blake hobby and benji schwimmer -it sounds like its called "if it aint one thing its another" but i cant find out who sings it- its a west coast swing video posted on veoh-thanks

[DanceMentor]

Don't forget to add your music to the new Music section
www.dance-forums.com/music/

[newdancer113]

How 'bout Shout! (you know, from Animal House) for merengue?

It changes pace to a swing for a bit, but it's basically a merengue!

[GJB]

does anyone know the name of the song danced by blake hobby and benji schwimmer -it sounds like its called "if it aint one thing its another" but i cant find out who sings it- its a west coast swing video posted on veoh-thanks

Maybe you should try posting this question on www.strictlywestie.com. I'm pretty sure someone there will know.

[waltzgirl]

Bump. I know we have the music lists now, but I thought I'd bring this up again. I'm particularly looking for tango, v. waltz, and cha cha with interesting or unusual themes/lyrics.

[White Chacha]

... I think it's a bit "sedate", though. I can't see getting any real "zip" from it.

Agreed. And it's missing the 4& rhythm in the percussion, making it closer to a hustle. Useable for a quieter social song but wouldn't be on my A list.

[and123]

I did a VWaltz showcase a few years ago to "Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS. The "breaks" are great for fleckerels/contra check, or a spin-out into a dramatic line if you're doing American style.

[musicchica86]

Check my list waltzgirl, I think I've got a couple interesting VW's and cha-chas on there...will double check for you.

[marktheshark]

I've seen some rather surreal music selections on Dancing with the Stars.

Like, for instance, Kriss Kross - Jump for mambo... :o

Or Mary J. Blige - Family affair for salsa, boy did that suck!

[tsb]

try the versions of songs that paul anka did on "rock swings". most folks will foxtrot along until they recognize the lyrics from songs such as:

- eye of the tiger (survivor)
- jump (van halen)
- the way you make me feel (michael jackson)
- it's my life (bon jovi)
- true (spandau ballet)

or rumba/bolero to:
- it's a sin (pet shop boys)
- lovecats (the cure)
- eyes without a face (billy idol)

[marktheshark]

try the versions of songs that paul anka did on "rock swings". most folks will foxtrot along until they recognize the lyrics from songs such as:

- eye of the tiger (survivor)
- jump (van halen)
- the way you make me feel (michael jackson)
- it's my life (bon jovi)
- true (spandau ballet)

or rumba/bolero to:
- it's a sin (pet shop boys)
- lovecats (the cure)
- eyes without a face (billy idol)


Foxtrot to eye of the tiger? :confused:

They did a paso doble to this song on DWTS, quite original imho...

[delamusica]

I just heard this song "ManEater" by Nelly Furtado on the radio - I think it'd be a fun cha cha.

And I may be crazy, but it sort of reminds me of that song "Maniac" from Flashdance. Does anybody else hear that?? Go listen:

http://www.amazon.com/Loose-Nelly-Furtado/dp/B000FII324/sr=8-1/qid=1164142663/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5131377-7533730?ie=UTF8&s=music

[marktheshark]

How about "Promiscuous", also by Nelly Furtado, for cha-cha?

[marktheshark]

Could "Teardrops" by Elton John and KD Lang be considered a jive?

[hamstersphere]

I just heard this song "ManEater" by Nelly Furtado on the radio - I think it'd be a fun cha cha.

And I may be crazy, but it sort of reminds me of that song "Maniac" from Flashdance. Does anybody else hear that??

Agreed on both counts. And do you think you could samba to 'No Hay Igual' from the same album? It's a bit ... beat-y, but too much fun!

[VinceraVivere]

We've danced to some crazy songs...

"With you I'm Born Again" was our waltz solo. I don't remember who it's by.

A lot of George Michael for swings, hustles, and cha chas

Jessica Simpson's "take my breath away" for a bolero - maybe not that unconventional, but definetely modern.

"Momma don't dance" for a swing (an awesome song)

Journey's "Open Arms" for a waltz

Steve Perry's "It Won't Be You" was our rumba solo

"Marvelous" by Billy Crystal - I think he did it for some TV show, SNL maybe? it's a very interesting song. One woman in our studio used it as a foxtrot(a different version of the song with a foxtrot rhythm faded into Billy Crystal's version)/hustle/mambo/tango. It was pretty great.

A lot of 80s music, some modern thrown in, it depends on what we're going for. Again, I don't know how much of the above counts as unconventional, but it's more fun to dance to, for sure.

[marktheshark]

Could "Teardrops" by Elton John and KD Lang be considered a jive?

Anyone?

[White Chacha]

How about "Promiscuous", also by Nelly Furtado, for cha-cha?

This one's a "maybe" for me. It's close but not exactly right. So perhaps for social or a show, but not for competition. Sorry I couldn't find the version of "Teardrops" you're asking about.

[tsb]

Foxtrot to eye of the tiger? :confused:



listen to the arrangement.

[DancingJools]

Watching The Blues Brothers (the original) late at night.
I swear their version of "Rawhide" can be a Samba. Imagine the creative costuming. Might make one heck of an inventive showdance.

[pnoisette]

Sol Ja Camba sung by the goregously voiced Fantcha fro her album Criolinja>.
The music is Cap Verde, the rhythms rumbaesque. Also, the sound track from the movie Delovely has some danceable cuts. I particularly like Sheryl Crow's version of Begin the Beguine.

[figure2]

My wife & I are always on the lookout for non-traditional ballroom songs for our showcase routines. It's good to dance to something that isn't already in our dance studios library and has been played to death. This thread has helped me add to my list so I'll leave a few of my oun discoveries.

Here is a list of songs from our past showcase routines:
Cakewalk Into Town, Taj Mahal: Foxtrot
Lost In A Crowd, Rusted Root: Rumba
Paris, Slick Pelt: Into is a V. Waltz but then temo changes to a Swing.
When Doves Cry, Prince: Tango
Slippery People, Talking Heads: Could be a slow Rumba or Samba
Ballrom Blitz, Sweet: Quickstep

If you are looking for unusual arrangements of standard songs, ckeck out the band Brave Combo. 2 years ago we did a holiday showcase routine with their "Oh Holy Night Cha Cha Cha." The bonus track from their "Polakasonic" CD is a polka arrangement of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze." They have over a dozen CDs available.

Our list of set-aside songs for possible future showcases:
Concrete & Clay, Unit Four Plus Two (One-hit wonder group from the 60's): Samba
Malaguena Salerosa, Kill Bill Vol.2 Soundtrack: Viennese Waltz
Cowboy Song, Slick Pelt: West Coast Swing
Chick's Too Young To Fry, Slick Pelt: Quickstep
Sing, Sing, Sing, Los Straitjackets: Quickstep
Endicott, Kid Creole & The cocoanuts: Hustle
Sharp Dressed Man, ZZ Top: Hustle
Smells Like Teen Spirit, Paul Anka: Fox Trot

Just about all these songs are available as downloads from iTunes or elsewhere. If I think of more I'll post them

Mark

[Gingi]

I'm finishing up the choreography for a cha cha to Akon's "Smack That" but Nelly Furtado's new album has some good cha cha, rumba, and samba tracks (think thats what they are)

[tanya_the_dancer]

I'm just wondering if there are "Happy Birthday" arrangements other than chacha.

[White Chacha]

I'm just wondering if there are "Happy Birthday" arrangements other than chacha.

Some friends dug up the Tango on the CD "Happy Birthday" to play for my birthday this (past!) year. It sneaks up on you too. You don't hear the HBD theme right away ;-)

If you go to Amazon, for instance, search for "happy birthday tango" and it'll take you right to that CD.

Oooh, I just found the album on iTunes so you can get just the tango track. It's the only easily danceable one anyhow. Same search should find it for you there.

[figure2]

There is a song called "Alcohol" on the Kinks' CD "Muswell Hillbillies" which could be a very unconventional tango.

The song is a 1st-person narration of a man who has destroyed his life through alcohol addiction but the Kinks always manage to inject a good dose of very dark humor into their songs like this.

With the right choreography and in the right venue it could be a very interesting showcase routine.

[Nik]

Bringing sexy back by justin timberlake for a nice chacha.

[unicom]

How about:

Aesop Rock - Big Bang [tango]
The Roots - The Seed (2.0) [cha cha]
Outkast - The Way you Move [cha cha]
From the Chrome Children album
Dudley Perkins - Whussup World [foxtrot]

Also Richard Cheese does a lot of covers that I think have potential :)

And just out of curiosity, what are the characteristics of WCS music?