Music Advice

In December, I will be doing a showcase with my dance studio.

According to my instructor, the theme is "R&B (Rythm & Blues)"

Now, to me, R&B and Rythm & Blues are 2 different types of music...

However, I have to find SOMETHING to choreograph a dance to in order to perform at the showcase.

Does anybody have any song suggestions to fit this theme thati can do either rythm or ballroom to?

Thanks.

I don't have a specific suggestion, but maybe something in a swing?

One of my fave foxtrots....this is just one version, there is probably an actual "ballroom tempo" version out there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IQKZTPFVAM

What type of dances do you do? Latin? Rhythm? Standard? Smooth? Nightclub? Or is this more of a freestyle? I guess I'm just kinda confused as to what your instructor wants you to do...does he want you to dance ballroom to R&B music? Or does he want your dancing to have a more bluesy feel?

Without knowing any specifics, here are some suggestions...

Chante Moore "Old School Love" - a great bolero, more of a modern R&B song

Eva Cassidy "Wade in the Water" - a slow, sexy West Coast Swing, more classic blues

Maxwell "Whenever Wherever Whatever" - another great bolero, modern R&Bish

Al Green "Ain't No Sunshine" - a bluesy rumba

Alicia Keys "If I Ain't Got You" - R&B-style waltz


Is any of this fitting his description? If you give me a better idea of what you need, I can probably give you better suggestions

huh i guess i think of r&b as being the updated more current version of blues music - but thats just my opinion - i dont know for sure. pick a dance - I have tons of ideas - too many to list. Would you like something more bluesy or more current R&B?

Thanks for the suggestions, they sound great...

As to the type of dance my instructor wants, I am unsure myself... The theme of our studio's showcase is "R&B (aka Rythm & Blues)"... We are having an outside choreographer come into the studio for the showcase, so my instructor told me to start brainstorming on music... I also think of the more modern hip hop music when i think R&B, but I am unsure if that is included in the theme genre, haha... i think he would like to do one Rythm dance and one smooth dance to perform that night.

Ok, got it straightened out...

the theme is RYTHM AND BLUES

Do you get to pick which dances you are to do? I'd say any Carolina beach music would be very R&B....let me know if you are interested.

"Misery," by Pink. It's a very bluesy waltz that has the benefit of not being as saturated in the ballroom community as "If I Ain't Got You."

Anyone who feels uncertain of what R&B is should go rent the Blues Brothers movie (the original -- I've never seen the poorly reviewed 2000 sequel) or go to your local library and borrow one of the Blues Brothers CDs!

suburbaknght said:

"Misery," by Pink. It's a very bluesy waltz that has the benefit of not being as saturated in the ballroom community as "If I Ain't Got You."

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Thanks for that, SK -- I've just added it to my library. BTW, at 32 measures per minute, it's just a touch quick for a ballroom slow waltz (which usually runs 28 - 30), which might explain why it hasn't been overplayed in ballroom events.

Indiana_Jay said:

Anyone who feels uncertain of what R&B is should go rent the Blues Brothers movie (the original -- I've never seen the poorly reviewed 2000 sequel) or go to your local library and borrow one of the Blues Brothers CDs!

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So they can listen to BOTH kinds of music?

mmmm... Country AND Western ;-)