Thursday, November 7, 2013

Beginner-friendly swing dance music


About halfway through our eight-week beginner swing dance lessons, students usually start asking me for recommendations of practice music. You might think, like many people do in the beginning, that you can only swing dance to jazz standards like “Tuxedo Junction” or “Pennsylvania 6-5000.”

Although these are great swing dance songs, you don’t have to limit yourself to the top hits of the 1930s and '40s. As you begin to attend swing dances, you’ll start hearing songs that are a good tempo for you, or that make your feet start moving. These songs might come from every decade from 1920 to today. The best way to find what works is by going to dances and attempting to work with all the music.

Tempos
Once I became a fairly proficient swing dancer, all I wanted to do was dance at the speed of sound. I cared nothing for footwork; I just wanted to kick step and Charleston—basically throw myself into a centrifuge and hold on for dear life.

However, once I started going to more weekend workshops, traveling and teaching, I eventually began to appreciate the slower tempos. I realized that there was something so smooth and sexy about the relaxed, jazzy/bluesy tunes. You can do swivels at a slower speed. You can milk a swing-out for everything it’s worth. You can actually keep your arms attached to your shoulders. You can last an entire night without experiencing heart palpitations.

Your hair’s on fire
As a swing dance DJ, I have noticed that the songs that absolutely pack the floor are between 170 and 200 beats per minute. These are songs like “Americano,” “Jump, Jive and Wail,” “Flip, Flop and Fly” and “Rock Around the Clock.” I love these songs and dancing to them is often a pure expression of exuberance and love for the song, dance, and life in general.

However, I have also noticed that the technical quality my dancing deteriorates as the energy level of the music increases. Don’t get me wrong—I love the fast stuff—but I like it once every five or six songs. I don’t want to do it all night. For one thing, it would kill me. For another, I actually like doing the footwork.

A walk in the park
A good “cruising speed” for swing dance is around 140-160 beats per minute. In this range, you’ll find “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “All Shook Up,” and “Stompin’ at the Savoy.” These are nice, comfortable tempos with lots of popular songs that will not induce heart attacks.

Smooth, slow and easy
I like to keep our beginner class playlist around 100-140 beats per minute, and I mingle this tempo into the dance playlists. I sometimes hear some experienced dancers complain about these low tempos, because they are very comfortable at the “hold onto your hair” speed. I would encourage experienced high-speed dancers to take advantage of the slower tempos to catch their breath, to really execute their footwork, to connect with their partners, and to have some improvisational fun.

Some of my low-octane favorites
Following are the songs that I would recommend to beginners as they practice their new moves. I would also recommend them for experienced dancers who want to focus on footwork variations. Many of these songs have fun musical elements that make for great improvisation, but you’ll only catch them if you are familiar with the music, so listen to the songs when you aren’t dancing, like when you’re driving around town or singing in the shower. Just don’t start dancing in the shower. You could slip and fall and hurt yourself, and then you won’t be dancing at all.


There are countless more songs in the slow and sexy tempo range and I would love to hear your recommendations!


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