A solo performance is very exciting for a dancer! You want to have the right song for your dancer. Not just the right song, but the very best choice for him/her.
I do not pick songs for my dancers. I hand that responsibility to them. This gives ownership for their songs as well as gives them the opportunity to explore various styles of music. Can they imagine themselves on stage dancing to these songs?!
Here are the steps I use as a mom of a dancer and I recommend using as a choreographer.
1. Start with a goal.
Goals have many purposes in life. I like to start with a goal in mind because then they can guide what song choice will help them work towards that goal.
What is the goal of doing a solo performance? Are you performing a solo just for fun? Are you trying new experiences and challenging yourself to dance on stage on your own? Is there something you want to improve on (technique, acro, facials) and can focus on that by doing a solo? Are you wanting to try a new type of dance, a genre your team doesn’t usually dance to?
2. What kind of performance do you want and can do?
You need to know what kind of genre you want to dance to. Jazz, Lyrical, Hip Hop, Tap, Contemporary, Acro, Ballet, Character
Picking your genre depends on your age/level/goal. For my older daughter, I knew a character routine would help her develop her performance and would be a great way to start at age 4. She could understand how to be a superhero and hit those bad guys with strong arms. This was a great help in teaching her the importance of precision at her young age. You don’t want to pick a genre that they don’t have experience with.
Once you have the genre, then you can start listening to songs. I do recommend an extra step in regards to the performance thinking.
I believe there are 4 S performance to choose from.
1. Sweet 2. Sassy 3. Strong 4. Silly
What type of personality do you want shown on stage? Do you want to show the sweet smiles and encourage people to see “awe”? Or do you want a lot of sassy changing facials? Do you want a strong dance where there won’t be as many facials? The facials it does have will show confidence and intensity. Or do you want to find the silly one that will get the audience giggling and smiling?
Once you’ve decided which S performance style you want, then I recommend looking in the mirror. Can you make these various facials? Can you do different soft sweet smiles? Do you feel comfortable doing sassy kissy faces? You want to pick the best performance style for you. If you’re just starting out then I suggest going with one of the S performances that you feel most comfortable with.
If you’ve done solos and you want to challenge yourself to try a S performance that is not comfortable for you, then that could be your goal of this year’s solo.
This is the most important step in picking your solo song. (My opinion) You must know what type of performance you want as well as what type of performance style you can do. You may love a song, but if you can’t perform the way it’s meant to be it will hurt your scores.
3. Listen to songs!!
This one can take a very long time! I like to listen to songs while I am driving in my car. I spend a lot of time in my car so I might as well use that time. ☺️
And I would recommend not listening to the radio when trying to choose your song. Now I get popular music is very fun to listen to you therefore we want to dance to it. I have choreographed mini dances that are popular. But one year I had a duet who dance to one of my favorite songs, Me Too by Meghan Trainor. It is still one of my favorite songs and choreography pieces. However, the year we did it was the year it was still very popular. They competed with a trio dancing to the exact same song! Plus the DJs at competition played the song 3 times in the 4 hours we were there (break time or before awards). Guess what was written on the score sheets: Pick a more original song, this one is played too much. 😳
If you choose to dance to a popular song, make sure your choreography and costume are one to remember. You want the judges to remember your performance not blend in with all the rest.
Instead of going with radio songs, here are a few ideas to branch out.
1. Soundtracks: I LOVE to pull soundtracks from the library and listen to them. I don’t aim at any particular soundtrack. I have found fantastic songs from movies like Hoodwinked, Barbie movies, Casino Royals, Hunger Games, Tron etc. I love finding a unique song, so we can stand out with something the judges haven’t heard before. 🙌🏼
2. ITunes Store: This May seem odd, but I pick a song I love- even if I heard it on the radio. I search that song up on ITunes Store and scroll through the similar songs listed. I listen to those songs and try to find one I like as well as my original song, but not over played. I listen to the songs suggested as well as the albums. Write down the ones you are interested in and keep scrolling and listening!
You can also do this with YouTube. Look up one you like and then other songs and videos will pop up that are similar. Disclaimer: Using YouTube does expose more things, so be mindful of that.
Instead of looking up a song, you may want to look up the artist of the songs you’re interested in. Scan the artist’s other not as popular songs.
3. Websites. Google dance songs. There are several websites that list different songs for various genres and ages.
4. Ask others for inspiration. You can ask family members their favorite song. I know a dad who just likes to listen to Spotify and was picking songs for his dancer to listen to. She would have never listened to those songs without his suggestion. You can talk with other dancers or a dance teacher about what songs they love to listen/dance to. Branch out with the help of others.
While listening to songs, be sure to write down any and all that interest you. Not just your top 5. You can list 20 or more songs. The reason is because what if you’re unsure about a song, but then 3 days later keep thinking about it, but now can’t find it because it wasn’t a radio song. 😒
Obviously, don’t list every song you like. This is where your goal and performance plan comes into play! Does the song fit your goal for your solo as well as the performance genre and style you’re going for? It’s not about finding a song you like but finding the best song that you want and can do. If so, WRITE IT DOWN.
4. Narrow down your songs.
Listen to all your songs (again) on your list. Listen with the intent to narrow it down. 😉
If you didn’t already, make sure the song fits your genre and your S performance- do that now!
Can you dance to this song? Do that now! Turn the song on and dance. Do you feel comfortable with the rhythm? How are those facials?
If you are not comfortable dancing to the song cross it out immediately.
Continue to go through the steps until you’ve narrowed the song choices down!
Your choreographer might just say they want your one song submitted, so narrow it all the way down to one. As a choreographer, I usually ask for their top 3-5. Then I listen to the song, imagine choreography to it and lastly think about that dancer with that song on stage. From there, the dancer and I officially decide their song.
5. Tricks and Techniques
When choosing a song you’ll also want to think about the tricks and techniques for the solo. Is this song a good fit for certain tricks or technique that you want? Some tricks and technique do not fit certain rhythms and beats. Keep this in mind, but it isn’t the determination of crossing off a song.
Solo Song Selection
Picking your solo song is extremely exciting! ❤️ Go through the steps to find the very best song for you at this point in your life! Happy dancing and performing! 😍
