Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dance

"Safe" song with a driving beat for Best Buddies video

UMDirector — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:58:17 -0800

Looking for a song with a beat like Tik Tok by Ke$ha or Tonight's Gonna be a Good Night by Black-Eyes Peas but without references to drinking or "language" for a video. I volunteered to produce a video for Best Buddies and rather than the typical inspirational stuff they use I am trying to create something that is a bit more "cool" and "fun", not as much Goo Goo Dolls "Give a Little Bit", which they use too much. So both those songs have a great beat and are fun...looking for something like that but that won't risk offending...any thoughts? Bonus points if it has an inspirational message...

So I Wish I Could Dance

fogonlittlecatfeet — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:36:27 -0800

Where can I learn to dance in Tampa? I am a 29 year old female. I love to dance, but I have never had lessons or training of any sort.
If I am at a party or a club and there is a dance floor you can bet I am on it. All night. But I want to do more than just the stuff i have made up or imitated from watching music videos.

Does any one know where I could take lessons and learn to move like the people on So You Think You Can Dance??? In and around the Tampa, Florida area that is.

I am not harboring any fantasies that I will become anywhere near as amazing as those people, but the show has definitely inspired me.
I watch them dancing across my screen and i can barely hold still sitting on my couch.

Initially I would like to do solo type or group choreography type styles. Couples dancing isn't exactly what I am looking for at this point, but if a facility offered many different types of classes it would definitely be a plus.
Private or group lessons are fine. I just consider myself a complete novice with a good feel for a beat. That's about it.
Is it a pipe dream to want to learn to dance at this late date?

I'm just not sure where to even start looking... googling doesn't turn up much, and what I do get isn't quite what I'm looking for. Even though I am not quite sure what I am looking for.

Recommendations for DJ samples/songs ala Fatboy Slim?

heatherfl — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:30:56 -0800

My husband mixes dance music using Fruity Loops. I want to get him some CDs for Christmas for samples -- particularly stuff that sounds like Fatboy Slim. Help? I can buy loops already sampled or I can buy songs for that he can sample himself, it doesn't matter.

This song is a good overview of what FBS sounds like and what I'm looking for:
Mad Flava

There's a lot of retro sounding piano and brass, some funky bass/guitar, syncopated percussion, a bit of synth/electronica, and non-rap but rhythmically interesting vocals. If you're familiar with Fatboy Slim, you know what I mean!

FYI, I already got him "The Ultimate DJ Sample Box" which has actual Fatboy Slim samples. Just looking for supplemental goodies now.

So what should I get for him, music experts?

Thanks so much!

Creative ideas for a party

Kateruba — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:56:11 -0800

What short, creative performances can guests put on at my party to entertain themselves? I'd like to have a holiday party. But not just another dinner party or a drinking party. I'd like all of my guests to put on little performances - whether that would be a short skit, dance/music, puppet show, parody, magic tricks, telling some jokes, monologue, poetry reading, juggling, sword swallowing - whatever! I just would like everyone to do something entertaining and creative, my expectations are pretty reasonable, I don't expect everyone to prepare and practice like prima ballerinas...

I am always ambivalent about hosting parties - so much stress in organizing and making sure everyone has a good time! And I am especially doubtful about hosting this one. Even though most of my friends/acquaintances are a creative bunch, a lot of my potential guests find my party idea intimidating. They are either shy or have no idea what to do for this "assignment", and hence are unsure whether they will attend at all :(

I'd love some suggestions for this which I can offer to my friends to make them less intimidated and more enthusiastic. Ideally, they would have all or any of the following qualities: creative, suitable for shy people, do not take much time or effort to prepare for.

And what would I do for my part? I would do something similar to Isabella Rosselini's Green Porno "Nothing Porno about it!" as she says. In the series, Rossellini enacts the mating rituals of various insects and other animals (including the dragonfly, spider, bee, praying mantis, squid, snail and housefly) with cardboard cut-outs and foam-rubber sculptures (wikipedia) - the result is very whimsical and reminiscent of an elementary school play in its aesthetics! If anyone is intrigued, you can view all of the episodes on

How much memorization does art dance performance require?

Joe Beese — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:52:35 -0800

How much memorization does art dance performance require? I assume it varies between genres - and between roles within genres. But can useful generalizations be made about how much performance data retrieval per minute is involved compared with, say, playing in a symphony orchestra?

Looking for an alternative nightclub in chicago

bwilms — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:22:50 -0800

Going to chicago this weekend and would like something other than the standard club. Where should I go? My wife is headed to Chicago with some friends and wants to go dancing Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night. She's looking for a place that plays more indie/alternative/80's dance music and not the standard clubbing stuff. I have heard that there isn't much, but NEONightclub.

Need inspiration for hip hop dance moves and music.

AV — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:51:09 -0800

Help me win a dance-off at my hip hop class next week - or at least not make a fool of myself. Need inspiration for dance moves and music. I’m taking a beginner’s hip hop class and the instructor announced that we will be having a dance-off next week. We’ve been given choreography up to a point and we’re supposed to come up with our own ending. We can pick our own music.

I’m quite up to the challenge, but as my dance background is in ballet I’m needing some inspiration for finishing the routine. Also, scrolling through my mp3s it occurs to me that all my hip hop is at least five years old. I’m hoping you can point me to videos (music videos, tutorials, whatever) of some good dance moves and to some hip hop music to do the routine to that isn’t as outdated as what I’ve got now. Or anything really.

HELP! Need Wedding Playlist!!

madmamasmith — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:35:50 -0800

HELP! I am (was) using my ipod instead of a DJ for my wedding that is in 10 days and it just CRASHED! It synched to my computer without warning and now all my wedding playlists are GONE! I'm a dope and only very recently started using an external hard drive...long story short I need help to rebuild my wedding playlists. With the stress of the wedding planning I cant even remember to poop, let alone the collection of music ive been building for years!! I would appreciate ANY and ALL recommendations but I need the most help with the dance portion. I love all kinds of music from all eras and I want to make sure there are some dance hits from my school days ie TLC, SWV etc but I also want to play some newer hits and I am suffering serious brain fart. I'm also 6 months pregnant so I have baby brain as they say.

So far my playlists are thus (in a nutshell)

Preceremony/seating:

sun kil moon, joni mitchell, elvis, alasdair roberts, some instrumental stuff etc., peter gabriel

Dinner/Cocktail:

cocteau twins, yo la tango, van morrison, fleetwood mac, sufjan stevens, nina simone, otis redding, nuetral milk hotel

Dancing:

MGMT, MIA, Soldia Boy, JAson Derulo, Kool & the gang, outkast, madonna, pssion pit, cure, aha, TI, iggy pop, peter bjorn and john, daftpunk, the knife, george michael.......

Up, up, down, down...

LSK — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:58:02 -0800

Having an issue with a dance mat on PC - down button works, but left + down and right + down don't. I'm using Red Octane's Ignition 3.0 dance mat (for Dance Dance Revolution games) on Windows Vista using the USB plug. While all individual buttons operate properly, if I press left and down at the same time, or right and down at the same time, only left or right (respectively) is read by the computer. Is this an issue with the hardware itself or is it something that can be addressed within the OS?

It should be noted that this isn't the more common opposite-axes issue; left + right works properly, as does up + down.

Dance videos with new moves

pica — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:48:39 -0800

Give me some dance inspiration! I'll soon be putting on my dancing shoes and head out for a brand new saturday night. What new moves will inspire me? French tecktronik is great and the Beninese zinli (watch from 3:35) blows my mind - what do you suggest I bring with me out tonight?

OH GOD IM THAT GUY ON THE DANCEFLOOR

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:09:12 -0800

I'd like to learn to dance well, or at least inconspicuously. I'm white, slightly goofy, male and mid-20's. Help. So there are some weddings coming up where I'll probably need to grace the dance floor for at least a few songs. Outside of that - I'd like to not live in fear of a dance party breaking out at every party I'm attending.

I'm goofy, white, awkward - the type people don't expect to see on the dancefloor. The only times I've actually danced with my friends, I've been so completely trashed that I get way too into it, and weird everyone out. This has made things worse for me..

Are there any tips, or youtube videos you can point me to, which will give me something to mimic? I feel like I'm capable of being a passable dancer, and probably wouldnt' feel such a heap of shame everytime dancing was mentioned, if I just practiced a bit on my own and built up some confidence.

Again, help.

thanks

What makes a good [dance style] song?

philosophygeek — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:56:20 -0800

I'm starting to be able to identify what social dances fit different songs, but I don't know how to describe the features of the songs that make them appropriate for different dances. Can you help me name the features of songs that make them work well for the different social dances? In other words, what are the characteristics that make a song good for [insert social dance here]? I understand that there's a lot of overlap and flexibility, but if you were to describe what makes a song scream, "Please jive to me!" or "I'm a tango!", what would you say?

I'm interested in all kinds of social dances, but particularly the ballroom standards and nightclub dances (so waltz, tango, foxtrot, quickstep, samba, chacha, rumba, paso doble, jive, east coast swing, lindy hop, west coast swing, hustle, and nightclub-2).

Plays Well With Others?

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:12:42 -0800

Latin Dancing Ettiquette: I really want to learn Latin Dancing, but for cultural reasons (and prudishness) would be uncomfortable dancing with a woman other than my fiancee. I doubt I would be pleased with her dancing with other men. I spoke to an instructor who told me that couples can attend with no need to rotate partners.

Does anyone have experience with this? Do you end up feeling like the Amish with how conservative your attitudes are? Are there situations where you are made to feel rude if you do not dance with others?

What music should I play at the teen Halloween dance?

40 Watt — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:54:20 -0800

I've volunteered to DJ a teen Halloween dance/costume event sponsored by the library I work at, and held at the local art museum. Unfortunately, I didn't quite think about what that meant in terms of music, and now I'm stumped as to what kinds of music I should bring. My usual DJ sets are electronic and ambient music, and (NOT TOP40-IST) I never listen to the radio so I'm blissfully ignorant of what teh kidz are listening to these days. What should I play at this dance that your average teen is going to like? This event usually draws about 150 kids, ages 13-18 and spanning a pretty wide range of high school archetypes and social/economic strata, as might be expected from an average-sized semi-urban Midwestern town. I know I'm not going to please everyone, but I need to feel like I'm doing my job and have at least a good fraction of the kids dancing for most of this thing.

I found a few older AskMe threads (here for example), and while I've already gotten some of those songs (Cha-Cha Slide, here we come!) I'm thinking even a few years can make a huge difference in what kids like at these things. I'm asked my Teen Advisory Board and teen patrons for suggestions but didn't get many. I turn to you, AskMe denizens, for help rocking the proverbial house.

Bonus points will be given for songs which won't get me fired or strung up by my library board or the public at large.

What's a good dance for a beginning couple to learn that won't make her backache worse?

laumry — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:57:56 -0800

What's a good dance for a beginning couple to learn that won't make her backache worse? Hello all. A friend and I (the friend's a woman, I'm a man) would like to learn a dance - don't mind if it's ballroom or Latin or whatever. Only problem is that she suffers from a bad back sometimes. So what's a good dance to learn if the woman has occasional pain from a bad back? (Extra points if you can cite any evidence on this.)

Many thanks!

(Yes, this was inspired by the start of Strictly Come Dancing. Shame!)

I want to start dancing...

lemonade — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:35:24 -0800

I want to start dancing---just for me, for stress relief and mood enhancement and flexibility. Recommend some DVDs to teach me routines and give me ideas for my own? I found these two dancing-yoga videos on you-tube, and I love that idea -- while I could eventually (laboriously) copy their routines...are there DVDs out there that teach routines like this? I have been doing yoga for a long time, so I'm sure this is within my capability.

And how about your favorite DVDs for dance routines in general--belly dancing, latin, hip-hop?

I found this thread and plan to try the videos, but please give me more -- I'm not necessarily looking for good cardio here, just some fun.

My neighbors will kill me if they hear "PYT" one more time.

zoomorphic — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:37:48 -0800

I need to update my dance-y indie music selection. My playlist is so 2007. Due to a change in jobs, I no longer listen to Pandora/Last.fm stations, so my awareness of recent music has plummeted. I like a pretty wide range of songs, but right now I'm specifically looking for upbeat, catchy indie music that I can play on a Friday night when friends come over for a drink, or for when I bring my iPod on a run. Right now this playlist includes stuff like MGMT, Black Kids, the Tings Tings, Handsome Furs, old Michael Jackson, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, etc. This question was interesting but still too electronic-heavy. As I am the most predictable, low-brow listener when it comes to locating the most single-ish single on an album, it would help plenty if you could specify songs rather than just albums and artists.

My roommates, friends, and headphones thank you in advance!

French indie pop/electro?

decoherence — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:08:21 -0800

What's some good, danceable French indie pop/electro? I was recently at a party in NYC that was mostly 20-something French hipster kids. The DJ, also French, was playing a lot of great music I'd never heard before. I'm not positive it was all French, but much of it was, and some people mentioned it was the sort of stuff they regularly danced to in Paris. It was less techno/house-ish (no Daft Punk), and more along the lines of, say, Phoenix, Cut Copy, or the Knife's "Heartbeats" -- melodic, a bit spacey, medium tempo, maybe some disco influences. Some of the songs were even a bit lounge-y.

Does anyone have any suggestions for bands to check out that might fit the above description? Or does anyone in Paris know what the "cool kids" are listening to, French or not, that might not have made its way over to the States yet?

Classical/dance music crossovers?

gwenlister — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:10:22 -0800

I like pop/hip-hop/R&B/dance songs with samples from easily recognized classical pieces but that tie together smoothly (ie. "When I get you alone" by Thicke). I prefer if the end result has a fast-ish tempo. Any suggestions?

What is a good place to learn how to dance in New York City?

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 19:58:00 -0800

What is a good place to learn how to dance in New York City? (Anon because I'm a weirdo and find this question very embarassing). I recently decided that I really like dancing, and mostly I don't do it more because I don't know how to do it well. Also, I think it would be fun to get better at it. I'm a guy. In my 20s. I'm single. I don't know what kind of dancing I want to learn how to do. All kinds? I'm not trying to meet girls or anything, but I also don't have anyone I can bring to a class or lessons. How does this work? I want to learn any kind of dancing people actually do in social situations, not like some crazy art dancing or tap dancing. So yeah, pretty broad, but I've only a vague ideal what I'm looking for: Social Dancing. Instruction. Solo students accomodated. In New York City. Thank you for your help.

What's this musical technique called?

desjardins — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 12:47:38 -0800

What is the musical technique called whereby the music starts slow/quiet, builds to an, um, climax, and then, um, releases? This is most prevalent in dance/trance music. Examples within. Lasgo, "Surrender" (YT Clip)
Basshunter, "All I Ever Wanted" (YT clip)
Guru Josh Project, "Infinity" (YT Clip)
Alice Deejay, "Better Off Alone" (YT Clip)

(Clips may take a second to load.)

I think this question references a similar technique.

Song recommendations utilizing this technique very welcome!

Help me find the beautiful dancing napkin video!

wsg — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:28:55 -0800

Several years ago there was a captivating video on the web of a napkin or piece of paper wafting/dancing in the gentle breeze on a street sidewalk. It was caught in a little vortex. It was several minutes long and was quite beautiful. My google-fu has failed me and none of the search terms I can think of have turned up anything. Anybody remember this charming little video?

Similar songs of Jennifer Lopez's "Let's Get Loud"

yoitsfrancis — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:33:54 -0800

Hi, I would like to know song's that are similar to Let's Get Loud. By similar I don't mean songs by Jennifer Lopez. By similar I mean songs that have the same musical structure, beat, flow, rhythm and genome attributes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Music_Genome_Project_attributes). I have no access in Pandora's music service so I need specific answers. Song titles and artist's name will do. Thanks in advance for any help on this matter.

Clean Shirt but Smelly Underarms?

wildrain2008 — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:49:33 -0800

I'm a clean guy by nature, I take showers daily, and use deoderant. The problem is when I do any kind of physical work that's not too strenuous (aka dancing, carrying bags) my armpits sweat a bit, but not a lot, but the smell is strong! The result of this that I'm forced to throw a perfectly clean t-shirt into the laundry bag just because the underarm areas smell. Is there any way to kill this smell, I feel like I'm wasting money on cleaning clean shirts :\ Any and all advice is welcome!

Where do you dance if you missed the Electric Daisy Carnival?

theiconoclast31 — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:03:18 -0800

Is there a rave subculture, and how can I get in on it? When I was in Holland, I met some people at my youth hostel who took me to some fantastic parties. Specifically, I remember a party held in a boat and each floor would have DJ's spinning a different kind of music. (So like, top floor was house, middle was drum n' bass, etc.) It was fantastic, and I've since become interested in everything electronic music.

Also bonus points for folks who know details of the rave scene in the bay area, because that's where I am for the summer. More general anecdotes and advice also welcome.