Dear Steezy, I've been trying to find a song to choreograph to for the longest time but haven't been too inspired by what I've been listening to lately. Any advice on where to find new songs? Thanks, Uninspired

‍Hey Uninspired, One of a dancer’s most valuable resources is a good song to choreograph to. A great song could be what sets good choreography to another level. Sometimes, it’s hard to find just the right song to accomplish such a task. Here is a quick list of resources and tips to help find that perfect song for your next choreo day!

1)    Chart Toppers:

It’s hit or miss, what a lot of dancer’s refer to “mainstream” music. There’s nothing wrong with choosing a mainstream song, and I’ve found if you're looking to get some good traffic to your YouTube channel they’re a great way to go. This is great for up and coming choreographers that haven’t "made a name" for themselves yet. The downside? You will probably see tons of videos out there to the same song and you run the risk of being compared to other choreographers. Also, beware of the trolls. They exist in hordes on the intarwebs.

2)    Online Radio and Streaming (Pandora/Spotify/Soundcloud):

What’s great about music search engines like Pandora and Spotify is that you can cater your radio to similar music. I’ve found countless tracks to choreograph to this way. Just search for a song that you love or fits your choreography style and voila! A list tailored to your needs. I’ve had success by looking up songs from sets that I love and using that as a jumping off point when searching for good internet radio channels.

Soundcloud is another awesome online resource. Tons of aspiring producers or artists put their stuff on Soundcloud. You never know where you can find a hidden gem!

3)    Dance Friends:

This is one of my favorite resources. There’s always at least one on every team, someone who has a god-given gift of finding the most amazing songs. You can make your way into their musical circle in many ways - going over to a friend's place to session, sharing great music ideas, or even just following them on social media platforms.

There are up and downsides to this too. Since song choice is one of a dancer's most valuable resources, a lot of dancers won’t willingly give away their music. If you are lucky enough to get some sweet tunes off of your friend, be sure it’s ok to use said track. You never know if it’s in their pool of songs to put their own moves into. Or better yet, collabo opportunity? :)

4)    Throwbacks:

The first few notes in a good throwback can get the crowd hype without even moving a muscle. These songs usually come from the 90’s and early 2000’s (and mad respect if you can choreograph to songs from an earlier era than that). A common debate that comes up is when it is acceptable to choreograph to some songs after others have. Technically, there really isn’t any set time, but normally after a couple of years (two or more) you can find it acceptable by the dance community to see another piece to that song.

5)    Covers/Remixes:

To avoid the above problem of doing a song someone’s done before, a good way to avoid this is to choreograph to a cover or remix of that song. Covers are great. There are tons of talented people with amazing covers, sometimes debatably better than the originals. Some of my favorite pieces I see on stage or on YouTube are often done to covers. Remixes are usually the more upbeat versions if you’re looking for a good opener or closer song to a set.

There you have it! A quick list to help you get your music munchies sated. What are you waiting for? Get out there and find a new song to dance to!What are some places you go to to find good music to choreograph to? Share with the community by commenting below! Once you find a good song to choreograph to, musicality becomes a big part of the choreography process. Find out how to train your musicality here!