Tis the Season — Holiday Dance Music

We don't know about you, but for us, it seems that everyone's level of excitement for the winter holidays is higher than normal, if that's even possible. We've all been eager to start celebrating for weeks, and now with Thanksgiving come and gone, it's officially time to play some holiday tunes! We've put in our first festive CD for the season to the delight of dancers of all ages. Seriously, even our adult students are as giddy about it as our littlest ones! 

If you are looking for holiday music to play for your dance classes, take a listen to our top two recommendations:

1. Scott Killian: New Ballet Music 8 - Holiday Celebration — We always reach for this holiday CD first. It's been our favorite choice of music each December since it released back in 2001. The 24 extra long, seasonal tracks are so beautiful that we never tire of listening and dancing along to them (it's even hard to restrain ourselves from playing  the CD all year long, but we do as we follow our strict December-only rule to keep it special). While the music is classical, the orchestrations and rhythms were composed specifically for the ballet class making it a perfect accompaniment for your Leap 'N Learn lessons and dance exercises. Hear previews of the songs and purchase the Scott Killian: New Ballet Music 8 - Holiday Celebration CD here. 

2. Lynn Stanford: Christmas Music for Ballet Class — This is another one of our all-time favorites for December dance class music. The 20 solo piano melodies bring familiar Christmas songs to life and were again designed specifically for the ballet classroom. Our only caution about this music is that the tunes will get stuck in your head, but of course, we really don't mind that and often find ourselves playing this CD outside of the studio too. Find a few song previews and purchase the Lynn Stanford: Christmas Music for Ballet Class CD here. (Psst... It currently is on sale for 15% off too!)

We've recently purchased some new holiday ballet music too, and we'll be sure to share any other recommendations we find. Although, we must admit, we think it will be tough to beat the ones we love above. 

And as a bonus tip to go along with the fun of playing holiday music in the dance classroom, here is an easy game to play with your students:

Guess the Song Name  — As the music we play for the holidays are instrumental and don't have lyrics, we find that our dance students love to guess the name of each song. The melodies are familiar to them, but without the singing, it can make it tough to recall the song name. So as an add-on to your regular exercises, have your little dancers guess the name of the song to which they are dancing along. It's a great way to engage and get them thinking more about music. Sometimes the simplest things can be so exciting! 

Music is one great, and obvious, way to start spreading cheer in a dance studio. Follow along, as we continue to share our ideas for making the season bright and merry! 

Tell us how do you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and any other holidays at your dance studio! What are your top choices for festive music? Do you have holiday themed dance games and exercises? We can't wait to hear how you make things lively for your little dancers.