Recommended Music

Music Recommendations

To the many people who have asked us where to find waltz practice music, there is not a simple answer. There are many compilations of Strauss and other 19th century waltzes, but as these are classical music, the tempo changes and variation of dynamics make them too difficult for the beginning or intermediate dancer to practice to. So here are some individual songs you may find in your collection (or a friend's, or the library...) These are chosen not only because they are by artists you may recognize, but also because you will be able to hear the beat to dance on, more easily than in most classical music.

BPM Title

Artist

          102          Open Arms
          114          You Ain't the First
          120          Amy Hit the Atmosphere
          126          Satellite
          132          Ice Cream
          144          Nothing Else Matters
          150          I'm With You
          156          Caribbean Blue
          168          Daysleeper
          177          Piano Man
          180          Norwegian Wood

Journey
Guns N Roses
Counting Crows
Dave Matthews Band
Sarah McLachlan
Metallica
Avril Lavigne
Enya
REM
Billy Joel
The Beatles

Some of the local dance bands have recorded themselves onto CD, which you can look into purchasing from them.
Should you not have that opportunity, there are a few albums out there which more advanced dancers may wish to collect and practice to:

Artist	Title	Genre	Origin	Type of Dance(s)
Bavarian Oompah Band from Airmail Music	Fête de la Bière (Beer Festival)	Folk (mostly in German)	France	Many waltzes and polkas, march and schottische
Jay Ungar & Molly Mason	The Lovers' Waltz	Folk	United States	Several waltzes, a polka and a foxtrot
Jimmy Sturr	Polka! All Night Long	Folk	United States	Many polkas, and two waltzes
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds	Murder Ballads	Alternative Rock	Australia	Several waltzes, a polka and a swing
Orchestre Symphonique de la RTBF	Carnet De Bal	Historical / Educational	Belgium	Mazurka, polka and Quadrilles
The Dubliners	30 Years A-Greying	Folk	Ireland	Many waltzes, also schottische and foxtrot
Tom Glazer	A Treasury of Civil War Songs	Historical / Educational	United States	Waltz, polka, and schottische
Yann Tiersen	Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain	Movie Soundtrack	France	Many waltzes