While we all have our own reasons for getting into ballroom dance, odds are it has to do with a love of music. Ballroom dancing songs come in all shapes and sizes, each with its own dancing style to match, so virtually anyone can find what they're looking for.
If you're like me however, a time comes when you want something beyond the tired favourites played at every social. And so, the search for ever more awesome ballroom dancing songs begin.
DISCLAIMER: Not all the ballroom dancing songs below are classic ballroom music, so keep that in mind if you're a purist. I select by what sounds good and has a tempo that's easy to dance to, and that's good enough for me.
Song: She's no lady - Lyle Lovett
Dance Type: Foxtrot, East Coast Swing
Cheeky and fun, Lyle gives this ditty plenty of energy and opportunities for advanced musicality, while still keeping a slow enough tempo for the beginners. Great for practice, performing, or whatever you want.
Song: Candela - Buena Vista Social Club
Dance Type: Salsa, Mambo
This popular Havana-based club produced a lot of gems in the golden age of salsa, and this remains one of my favourite ballroom dancing songs. With little of the blaring trumpets many salsa musicians use today, Candela is cool, classy fun. Very nice for practicing, and you can cut it down for social dancing.
Song: Hooked on You (feat. Timothy Auld) - Parov Stelar
Dance Type: Hustle
One of the kings of electro swing, this beauty from Parov combines high energy piano, strings and drums with Timothy Auld's Maroon 5-esque voice. Includes a nice rap sequence in the middle, for those faster combinations. Great for performing, or a social.
Song: What do you Mean - Watazu VS Justin Beiber
Dance Type: Cha Cha, Merengue
Watazu is relatively new to the scene, but has been rapidly gaining popularity, both for their awesome ballroom remixes of popular songs, and their generosity in providing much of their music for free (link below). Justin Bieber is Justin Bieber. A good tempo and beat for beginners.
Song: Foxtrot Dance - Gabriel Yared
Dance Type: Quickstep
Don't let the name fool you, this song jumps! Foxtrot Dance might be somewhat tougher for the novice dancer, because the beat is relatively quiet. The bouncing horns give plenty of musical play for the veteran though, and it's not long enough to break your legs off. An excellent performance piece.
Song: Hdoudi El-Sama - Carol Samaha
Dance Type: Tango
When you start getting bored with the classic ballroom dancing songs, this is a great one to spruce things up. This prolific Lebanese singer gives an Arabic twist to the classic tango, with a lot of range in instrumentation and energy levels. An easy practice or performance piece.
Still want those 100+ free ballroom dancing songs from Watazu? Click the link here (you'll need to subscribe to their newsletter, but it's totally worth it!)
P.S. No, they don't sponsor me 🙂
About the Author
Ian Crewe has been dancing ballroom for over 18 years, and has a Licentiate in American smooth and rhythm. His passion for dance eventually led him to blogging and the World Wide Web. Ian currently teaches at the Joy of Dance Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada. Click here to see when he's teaching.