Choosing the right music for your pole dance routine
If you have taken the plunge and entered a pole dance or pole fitness competition or showcase, you are now faced with daunting task of picking a song! Like most pole dancers, you probably have playlist after playlist of your favourite tunes, but how do you know which one to select for your special solo?
Many studios and organizations ask to screen performer's song choices to reduce the chance of two routines being performed to the same song. Having the songs before hand can also help organizers structure the night so the progression of the show feels natural to the audience. It can, however, feel like a lot of pressure to announce your song two or three months before a performance date. What if the choreography doesn't work? What if you get sick of the song after a few practice runs and can't bare to listen to it ever again? Don't feel on your own. This happens to every dancer in the choreography process! Being aware of this possibility, and keeping some other tips in mind, will help ensure that when you do get up and dance to your song, it is as magical as the first time you ever heard it! Match your style Consider what types of moves and transitions are going to be in your routine. If they are slow and slinky, the music can compliment this by also being slow and slinky. If your style is dynamic and fast, find music that will accentuate these movements. When choosing a song for a competition where you will be judged according to your tricks, try to imagine where your best tricks will be placed in the song. Is the guitar solo a great place to hold an epic Iron X or awesome split? Is there a verse that builds and crescendos allowing you to dance your climb to the top of the pole for a great climax? Choose a theme Choosing a theme for your performance will also help with your song choice. Sometimes a theme emerges from the song itself, but if you are basing your performance on a feeling of event from your own life, it might take some digging to find a song that feels right. A theme or concept should include your costume and props as well. When listening to your song, try to imagine what you will look like on stage. Visualize the bigger picture and commit to a few ideas early. Your costume, props, and narrative will support the entire look and feel of your performance, and will also mean you are less likely to throw your song away at the last minute. Analyze the Music When I start to look at music for a performance, I write down the structure of the song in columns in a table. On the left I place the musical elements such as timing, melodies, and significant beats. In the next column I add lyrics, sometimes all of them, or just the ones that stand out and will help notate where poses and tricks will go. In the third column I include general notes about how certain sections of the song feel. The fourth column is for the actual choreography notes. Everything lines up in rows so I can see where in the song a combo will end and where the next set of movements will begin.
This process is a great way to unpack how appropriate your song will be to dance to. Not all songs are made the same! Try to find a song that has a range of elements you can capture with your movements, allowing you to have sections of floor work, pole tricks, and also space for dynamic change and pauses.
If you find that you are getting sick of your song, come back to this music mapping step. Are there elements of the song structure that you missed on the first few listens? Try to ignore the lyrics and focus on what is happening in the background. Having a friend listen to the music can also help. Often you will hear a new melody, or back beat that can help inspire new movements.
Analyzing songs in this way will support your sense of musicality and bring something new out of the song for your audience as well. Following the verse/chorus/verse/chorus/coda pattern of a song is a great place to start, but it can mean your routine becomes a bit repetitive - floorwork/combo/floorwork/combo/spins. Highlighting a melody or beat pattern with a change in movement adds a new richer layer to your choreography.
New Perspectives If you find yourself near the end of the choreography process and feel uninspired, watch your routine with the volume muted. Does it still carry a sense of flow and energy? Music is important, but it can be distracting, especially if the song is getting on your nerves. I use this technique when watching pole dance videos on YouTube as it gives me space to focus on the pole moves and transitions and see how they stand alone without the music. When training as well, it can be valuable to practice and refine your combos without the music. If you work with counts, you will be able to keep track in your mind of when to move to the next pose. Using this technique throughout your training means that you will listen to the song far fewer times, reducing the chance that you want to throw in the towel all together. Do some research There are a tonne of songs that pole dancers have performed to already, and it pays to try and find something a little different. If you are absolutely in love with a certain song but feel it's already been done over and over, try and find a cover by a different artist. It may have a similar feel and the same lyrics you love, but will offer something new for your performance and for the audience or judges. There are also some great independent artist on SoundCloud and BandCamp who have original songs that are very applicable to a pole routine. On a final note, in my experience working with a song and routine for about 8-10 weeks is long enough. The momentum of your training schedule and the tweaking of your choreography reach a balance where you feel confident in your dance yet your expression remains fresh. After choreographing a few routines of your own, you will find where this balance point exists for yourself, and then you will be able to plan and prepare with less panic along the way.
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"If you find yourself near the end of the choreography process and feel uninspired, watch your routine with the volume muted. Music is important, but it can be distracting, especially if the song is getting on your nerves."
Written by Mel Nutter as Baudelaire.
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