Love is In the Air — Valentine’s Day At Your Studio

Is Valentine’s Day only for sweethearts?

No. Some might consider it just a “Hallmark Holiday” but Valentine’s Day remains an opportunity to show appreciation for and celebrate our friends, family, and loved ones. With the exception of ballroom or social dance schools, it’s not typically a holiday that gets much attention at dance studios… a candy heart here, a Valentine for the teacher there…

Why not make Valentine’s Day an event in your studio?

Here are a few lovely ideas!

Have students bring a parent (or two) to class. It is a great way to wrap parent observation (often held around this time of year anyway) and dance parent appreciation together with a sweet theme. After all, we love our dance parents!

A parent could even participate in class. A “My heart belongs to Daddy” theme may get the fathers to join in! If you’ve got a class of girls, you might want to check out my list of father/daughter songs.

Bring a friend to class. This is a fun marketing idea that many studios have adopted. Students get to bring a friend to their class to share their favorite activity, their friends get a taste of your class or school, and studios may enjoy a few extra customers when all is said and done. On Valentine’s Day the focus doesn’t have to be on “sweethearts” though high school students may get a kick out of bringing significant others. Try some fun partnering or mirroring activities. After all, two hearts are better than one!

Speaking of partnering… If you don’t have time to create your own event around the holiday. Why not make your class extra special with some fun mirroring activities for young children or a partnering class for the older ones. I love this idea for a Dynamic Friendship Dance from Stacey at Leaping Legs!

Hold an open class. Take a cue from your social-dancing cousins. An open class could be held during an evening of the week that you wouldn’t normally have class. Make it something accessible and appealing to males and females of all ages, like an introductory Hip Hop class. Open it to the community. If it’s an adult class, bill it as a great date night. If it’s for kids, just make it fun. If you think you may fill up, hold more than one class. Consider it an open house for people to ask questions or get more information about your school. Get volunteers from your studio to decorate for the holiday and serve refreshments!

These are just a few ideas – do you have one to share?

Does your studio do something special for Valentine’s Day?

Beyond Butterfly Kisses — 12 Tunes for Dancing Daddies and Daughters

Father’s Day is this weekend so in honor of Dance Dads, I’m adding a list of songs that might just be perfect for a father/daughter recital choreography, a wedding dance, or other performances. These range from sentimental to spirited. Hopefully you’ll find something new or a song you’ve never considered before. (And in case you think I’m neglecting these — look for father/son, mother/daughter, and other combinations in the future!)

Father and Daughter — Paul Simon; Surprise

Audiences will enjoy this bouncy tune with its affectionate message without overdosing on sugar:

“I’m gonna watch you shine; Gonna watch you grow
Gonna paint a sign so you’ll always know
As long as one and one is two
There could never be a father who loved his daughter more than I love you”

Daddy — Kristen Chenoweth; Let Yourself Go

This one is a cute jazz number that would be tongue in cheek since the “daddy” in this song is not necessarily a father figure. However, the singer wants “a diamond ring, bracelets, everything” and tells Daddy “You oughta get the best for me.” Play up the superficial stereotype of having Daddy wrapped around his little girl’s (gilded) finger and you could have a cute number on your hands.

My Heart Belongs to Daddy – Sophie Milman; self-titled

There are lots of versions of this song and you could pick one you like but I’m suggesting this version by Sophie Milman because this recent update has a tempo that moves yet maintains the feel of a jazzy standard.

Colorful — Rocco DeLuca; I Trust You To Kill Me

Not an obvious choice, perhaps. The lyrics are ambiguous but couldn’t every father say that his little girl is “the most colorful thing that I’ve seen…”?

Daddy’s Girl — Katey Segal; Room

If you’d prefer something that’s a little bit country, the genre is not wanting for daddy-daughter tunes. But this one from actress Katey Segal may not be as familiar or overdone even though she performed it on the popular sit-com 8 Simple Rules.

She’s a Dancer — Phil Keaggy; Way Back Home

Christian artist Phil Keaggy has a Beatles-esque sound. With lyrics like “As you reach for the sky, love, and pirouette ‘cross the room, just remember that you are my love, and no other can replace the face of you” this one seems pitch-perfect for a dance recital. Keaggy’s lyric is not without Christian references, particularly in the last stanza, so it may not be for everyone but, it is sure to charm most.

To Make You Feel My Love — Billy Joel; Greatest Hits Vol. 3

Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel) — Billy Joel; River of Dreams (or Greatest Hits Vol. 3)

There’s a father/daughter two-for-one deal on this Billy Joel Greatest Hits album. To Make You Feel My Love is actually a Bob Dylan tune and has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including most recently American Idol’s Kris Allen and British singer Adele. These versions are sweet but I’ll always have a sweet spot for Joel’s version. Pick whichever you’d like but a male vocalist will accentuate a fatherly interpretation of this lyric, especially when performed with teen or older dancers.

Lullabye is perhaps more appropriate for choreography pairing a daughter (or daughters) with her father, and could work for both younger or older students. The song has a bittersweetness that any parent in the audience could appreciate.

Sweet Child O’ Mine — Guns n’ Roses; Appetite for Destruction

Dads will feel like the rock stars they are when dancing to this tune. It’s not your average little girl theme but could be a super sweet number all the same.

Winter — Tori Amos; Little Earthquakes

Tori Amos will put a contemporary/lyrical dance spin on the traditional father-daughter dance. It would be interesting to see how fathers could be incorporated into the dance and movement with this one. It is tender without being overly sentimental and if done well might just be a show-stopper.

Wild World — Cat Stevens; Tea for the Tillerman/Greatest Hits (or try the Mr. Big version)

This one may not be specifically written for a daughter but the lyric is close enough that it could work in this setting. Plus, those familiar with the song may enjoy this unique interpretation of a favorite tune.

When The Stars Go Blue — The Coors (with Bono); Dreams: The Ultimate Coors Collection

Again, this lyric is somewhat ambiguous but as a duet that mentions dancing in a wedding gown it could be a lovely father/daughter choreography or wedding dance. Though the Ryan Adams song has been covered by others, I’m partial to The Coors version (and not just because I will be a fan of U2′s Bono “until the stars go blue”) but because of its crisper tempo and the complimentary vocal tone of the duo. This is often found as a live track but the studio version is on the album listed above.

Have your own song suggestions? Add them below!