I’m currently teaching a kids drama class and like to start the lessons with some energetic music as background to the warm up. We also use them occasionally for the kids to choreograph their own dance routines.
I am running out of fresh ideas and don’t want to keep playing the same things; any suggestions?
Any and all genres are welcome, with the only criteria being that it has a fast/energetic beat and no ‘inappropriate’ content to the lyrics. I am not too worried about swearing because you can get censored versions of most songs, but nothing with huge amounts of bad language or overtly sexual/violent themes.
Throwing this out to the masses because I am stuck in a rut. What always makes you want to dance?
Some examples I have already used:
Alicia Dixon- the boy does nothing
T Rex- we love to boogie
The Beach Boys- I get around
The Contours- Do you love me?
Kiss- I wanna rock and roll all night
Ting Tings- that’s not my name
And a number of things by Fatboy Slim, Basement Jaxx and Mika
Junior Senior - Move Your Feet (The song is perfectly kid-friendly, but the video is…a little unsettling in some points. Probably go over kids’ heads, though.)
Cascada’s “Everytime we Touch” is great for high-energy activity, but the song is about a relationship and refers to kissing and touching throughout. I’m not sure that it would be considered inappropriate, so here are the lyrics if you want to decide for yourself.
Robert Randolph & the Family Band - Aint Nothing Wrong With That
KT Tunstall - Hold On
Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
TeddyBears – Cobrastyle
Fefe Dobson - Watch Me Move
Kiki Dee Band - I Got the Music in Me
Erick Morillo - I like to Move It
The Afters - Never Going Back to Okay
Lillix - Sweet Temptation
Grandmaster T - Too Much Booty in the Pants (too risque for kids?)
Amerie - Gotta Work
All Time Low – Dear Maria, Count Me In
Bonnie Tyler - Holding OUt for a Hero
+44 - When Your Heart Stops Beating
Keesha Turner - Bounce With Me
Metro Station – Shake It
We the Kings – Check Yes Juliet
The Spice Girls - Spice Up Your Life
Baha Men - Move It Like This
Shakira - Wherever, Whenever
Paramore – Crushcrushcrush
I tried to pick out a few kid friendly songs. I put a youtube link for each one in case you weren’t familiar with them. I don’t think the lyrics are too painful, but make sure you listen to them to see if you are comfortable.
Shake that Body - Technotronic. There are a couple of YouTube entries that you can listen to, but the best is from Let’s Go To Prison
Pearl Jam - Big Wave
Pearl Jam - Leavin Here
The Polyphonic Spree - H-O-O-P-S Yes!
Reel Big Fish - Trendy
Reel Big Fish - Sell Out
Save Ferris - Come on Eileen
Scissor Sisters - Paul McCartney
The Sounds - 7 Days a Week
We Are The Pipettes by the Pipettes is almost entirely uptempo bouncy songs. Indeed it sounds like a brilliant recreation of Ronettes/Supremes style girl groups. The only songs that are questionable lyrically are “Sex”, “One Night Stand”, and “ABC 1-2-3”. Even those are mild; for example “Sex”'s most daring line is actually “rest your pretty head on me”. Electrified by Dressy Bessy is a more rock oriented (in the power pop sense) album. There’s a line in “Side Two” that goes “my little dress is a little bit untied”, but the rest is about as lyrically daring as Herman’s Hermits.
Queen of Town recommends Save Ferris’s version of Come On Eileen but why not the original? As the video suggests, it’s a great song for both skipping AND clapping!
Wow thank you guys.
A few here that I already knew and missed (how could I forget the Spice Girls?) and some I have never even heard of. All fantastic though.
Other suggestions still welcome, as I’d like to build up a big library of songs.