Well, for one thing, we just started trying to think of one. For another, as I said, I don’t just want some piece of traditional classical or big band music or whatever to do a dance to. I want something more like a rock/alternative song, and one that is meaningful to us. He isn’t as familiar with rock music in general–he’s gotten moreso since we’ve been together and he’s listened to music I have, but his music collection largely consists of jazz, salsa, and things like Wynton Marsalis (my fiancé is also a trumpet player so he likes a lot of that stuff).
This is certainly going to be something that we *both *decide on and that we think a LOT about, not something that he is assigned to “come up with a suitable piece” for. If we just wanted to dance to some instrumental waltz piece or something, I’m sure he could name a bunch of things quickly, but that isn’t what we are looking for.
The way you put that phrase in quotes, by the way, makes it seem like you’re doubting my claim. I’m not sure why you would. He *was *in a ballroom performance group. He also was in the Nutcracker for several years with the North Atlanta Dance Theater playing one of the parents in the party scenes with the ballroom dancing (I went to one of the rehearsals in 2004, so I know that it is true). I have seen plenty of pictures of him in costumes at dance performances. He is also really good at salsa and rueda, though I can’t remember if the group he did that with performed or not–he’s in Chicago right now or I’d ask him
The problem here is that I hate iTunes software so much that I don’t have it on my computer and don’t want to install it again. (Rather not get into some long debate about why I don’t like it, just leave it as “I have my reasons, which other people may or may not agree with, but they are what they are.”)
It wasn’t just the quotes, it was the phrasing with the implication that if he had been in such a group, he would have already come up with a song, and thus since he hadn’t, it made the claim dubious.
(And note that I said it seemed like that was what they were saying. I don’t know if they meant that or not and didn’t claim that they did for sure, just that it came across that way.)
That will depend on the song, but probably more smooth. Probably not Latin (he is good at it, but I think it would be harder for me, and I don’t think that most of the music I like has a Latin beat)
Since he was in a ballroom dancing group, I’d defer to him to come up with the first suggestions. I’m sure if they don’t fit the bill, they’ll at least trigger something in his memory that will. If that doesn’t work, this website might be helpful http://www.danceshopper.com/ballroom-dance-music.
We do not want “ballroom dance music” at all. That is totally NOT what we want. We want to find a rock/pop/alternative/etc type song that one could do a ballroom dance to. We’re *both *brainstorming ideas, I just decided to come here to see if I could get suggestions or ideas from more people.
(To give a perspective, if I played all of the songs I listed in my OP, my fiancé would recognize them and like them, and will have good memories of us having danced to them before, but would never have been able to name the song, might not have ever even heard of the group, and would probably not have thought of them on his own.)
But there might be something in that list of music that will be more rock/pop oriented, yet still lends itself to “couples dancing.” You’d have to listen to see what the arrangements are actually all about.
I just about wet my pants just now laughing–one of those discs has this muzak-y version of “Enter Sandman” with a brass section and some generic lounge-act singer… oh man… that’s horrible. Someone should be arrested for that.
I have considered doing something funny, but I think for our first dance we will do something more serious. That is not to say that we will not do 70s disco or even Weird Al later in the night, mind you!
I just had a thought. “We Didn’t Start the Fire” is a cha-cha beat. I’m sure there’s other Springsteen, Joel, etc. music that works for a waltz or foxtrot.
Thanks