For us dancers, music is the KEY to our inspiration. You know what it feels like when you’re on the floor and your favorite [foxtrot- cha cha- quickstep] comes on.

You’re pumped, you’re feelin’ it directly from your dancer’s soul to the sole of your shoes. You’re thinking “That’s my jam! Let’s set the floor on fire!”

Yeah, for dancers, great music moves us—in more ways than one. Do you ever do this, too? You’re grooving to some great song on the radio and think “This would make an awesome [foxtrot-cha cha=quickstep]! But it’s just not quite right.”

Well, you’re not alone in that. In fact, there’s one guy who hears those songs, thinks the same thing and then turns those contemporary hits into danceable tunes. Hot modern songs morphed into exciting dance music that makes my heart and feet want to light the floor up? Who is this musical wizard?!

It’s DJ Ice.

Musical genius who knows that dancers want to dance to their fave songs. And in conjunction with WRD Music, he’s recently released a new album the Very Ballroom CD with 44 (yes that’s forty-four!) ear-stunning tracks for your dancing pleasure.

If you’ve heard “Witchcraft” more times that Frank Sinatra himself, your ears are begging for this kind of musical inspiration to REIGNITE the fire in your dancer’s soul.

Here’s a snapshot of the 2 disc album:

11 Waltzes

8 Tangos

3 Viennese Waltzes

11 Foxtrots

11 Quicksteps

That’s a lot of fresh audio motivation for your practice time! What stands out in DJ Ice’s mixes is the clarity of the rhythms in the tracks. The songs have enough musical complexity for advanced dancers to interpret nuances, yet strict enough for newer dancers to easily dance to.

This makes the Very Ballroom CD an excellent addition for studios with students of all levels. The album features DJ Ice’s original remixes along with tracks from various other artists, arranged for your optimal dancing pleasure–that is super clear beats and strict tempo.

Let’s take a look (listen) to some of the tracks.

(scroll to the bottom of the page for sound clips)

There are a few remakes of classic song, but most of the album is modern hits (as the name implies) and popular themes from movie soundtracks.

There were a couple of surprises, too! I read over several titles with a raised eyebrow of skepticism, but after listening to the tracks, these tracks have taken the familiar and put a new spin on it.

Surprising Twists

Like “Billie Jean” as foxtrot. Say whaaa? Yes, MJ’s masterpiece gets restyled as a swanky foxtrot. Didn’t see that one coming, but it works! Sultry vocals and piano licks that you envision being played in a smoky hip lounge set the tone for this hip remake.

How about “Wonderwall” as a Quickstep? Coldplay isn’t known for it’s toe-tapping rhythms, but DJ Ice infuses this tune with a jazzy bass line and percussion that would make even introspective Chris Martin jump up and throwdown some chasses.

Modern Makeovers

Other tracks bend popular songs into the dance genres they were clearly born to be. These are those tunes that you hear and think “That would make a great ________!”

Take “Sweet Dreams”, the Eurythmics classic hit, revamped as a tango. Of course, everyone is familiar with the original song’s distinct synthesized bass line and dark, moody tone. This version takes the song’s natural qualities and transforms it into a lively, dramatic tango.

In the same way, he reincarnates Pink’s passionate hit “Try” into an ethereal flowing waltz with a sweet, mediative piano playing out the melody line. You’ll hear it and think YES, that song was born to be a waltz!

With 44 tracks to pick from, it’s hard to choose favorites, but here are my personal faves:

Waltz:

“Time” (from the movie “Inception”)

powerful, contemplative, with hypnotic resonating piano and violin

Tango:

“Tanguedia”

surprising, authentic, and edgy

Viennese Waltz:

“Waltz of Accordion”

regal, effervescent melody with a distinct beat

Foxtrot:

“16 Tons”

sultry vocals, fun and playful changes

Quickstep:

“Crazy in Love”

electro-swing, eclectic mix bridges both vintage and modern sounds

DJ Ice intuitively “gets” what will inspire dancers. This album smartly brings together the classic and distinct rhythms that dancers NEED, along with the innovative restructuring of popular songs that will INSPIRE them.

The Very Ballroom CD is now available worldwide and you can grab your own copy by visiting one of these vendors in your country:

WRD Music (UK, EU & Worldwide): http://goo.gl/qkMwZr

Dancelife (NL): http://goo.gl/5T8ZCV

Prandi (IT): http://goo.gl/pdD5g7

Tanzmaus (DE): http://goo.gl/ktsYkL

DanceShopper (US): http://goo.gl/12IO4d

Danceplus (CA): http://goo.gl/CWoiyQ

MusicMarket (JP): http://goo.gl/ri3DAL

JEV (KR): http://goo.gl/YZWSiF

DSI (AU): http://goo.gl/J2JWMG

Want to sample the songs? Take a listen to each one of the 44 tracks and let us know your faves in the comments below:

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Melissa Cyr

Melissa is a former National Canadian Professional Latin Finalist and U.S. Rising Star Latin Couple of the Year, and has been teaching ballroom for over 20 years.

With her husband Erik, they are the founders of DanceSport Place and have a passion to help dancesport competitors reach their dancing goals.

Review: Very Ballroom CD from DJ Ice Dancesport