The Music That Moves Us (Literally)
I still remember the first time I heard Ludovico Einaudi's "Awaken" in a studio. A dancer across the room stopped mid-stretch, closed her eyes, and just listened. That's the kind of hold certain songs have — they don't just accompany movement, they demand it.
Picking music for contemporary choreography isn't about scrolling through a playlist and grabbing whatever sounds pretty. The wrong track can make even the most technically stunning piece feel hollow. The right one? It breathes life into every gesture, every fall, every moment of stillness.
Here are ten tracks that have proven themselves in studios, on stages, and in the hearts of dancers who've used them.
The Slow Burners
"Awaken" — Ludovico Einaudi
Einaudi is practically synonymous with contemporary dance at this point, and for good reason. "Awaken" starts so quietly you might miss it, then builds into something that swallows the room whole. It's perfect for choreography that needs space — pieces where a single arm extension carries the weight of an entire story.
"Skinny Love" — Bon Iver
There's a reason this song shows up in dance recitals year after year. Justin Vernon's falsetto cracks in all the right places, and the sparse guitar leaves enormous gaps for movement. I've seen dancers use those silences between verses to devastating effect — a held breath, a suspended fall, a moment where the audience forgets to blink.
"Clair de Lune" — Claude Debussy
Yeah, it's been used a million times. But Debussy wrote something that genuinely mirrors how the body moves — it rises, it falls, it pauses, it drifts. If you're tired of the standard piano version, try finding a string arrangement. Completely different energy.
The Power Anthems
"Unstoppable" — Sia
When a dancer needs to command the entire stage, this is the track. Sia's voice hits like a wave, and the beat doesn't let up. I once watched a soloist use this for a piece about overcoming injury — the choreography was aggressive, defiant, and by the end, half the audience was crying.
"Latch" — Disclosure ft. Sam Smith
This one's a chameleon. The electronic pulse works for sharp, isolations-heavy choreography, but Sam Smith's vocals pull it into something deeply emotional. I've seen duets set to this track that felt like watching two people have a conversation without words.
The Soulful Ones
"River" — Leon Bridges
Bridges' voice has this warmth that fills a room like afternoon sunlight. "River" moves at a pace that lets dancers really sink into each phrase — no rushing, no urgency, just honest movement. It's gorgeous for group pieces where the choreography plays with unison and then breaks it apart.
"Hallelujah" — Jeff Buckley
Not the Leonard Cohen version — Buckley's. There's a desperation in his delivery that Cohen's doesn't have, and that difference matters when you're building choreography around themes of longing or loss. The song's crescendo is a gift for anyone who knows how to use a climax in dance.
"Moon River" — Audrey Hepburn
Sometimes simplicity is everything. Hepburn's version is barely more than a voice and a melody, which means the dancer becomes the instrument. It's intimate, it's tender, and it works beautifully for pieces that feel like a whispered confession.
The Wild Cards
"Electric Feel" — MGMT
Contemporary doesn't have to mean tears and drama. This track brings a playful, almost mischievous energy that's perfect for choreography with humor or youthful abandon. The synth riff alone is enough to make an audience smile.
"Shape of You" — Ed Sheeran
Purists might side-eye this pick, but the rhythm is undeniable. The beat gives dancers something to push against, and the melody is catchy enough that audiences connect with it instantly. Sometimes that immediate recognition is exactly what a piece needs.
The Real Secret
Here's what nobody tells you about choosing music for contemporary dance: the best track isn't always the most beautiful one. It's the one that makes you move when you hear it in your kitchen at 2 AM. Trust that instinct. If a song gives you chills, if it makes your shoulders drop or your hands curl, that's your choreography waiting to happen.
Now turn it up and see where it takes you.
