The Song That Changed Everything
You know that moment in the studio when you're stuck? You've got the counts, you've got the formations, but something's missing. Then you switch tracks, and suddenly your body knows exactly what to do.
That's the magic of the right contemporary song. It doesn't just accompany your choreography—it tells you what comes next. After years of setting pieces, I've learned that some tracks are like collaborative partners. They shape the emotional arc, dictate the dynamics, and sometimes surprise you with directions you wouldn't have found alone.
Here are the songs that have done that for me and countless other choreographers.
When You Need to Break Hearts
Sia's "Breathe Me" isn't just a song—it's practically a rite of passage for contemporary dancers. That slow build from fragile whispers to the full-throated plea creates a choreographic structure for you: gentle floorwork opening into standing phrases that explode across the stage. I've seen dancers reduced to tears just from marking it in rehearsal. Use that. Let the vulnerability show.
Birdy's "Skinny Love" works different magic. Stripped down to piano and that aching voice, it forces you to strip down your movement too. No hiding behind virtuosic tricks. This is the track for duets where proximity says more than distance, for solos where stillness carries more weight than any leap. When I choreographed to this in college, my professor told me to "take out half the steps." She was right.
The Ones That Build Power
Not every contemporary piece is about fragility. Sometimes you need grit, and that's where Bishop Briggs' "River" delivers. That opening guitar riff hits like a warning shot. The song builds like a storm, and your choreography should too—sharp isolations, aggressive weight shifts, floorwork that looks like it hurts (even when it doesn't). This is the track for pieces about resistance, about fighting back, about the kind of strength that comes from surviving.
Rag'n'Bone Man's "Human" hits similar notes but from a different angle. Where "River" is defiance, "Human" is exhausted resilience. The vocals carry so much soul that your movement has to match that depth. I've seen the most powerful performances to this track come from dancers who let themselves look tired, let the effort show, let the humanity break through the technique.
Float and Flow
Then there are the tracks that make you want to take flight. Aurora's "Runaway" does something almost unfair to choreographers—the song is so atmospheric that it creates space before you even start moving. The vocals float, the production swirls, and suddenly your dancers look like they're underwater or dreaming. This is your go-to for pieces about escape, about self-discovery, about that feeling of running toward something instead of away.
Seafret's "Oceans" sits in similar territory but darker. There's a sense of distance built into the music itself—you can choreograph it with phrases that pull apart and come back together, with unison that fractures and reforms. The longing in the vocals gives you permission to make work about missing something you can't name.
The Versatile Middle Ground
Some tracks are shape-shifters. Sia's "Elastic Heart" (with The Weeknd and Diplo) flips between intimate verses and explosive choruses so seamlessly that your choreography can do the same. I've seen this used for delicate solos AND full-company numbers. The pulsing beat keeps momentum, but those vocal moments create space for stillness. It's a masterclass in dynamic contrast built right into the music.
Mr. Probz's "Waves" (Robin Schulz Remix) does something similar but with a completely different vibe. Laid-back but rhythmic, relaxed but driving. This is the track for pieces that balance ease and intensity—maybe a duet that shifts between playful and serious, or a group piece where the mood keeps turning.
Electronic Emotionalism
Don't sleep on electronic producers when you're building your contemporary playlist. San Holo's "Light" proves that a drop can mean something emotional, not just energetic. The track builds, releases, and builds again in ways that mirror theatrical structure. Use it for pieces about transformation or resilience—the music sounds like coming out of darkness into something better.
For the Big Feelings
When you're choreographing about love—real love, the kind that changes you or breaks you or both—A Great Big World's "Say Something" (with Christina Aguilera) hits different. The piano is so simple, the harmonies so restrained, that your movement has to carry the weight. This isn't the track for flashy technique. It's the track for honest, unvarnished emotional storytelling. I've seen audiences hold their breath during performances to this song. That's the bar.
The Real Secret
Here's what nobody tells you when you're starting out: the perfect song for your piece is probably the one that makes you feel something before you've choreographed a single step. If you have to talk yourself into the music, your audience will feel that disconnect. These tracks work because they meet you halfway—they give you structure, dynamics, and emotional truth to build on.
Start with the one that makes your chest tight or your eyes water or your feet want to move. Then get out of the way and let the music do its work. The steps will follow.
