How to Choose Ballroom Dance Music

Ballroom dancing has increased in popularity since the ABC Network's reality television show "Dancing with the Stars" first appeared on the air in 2005 in the United States. If you caught ballroom dancing fever too, choose the appropriate music to enhance your ballroom dancing experience.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Determine the style of ballroom dancing that interests you. The music that accompanies the dancing varies according to the style of dancing. Styles include the waltz, east coast swing, quickstep and the paso doble. The music must have the appropriate rhythm and tempo for that style.

2. Check film soundtracks. Movies such as "Forever Tango" have tango dance music and "The Mambo Kings" has mambo dance music.

3. Consider choosing popular music. Albums by artists such as Gloria Estefan and Santana offer music that can accompany Latin ballroom dances. Harry Conick, Jr. and Frank Sinatra sing music that is appropriate for the foxtrot.

4. Listen to free music samples to help you decide. There are websites such as Ez-tracks that allow you to listen to ballroom dance music tracks at no charge. Barnes and Noble bookstore has a CD section where you can put headphones on and select ballroom dance music from its extensive database.

5. Visit a dance supply store, dance studio or public library for ballroom dance music choices. If you are interested in the Waltz, for example, a public library is a good place to look for appropriate waltz music by Strauss and Tchaikovsky.