Matching the dances energy

Some dances require much energy to dance, like swing, hustle, salsa, fast waltz and polka.  When the music supplies this energy, their dancing will feel fun and effortless, like driving a turbocharged car.  When the music doesn't give this energy boost, fast dancing can feel like hard work.

Other dance forms are gentle and lyrical, and dancers love music which sweeps them emotionally through those dances.

There's a huge difference between the questions, "Is it possible to waltz to this tune?" and, "Does this music totally embody the feeling of waltzing... does it make them want to waltz?"  The second question is far more important than the first.  (It's the same question for swing, salsa and every dance form.)

If you only have a few tunes for waltzing (or whatever the dance form is), then play whatever you have.  But when you have dozens of possible tunes, then choose from the second category above, not the first... does this tune make you want to waltz, or is it merely a tune in 3/4 time?  Does it embody the spirit of waltzing?  Does it energize that particular dance form?  (Again, it's the same question for swing, salsa and every dance form.)

There's a huge tendency to ask ourselves, "What could I dance to this tune?"  We all do that.  But when DJs only answer that question with something like, "Hey, I could polka to that!" they may be heading for trouble.  The really important questions come next, which are the topics of the first four pointers on this page.  Especially questions like, "Does this tune have the driving energy required to move the dancers?"  Or, "Is the beat clearly audible?"

Dj tips 24

Fall back on previous sets
What worked once will probably work again. Use
the history feature of your software to remind
yourself what has worked well for you in the past,
and revert to a previously planned set or sets for
a while. Continuity is one of the big plus points of
playing regularly somewhere, and so this works
especially well if you have, say, a weekly booking
– there’s nothing wrong with letting your weekly
sets slowly evolve rather than trying to reinvent
the wheel by playing something completely
different every time.

Dj tips 23

Use key, genre and BPM sorting to make
instant “planned” playlists
Playing music in a similar key can help you to
make transitions smoother and thus appear
planned when they’re not. Sorting by BPM can
give you a choice of records to play next,
removing panic and paralysis and suggesting just
a few tunes meaning you now only have to pick
the best one for a quick mix.
If you play a wildcard tune that goes down really
well and suddenly think that actually, the crowd
would like to hear half an hour of indie, or hip
hop, or whatever style that tune is in, sorting by
genre can give you an instant mini-set –
especially when you then apply key and BPM
sorts within that mini-set to further reinforce the
illusion of careful pre-planning.
Using your software’s “prepare” functionality can
allow you to make such mini-sets on the fly more
easily.