This giveaway is now closed.
Welcome to Day 5. Our next giveaway comes from Richard Maddock.
An experienced class musician, Richard Maddock composes CDs for ballet classes, choreography and relaxation.
For years, Richard was told by teachers, dancers, examiners and fellow colleagues that he should create CDs for ballet classes. “I wanted to have my music reach a larger audience, to inspire as many people as possible,” says Richard, “and to share my talents and music with others.” The result is several wonderful collections of compositions which Richard produces and distributes himself.
You may have seen Richard’s name and work on Dance Advantage before. I’ve reviewed some of his CDs and he kindly answered some of my questions in a short article series on accompanying dancers. He admits he’s not one for selling himself and so I’m going to do it for him, which frankly I find pretty easy.
The following, taken from the review linked above, best summarizes my thoughts on Richard’s compositions:
“Richard creates from a colorful palette of musical hues… It is easy to find inspiration in the material for the choreography of exercises because he paints attractive landscapes of sound… They encourage the student to perform the exercises rather than just complete them, which makes a teacher’s job easier in the long run.”
What you can win:
Richard wants to give away one Music for Movement and Imaginations CD to THREE Dance Advantage readers.
Designed for childrens’ ballet or creative movement classes, this CD includes exercises to help children develop their sense of musicality and is a favorite among teachers. The “Dance-a-Story” selections are particularly inspiring for young imaginations. You can read my detailed review but maybe you’re sick of hearing it from me.
Therefore, I’d like to share this unsolicited quote from one of our readers, regarding this very CD.
“One of my colleagues won the CD Music for Movement & Imaginations a while back when you featured the give away on Dance Advantage. At our studio we all share the CDs and I can tell you, between us teachers, it’s the most sought after CD for the childrens’ classes. I use Music for Movement & Imaginations every week with my young Creative Dance students. It’s a fantastic collection of original compositions.”– Diana Nicastro, San Diego area ballet and creative dance instructor
Listen to tracks from Music for Movement & Imaginations here.
She goes on to say, “Richard’s music inspires me as well as my students. I also purchased the Garden Within and use this for stretch – yoga – & Pilates workout. My students & adults love this music as it takes us on a journey of imagination beyond the studio walls; helping us to center, focus & renew our energy.”
How to enter:
Leave a comment at this post describing the characteristics of, or what you look for in your favorite CDs for dance class.
Since when is finding music for dance class this easy?
This giveaway is open worldwide and lasts until Saturday, November 13. Three winners will be drawn on Sunday.
I hope you’ll be a winner! Check back later for yet another giveaway.
Nichelle Suzanne is a writer specializing in dance and online content. She is also a dance instructor with over 20 years experience teaching in dance studios, community programs, and colleges. She began Dance Advantage in 2008, equipped with a passion for movement education and an intuitive sense that a blog could bring dancers together. As a Houston-based dance writer, Nichelle covers dance performance for Dance Source Houston, Arts+Culture Texas, and other publications. She is a leader in social media within the dance community and has presented on blogging for dance organizations, including Dance/USA. Nichelle provides web consulting and writing services for dancers, dance schools and studios, and those beyond the dance world. Read Nichelle’s posts.
I am in need of new ballet music! (and i’m a subscriber of the newsletter, i want freebies!)
My favorite music is a waltz for across the floor pirouettes. My music has to have a beautiful waltz.
I teach 2 classes – ages 3-4 & ages 5-6. I’d love to have new music!! I like the music to be simple enough to help the kids follow along for the structured portion of class (barre), and also have some variety and fun for creativity.
I like to be able to put in a cd, and let it play and continue through my class. I hate having to run back and flip from cd to cd- Flow is what I’m always looking for!!
Thanks again for all of the freebies- I love freebies!!
I usually have to create my own playlists and cds. I enjoy a variety of up-beat music for all ages and levels, for ballet, combo classes, jazz and hip hop. Even the slower music is happier (almost always in major keys and not minor keys) and I’m always looking for music than can work for the little ones as well as the older ones! Thanks 🙂
I am looking for instrumental music with clear beats that would work for different skills (hopping, skipping, etc), but is also fun to listen to. I love the idea of ‘Dance-a-Story’ because I like to dance stories with my little ones and usually end up using classical music in the background or none at all because it is distracting instead of enriching.
For my younger kids, I look for music that’s easy to count. For the older ones, anything new is good. Keeps things fresh. Thanks for the freebies.
I am fortunate enough to teach at a studio that has pianists most of the time I teach. When I do use a CD of music I like to have choices of different feeling music and tempos on one CD. Also it is nice if the CD has each track twice for ease of doing the second side. Also a MUST is a clear beat for all the tracks so that my students can focus on the steps rather than trying to count the music.
I am always in search of new music!! i know I would love this!!
As an adult student, I frequently struggle with musicality due to trying to remember and execute the combinations. 🙂 I love music with simple timing/ beats so that it becomes second nature and is not so frustrating. Also beautiful music is such an enjoyable part of the dance experience. I love classical music and I love freebies!!!
I love music that is passionate and Richard’s music is just that. It makes you want to move and keep moving because it is so poetic in its arrangement. I would like to have music that is upbeat or even funky for advance ballet classes to change things up a bit. I would love to see ballet music that uses more than just the piano. I love freebies from such a great website.
What a great opportunity to get some fantastic music. As a teacher, we are sometimes limited in creativity by using the same music over and over. I have tons of cd’s for class and can hum almost each one. The ability to work with a new pianist and new style of composing can be a very rich and rewarding experience. I will keep my fingers crossed for good fortune to visit me. I need some new inspiration!
I am always looking for cds that have longer tracks so I am not always having to change tracks!!
For younger classes, I like clear easy-to-follow beats with a cheerful feel. 🙂
I teach primarily younger students, so I am always looking for something new that will “grab” their attention, has a great beat, is easy to count and can be used for a variety of activities. This would be a fabulous edition to my growing collection. It just seems it is so hard to find quality music for the younger students!
I am always looking for new music! I need music that varies and rhythm and tempo but at the same time is easy to count. I am always looking for great music for modern class, creative movement and ballet. I would thouroughly enjoy a great new CD.
I am always looking for music that the dancers will connect with! thanks for another great freebie!
for more advanced classes i love lush, dramatic adagios, lots of waltzes and happy, fun, perky, sparkly petite allegros! and LONG tracks. for kids- music that is bright and easy to count with a lot of variety. gallops are fun 🙂
I’ve only been teaching for a few years, but I’m constantly looking for good music for the young ones that’s inspiring for me and fun for them. I also like it to flow so I don’t have to run over to the CD player after every song.
great compositions help create the magic of ballet, this would be a great addition to my teaching resources.
I look for a variety in meters (12/8, 3/4, 6/8). For older students, I especially look for music that requires some thinking.
I look for something that has a strong, steady frame, but has enough rubato to inspire the dancer to vary their own cadence (or even pause or stop, then re-commence).
Awesome…freebies! What I look for in CDs for the 4-7 yrs-of-age set is variety of musical sounds/styles/melodies within the same CD. Buying a CD where it turns out most tracks are derivatives of each other is a drag!
My perfect CD would have a mixture of songs with a constant, easy to hear beat but also other songs that are more ambient and flexible. This sounds so amazing!
In my favorite CDs for my creative movement classes, I love having a variety of musical sounds, tempos, instruments, etc. It’s always great when the CD includes both classical music and fun songs to get the kids’ imaginations working! 🙂
i look for fun, easy to remember songs/movement for the children to enjoy- i love for them to ask for a particular song/selection….that means (to me) that they’ve been thinking about it all week!
I will begin teaching young students this summer, so it would be great to form a strong basis of music to begin teaching! Summer dance camps are the perfect place to encourage creativity and and promote the experimentation of movement, so music with these qualities would be perfect. Also, with older students, it is sometimes ideal to end the day with meditation or relaxation, so music that provides a “zen”, “earthy”, or just relaxing feeling would be great. Thank you!!
i look for some engaging, entertaining music with a mix of allegro and adagio–even for the littles! thanks, nichelle, i love freebies!
I am always looking (or should I say listening) for new and creative music to add to my collection. For my younger students I look for simple clean beats and melodies they will enjoy. This CD would be PERFECT. Thanks so much for the chance to win!
I love upbeat “pop” sounding music that makes the dancers want to dance but with a easily identifiable beat. I love it when the dancers tell me “I can hear the steps in the music”. I love freebies.
I am looking for simple catchy melodies with a strong consistent beat to teach rhythm and counting music to young children.
I love freebies.
Thanks!