One of my schools is doing La Dolce Vita (The good life) for their theme this year. I'm having a little trouble thinkng of songs for my 3 ballet classes, I have 6-7 year olds, 8-9 year olds and 10-12 year olds.

I thought maybe I could do a few exerpts from Coppelia as it's known to a be a "happy" ballet, but not sure if it really suits the theme.


Does anyone have any suggestions?

I did a really fun routine to a version of "Funiculi, Funicula" for Ballet ages 6-8 a few years ago. It was a faster type ballet routine, but the kids enjoyed it.

FYI The "sweet" life (thanks to my Italian lessons, lol). Dolce means sweet.

My mind goes to a tarantella, maybe because of the Italian title. There are many, good tarantellas out there and a good, strong beat for those age groups.

www.amazon.com . . .

How about something from La Fille mal Gardee, it has to be one of the most feel good ballets out there, or Elite Syncopations, rag time has such a happy feel to it.

Tarantella might have a happy sound to it but it was used as a kill or cure for spider bits. They believed that you could sweat the poison out of your system in the 18th century. If you hadn't really been bitten by a poisonous spider you would miraculously recover and live another day but if you had been bitten then the poison would work through your system in double quick time and you would end up dead by the end of the dance.

It was one of those kill or cure things.

hummingbird wrote:

It was one of those kill or cure things.

And then you would be happy! LOL

"Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka (like this instrumental one: www.amazon.com . . .)
"Spring" - Vivaldi
"Summer" - Vivaldi
"You're So Cool" - Hans Zimmer (theme from True Romance)
"The Story of Mumble Happyfeet" - John Powell (from Happy Feet)
"Panda Po" - Hans Zimmer, John Powell (from Kung Fu Panda)

Thanks for all your ideas, I love the Funicula, funiculi idea, although I am worried my students aren't strong enough and it will just look too sloppy, but I think I will most likely do something Italian, using character/folk steps, the girls always love that section of class so could see them getting into it.

Thanks for the translation dreamchaser, obviously my 6 years of Italian lessons at high school taught me nothing!

Claire_B wrote:



Thanks for the translation dreamchaser, obviously my 6 years of Italian lessons at high school taught me nothing!

Ha! Same for me and my high school French! I am learning Italian, now, otherwise I would be clueless, too. Hugs.