ADTC’s Top 10 Best Dance Songs of 2016
Best Dance Songs of 2016
We hope 2017 brings you lots of chances to dance! To get you started on the right foot, here are our picks for the 10 best dance songs of 2016. Turn this playlist up when you’re in a nostalgic mood and want to dance the night away. These are unlisted YouTube videos from actual 2016 Friday Night Shows at American Dance Training Camps nationwide – hope you enjoy!
1) “Work” By Rhianna
Location: ADTC Chicago Lake Shore – Lake Forest IL 2016
Session: “It’s Great To Be A Girl”
Style: Hip Hop
Choreographer: Chloe Hamilton
Topping our list of the best dance songs of 2016 is “Work” by Rhianna from her eighth studio album, Anti. “Work” was released as the lead single from Anti on January 27, 2016, and features Canadian rapper, Drake. The song reached number one on the United States’ Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Rihanna’s fourteenth number-one single and making her the act with the fourth-most number-one songs on the chart (after The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Mariah Carey). The song remained at the top for nine weeks. “Work” has been included on several year-end lists, and we found it fitting to add it to ADTC’s best dance songs of 2016 as well. As of December 2016, the song has sold 1.7 million copies in the US.
2) “Unsteady” By Savannah Outen
Location: ADTC Blue Ridge Mountains – Asheville, NC 2016
Session: “Lights, Camera, Action!”
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Heather Gaffin
We absolutely love this single by Savannah Outen at #2 on our list of the 10 Best Dance Songs of 2016. “Unsteady” is a cover of “Unsteady” by X Ambassadors. Savannah is a Los Angeles based singer, songwriter and musician who rose to fame on YouTube. She is poised to make her mark on the mainstream pop music stage in 2017 as she’s been working on her new project with writer/producer team Emanuael, the duo behind hits by Beyonce, Rihanna, Jason Derulo, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, MKTO and more. “Boys”, the first single from her upcoming project, was produced by Eman and Jon Redwine, the producer beind the #1 Rhythmic Hit “2 On” by Tinashe.
3) “No” By Meghan Trainor
Location: ADTC Sierra Mountains – Squaw Valley, CA 2016
Session: “It’s Great to be a Girl”
Style: Hip Hop
Choreographer: Felicia Stiles
“No” by Meghan Trainor is #3 on our list of the 10 Best Dance Songs of 2016, recorded for her second major-label studio album, Thank You (2016). “No” was written by Trainor, Eric Frederic, and Jacob Kasher Hindlin, and produced by Ricky Reed. The track was released on March 4, 2016, as the lead single from the album. Backed by an instrumental of ripping guitars, the dance-pop and R&B song draws some influences from doo-wop, with lyrics about men who “can’t take the hint” when their advances towards women are rejected. The song peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, and was nominated for Choice Music Single: Female at the 2016 Teen Choice Awards.
4) “Pray You Catch Me” By Beyonce
Location: ADTC Chicago Lake Shore – Lake Forest, IL 2016
Session: “It’s Great to be a Girl”
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Megan Kaye
“Pray You Catch Me” by Beyonce is #4 on our list of the 10 Best Dance Songs of 2016, recorded for her sixth studio album, Lemonade (2016). The song’s music video is part of a one-hour film with the same title as its parent album, originally aired on HBO. After the release of Lemonade, “Pray You Catch Me” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 37, and Hot R&B/Hip Hop songs chart at number 22. Beyonce performed the song at the 2016 VMAs as part of a medley of songs from her Lemonade album.
5) “Tears” By Clean Bandit
Location: ADTC Sierra Mountains – Squaw Valley, CA 2016
Session: “Lights, Camera, Action”
Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Felicia Stiles
Coming in at #5 on our list of the 10 Best Dance Songs of 2016 is “Tears” by English electronic group Clean Bandit, featuring singer Louisa Johnson. It was released on May 27, 2016. Clean Bandit and Johnson performed the song with 5 After Midnight during the finals of The X Factor on December 10, 2016. The music video features Johnson and the band in a room with burning instruments with water on the floor. The video also features a snowy owl that was one of several who had previously played Hedwig in the Harry Potter films.
6) “Light Me Up” By Ingrid Michaelson
Location: ADTC Blue Ridge Mountains – Asheville, NC 2016
Session: “Lights, Camera, Action”
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Heather Gaffin
“Light Me Up” by Ingrid Michaelson was released June 24, 2016 as a the first promotional single to digital outlets off of her new album, It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense. We love this song for contemporary dance pieces and it’s number 6 on our list of the 10 Best Dance Songs of 2016. “It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense” is the seventh studio album by Michaelson, released on August 26, 2016. In support of the album, Michaelson embarked on the “Hell No Tour” on October 6, 2016 in Cincinnati, OH. Promotional appearances in the media to support the album included performances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and Live with Kelly.
7) “Never Be Like You” By Flume
Location: ADTC Sierra Mountains – Squaw Valley, CA 2016
Session: “It’s Great to be a Girl”
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Katelyn Martin
“Never Be Like You” is a song by Australian musician Flume, featuring vocals from Canadian singer, Kai. It was released on January 16, 2016, by Future Classic, as the lead single of his second studio album, Skin. The song debuted at number 10 on the ARIA Singles Chart, later reaching number one and becoming Flume’s first song to top the chart. The song received a nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 2017 Grammy Awards, so it’s fitting that it makes our list of the 10 Best Dance Songs of 2016.
8) “Can’t Stop the Feeling” By Justin Timberlake
Location: ADTC Blue Ridge Mountains – Asheville, NC 2016
Session: “Lights, Camera, Action”
Style: Ballet
Choreographer: Heather Gaffin
“Can’t Stop the Feeling” was released as a single on May 6, 2016 by Justin Timberlake for the soundtrack to the film, Trolls, for which he served as the executive music producer. Musically, it is an uptempo disco-pop, soul-pop number with funk influences. “Can’t Stop the Feeling” has topped many 2016 music charts including our “10 Best Dance Songs of 2016” and was the best-selling song of 2016 in the US with 2.49 million copies sold.
9) “Gold” By Kiiara
Location: ADTC Green Mountains – Stratton, VT 2016
Session: “We Got Game”
Style: Contemporary
Choreographer: Allison Gallant
“Gold” is the debut single by Illinois singer Kiiara, released as the lead single from her debut extended play Low Kii Savage (2016). The single was her first top 20 entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 13. A remix featuring Lil Wayne was released on November 18, 2016. The song has been described as “equal parts disorienting and addictive” by Carl Williott of Idolator. We love the beat of this song and are excited to include it in our list of the Top 10 Best Dance Songs of 2016.
10) “Break A Sweat” By Becky G
Location: ADTC Green Mountains – Stratton, VT 2016
Session: “We Got Game”
Style: Jazz
Choreographer: Allison Slavin
“Break A Sweat” is a song by American singer and rapper, Becky G. An accompanying music video was released onto Becky G’s official VEVO account on October 9, 2015, and the music video has over 26 million views as of August 23, 2016. This is such a fun song for a jazz dance routine, so we’ve named it to our list of the top 10 Best Dance Songs of 2016.
Interested in Attending One of Our 2019 Dance Camps?
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Hone your jazz dance technique in this 5-day Spring Break Dance Camp for intermediate/advanced dancers! You’ll have 90 minutes of live instruction/discussion with our world class dance instructors + 30 minutes of self-paced practice per-day.
Dance with a real Radio City Rockette & Broadway Star each week! In this ongoing class, experienced dancers will hone the wide variety of techniques & creative expression in contemporary dance. Fresh technique & choreography every time we meet!
Dance with a real Radio City Rockette & Broadway Star each week! In this ongoing class for beginners, dancers explore the fundamentals & wide variety of techniques in contemporary dance. Fresh technique & choreography every time we meet!
Hone your technique in this 5-day Spring Break Dance Camp for intermediate/advanced dancers! You’ll have 90 minutes of live instruction/discussion with our world class dance instructors + 30 minutes of self-paced practice per-day.
The perfect home-based jazz dance camp for all levels! This is a multi-day course that meets one night per-week for four or five weeks.
The perfect home-based hip hop dance camp for all levels! This is a multi-day course that meets one night per-week for four or five weeks.
The perfect home-based contemporary dance camp for all levels! This is a multi-day course that meets one night per-week for four or five weeks.
The perfect home-based jazz dance class for intermediate-advanced dancers! This is an open class and does not require a longer commitment. Drop-in anytime! We’ll hone our jazz & traditional ballet technique while dancing to an upbeat, popular song in this challenging & fun 1-hr class. Fresh technique & choreography every time we meet!
The perfect home-based hip hop dance class for intermediate-advanced dancers! This is an open class and does not require a longer commitment. Drop-in anytime! We’ll explore a mix of street dance styles in a highly energetic, challenging & fun 1-hr class. Fresh technique & choreography every time we meet!
The perfect home-based contemporary dance class for intermediate-advanced dancers! This is an open class and does not require a longer commitment. Drop-in anytime! We’ll hone our technique & explore creative expression in this 1-hr class while energizing movement with emotion. Fresh technique & choreography every time we meet!
The perfect home-based jazz dance class for beginners! This is an open class and does not require a longer commitment. Drop-in anytime! We layer jazz style over traditional ballet technique & dance to upbeat, popular songs in this fun 1-hr class. Fresh technique & choreography every time we meet!
The perfect home-based hip hop dance class for beginners! This is an open class and does not require a longer commitment. Drop-in anytime! We’ll explore a mix of street dance and hip hop foundations in a highly energetic & fun 1-hr class. Fresh technique & choreography every time we meet!
The perfect home-based contemporary dance class for beginners! This is an open class and does not require a longer commitment. Drop-in anytime! We’ll explore the fundamentals & wide variety of techniques in contemporary dance in this fun 1-hr class. Fresh technique & choreography every time we meet!