One of the toughest decisions for my contest partner and I have been to choose our songs. Quickly… for steppers who don’t know the contest rules… For the World’s Largest Steppers Contest (WLSC) every couple can submit two song choices to the DJ before the contest. Couples who do not submit songs are completely at the mercy of other contestants’ music or the DJ’s choice.
Choosing the Tempo for Stepping Contest Songs
For most categories, more than one couple (two or three) performs on stage at the same time. Each performance is three to four minutes with a mix of a slow tempo, mid-tempo and finally an upbeat song. Each couple expects to dance to one of their songs and then songs chosen by the other couple(s) or DJ. With less than four minutes on the floor, how do contestants choose their music?
In the past, my partner and I sat and listened to music for hours. There are so many songs. Where do you start? Sometimes I love a song on the set and I’m running to the DJ to ask for the name. Here are some questions my partners and I have considered:
- Will this song move the crowd?
- Was this song ever played in a contest before?
- Has a couple who won before danced to this song?
- What’s the likelihood of another couple choosing this song too?
- Do my partner and I both enjoy the song and dance to it?
The Music Strategy
Couples may not always land on agreement on the final song. Sometimes couples take a chance and let the DJ pick the songs. I have seen contestants use song choice to be strategic. They intentionally choose a song that is difficult to catch the beat and dance to, e.g. Ed and Amanda. There is no set process for this part of the contest preparation. Now, different contests have different rules. In some contests, the songs are always the DJ’s choice.
I’ve had many conversations about who has the final say. Who should have the ultimate choice on the music – the man (leader) or the woman (the follower). What do you think?
