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The Best Slow Dance Songs For Dancing

Whether you’re planning a wedding, a party, or just a romantic night with your significant other, slow dance songs are a must. Technically speaking, a “slow dance song” has 60-100 beats per minute (BPM). That’s quite a wide range, but that gives you variety on the dance floor.

The variety of dance opportunities is why there is also a lot of variety in the top slow dance songs you can find! In this blog post we are sharing how to learn more about slow dancing, as well as our own list of 40 of the best slow dance songs, from classics to throwbacks to modern hits. We wanted to include a good slow dance song for everyone!

How Couples Dance Lessons Can Improve Your Romantic Relationship

For as long as people have been dancing, the activity has been linked to benefits that run the gamut from improved memory and mood, to weight loss and better flexibility. It’s most commonly cited benefit since the beginning of

Couple-Dancing-To-The-Best-Slow-Dance-Songstime? Adding a little romance to the mix.

Dancing, and a couples dance lesson in particular, is a perfect activity for couples looking to either improve or maintain some of the most vital components of a healthy and happy relationship.

Communication

Dancing, at its heart, is a form of communication. Both through body language and nonverbal cues, couples move in unison across a dance floor, know when to step one way or the other, and trust that their partners will pay close enough attention to keep the dance going along smoothly. This builds communication skills and trust.

Intimacy

A romantic dance with a partner involves physical touch, closeness, and nonverbal cues, all of which are perfect for building intimacy with a partner. Whether it’s your first dance or fiftieth, that intimacy is a special part of any romantic relationship.

Reduce Stress

Our day-to-day tasks and responsibilities can be stressful-what better way to alleviate that stress than with a fun activity that gets you moving, lets you listen to some of the best dance songs ever made, and allows you to spend quality time with someone you love? A Friday night spent on the dance floor can do wonders to shake off the stress of the week.

What Are the Best Dance Forms For Slow Dancing

There are dozens of different forms and styles of dance to choose from in the world of ballroom dance, but let’s narrow it down to the best slow dance styles for beginners to start with.

Argentine Tango

While the traditional tango is well known for its drama and formality, the Argentine tango takes a bit of a different approach to the style.

Argentine tango is less structured than the traditional tango. The dance is built on the basics of walking, turning, and stopping steps, along with added embellishments, but beyond those it is largely improvisational, with the movement often inspired by the melody and the story being told rather than the form. The moves tend to be more fluid and less staccato, and partners hold each other in a close embrace.

If you won’t take our word for it, consider the advice of leading tango instructor Graciela Gonzales, who called it “the history of love—for three minutes.”

Viennese Waltz

You might expect a dance as classic as this to be more rigid than intimate, but the Viennese waltz actually made big waves when it was first introduced in the 17th century thanks to its close-hold and quick turns.

Couple-Attending-Dance-Lessons-To-Learn-To-Slow-DanceThe passionate and sweeping nature of the dance worried the more conservative members of the high class back in the day, though now most of us see it’s simple three-count timing and grand circles around the floor as the sweetest and most romantic of moves. If you want your Cinderella-meets-Prince-Charming moment, this is the dance for you.

Bolero

This sultry Spanish dance is a perfect choice for your favorite slow songs. Bolero has been described as a blend of some of the more popular Latina and ballroom dances, creating a style that is both subtly restrained and deeply expressive. The rise and fall of the waltz, slow movements of the rumba, and contra body movement of the tango, all come together on the dance floor during the bolero.

Bolero is also a type of music, also characterized by its intensity and sensuality.

The Best Slow Dance Songs

Whether you prefer a classic slow dance song or a unique pick, here are some of our favorites:

Classic Slow Dance Songs

These timeless classic love songs have been getting people onto the floor with someone special for decades.

  1. At Last by Etta James
  2. Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley
  3. When a Man Loves a Woman by Percy Sledge
  4. Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers
  5. Some Kind of Wonderful by Carole King
  6. Your Song by Elton John
  7. Will You Love Me Tomorrow? By The Shirelles
  8. The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra
  9. Something by The Beatles
  10. Something in the Way She Moves by James Taylor

Throwback Slow Dance Songs

Throw it back to school dances with these jams.

  1. All My Life by KC & Jojo
  2. I Swear by John Michael Montgomery
  3. I Can Love You Like That by All-4-One
  4. End of the Road by Boys II Men
  5. More Than Words by Extreme
  6. Thank God I Found You by Mariah Carey
  7. God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You by *NSYNC
  8. No One by Alicia Keys
  9. I Want it That Way by Backstreet Boys
  10. I Do (Cherish You) by 98 Degrees

Modern Slow Dance Songs

Here are some of the best love songs in recent years for a new twist on a classic.

  1. Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran
  2. XO by John Mayer (or the original by Beyoncé)
  3. Lovesong by Adele
  4. Lover by Taylor Swift
  5. Shallow by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
  6. Coming Home by Leon Bridges
  7. Conversations in the Dark by John Legend
  8. I Found You by Alabama Shakes
  9. Everything by Michael Buble
  10. Stay With Me by Sam Smith

Wedding Slow Dance Songs

Sometimes a song is a wedding staple for good reason. From the perfect first dance song to everyones favorite love songs to get the crowd on the floor, here are some to consider for a wedding reception.

  1. Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton
  2. When I Fall in Love by Nat King Cole
  3. All of Me by John Legend
  4. I Turn to You by Christina Aguilera
  5. You Are the Sunshine of My Life by Stevie Wonder
  6. Through the Years by Kenny Rogers
  7. Harvest Moon by Neil Young
  8. I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston (or the original by Dolly Parton)
  9. Endless Love by Diana Ross
  10. To Make You Feel My Love by Adele

Perfect Your Slow Dancing With Lessons at Our Durham Dance Studio

Dance lessons from Fred Astaire Dance Studios make a great date night! We offer a variety of dance lessons at our Durham location, including latin, ballroom, and swing. Plus, you may just find your new favorite love song during one of our classes.

Give us a call at (919) 489-4313 or fill out the contact form below to schedule your first lesson! If you’re a new student, be sure to check out our introductory classes.

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