What rhythm will you dance to?

 Perhaps you have an event coordinator in charge of  every detail to help you plan the perfect celebration. If  you do not have an event planner, however, keep in  mind that you should dedicate a significant amount of  time to the musical selection.

 The Church
 For the religious ceremony you can look for a formal  style of music. Ask the Church if they provide a chorus themselves, or if they can recommend one. Go over with them the songs you’d like to play and when to play them during the ceremony. Don’t leave any detail to chance!.

Some families like to bring their Mexican traditions to the altar, such as inviting a mariachi trio to add sentiment to the ceremony.

For a more youthful tone, another option would be to ask a group of your friends to play guitar and sing.

Reception and Food
You can create two types of environments. The ideal music for the reception is that which is at its core instrumental: it can be anything from classical to jazz, and even Latin melodies such as boleros, or piano versions of salsa, cumbia, etc. If your budget allows, you may also hire a professional pianist or violinist for a live performance. This will create a more festive tone that is subtle enough to precede lunch or dinner.

A change in the melody can serve to announce the passage into the dining hall. You may choose music without lyrics, but avoid stronger styles such as tamborazo or rock; remember that you want your guests to actively engage in conversation, so the background music should allow one to speak without having to raise his voice too much.

The dance
One of the highlights of the evening is, without a doubt, the waltz. This traditional routine initiates the reception dance. For the waltz, it is customary to use instrumental pieces such as The Blue Danube, the Triumphal March from Aida, or modern pieces such as Chayanne’s Tiempo de Vals, or Paul de Senneville’s Ballad for Adeline.

It is important that you go over the choreography for your Quinceañera at least one month in advance. Your dance partner can be your father, this being an intimate moment in the relationship between father and daughter, which symbolizes her entrance into adulthood.

However, if you wish to show off your dancing skills, you should perform some sort of choreography together with your quince court. Some of today’s preferred choreographies are inspired by Disney films such as Cinderella. A more modern option is to dance one song by the Quinceañera’s favorite singer.

Types of Music
There are many styles of music to choose from for the dance. Remember to play regional music such as banda, cumbia, ranchera, corrido and Tex-Mex for the adults. For your younger guests, be sure to include Top 40 hits as well as Hip Hop, House and R&B. Because salsa and merengue are generally enjoyed across generational lines, you can use either one as you transition between the traditional to the more modern styles of music.

We advise you not to make a drastic switch between styles. You should play at least five or six songs that are similar before switching to something new. The sudden change in musical styles will break the dancers’ harmony, and will make guests uncomfortable.

Dedicate an appropriate amount of time to the planning of your Quinceañera’s music so that the melodies can flow perfectly from the religious ceremony to the dance at the reception. Remember that in the Hispanic culture music is a fundamental element in everyday life and particularly in special occasions such as your Quinceañera.

This post is also available in: Spanish