One-Hit Wonders Dance Challenge (Inspired by DWTS!)

I saw a post last week that said, “When did Dancing with the Stars become cool again?” Honestly, I’ve been obsessed with DWTS for a couple of years now. I’m not sure what’s considered cool anymore—but with the Houghs hosting and judging, it’s an excellent watch.  Highly recommend! 

This week’s theme was One-Hit Wonders, and it totally sparked my interest. Every pairing danced to a one-hit wonder—think “I’m Blue (Da Ba Dee)” or “Hey Mickey!” It got me thinking: what a fun classroom project this could be! 

Why I Love This Idea 

• Adaptable for any grade level (just check music appropriateness first!) 

• Students can choose their song and then pick a dance genre—lyrical, jazz, ballroom, hip-hop, you name it. 

• Works as a solo, duet, or small group project. 

• It’s super fun. Students often get stuck choosing music (I get it... I do too!). This forces them to release control and have fun: pick a song, or draw one from a hat, and choreograph something! 

• It gets students moving to different musical eras, styles, and sounds—a great way to expand their musical diversity and choreographic abilities.  

• Encourages joy and risk-taking without high stakes. It’s playful and creative. 

• Can be short-form or long-form. Students could choreograph just the chorus and film it TikTok-style, or create a full piece like they do on DWTS. 

• It’s a great sub plan—easy to follow and students will dive right in. 

🎶 Need Song Ideas? 

• Use a Spotify One-Hit Wonders playlist 

• Pull from the DWTS episode this week 

• Or check out my list below with some of my favorites and suggested styles: 

Song	Artist	Suggested Style
Faded	Soul Decision	Hip-Hop
You Get What You Give	New Radicals	Contemporary Jazz
Kiss Me	Sixpence None the Richer	Contemporary
Walking in Memphis	Marc Cohn	Contemporary
She’s a Bad Mama Jama	Carl Carlton	Jazz Funk
Return of the Mack	Mark Morrison	Hip-Hop
Tainted Love	Soft Cell	Jazz
Whip It	DEVO	Musical Theatre
It Takes Two	Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock	Hip-Hop, Jazz Funk
Let’s Hear It for the Boy	Deniece Williams	Musical Theatre, Jazz
Torn	Natalie Imbruglia	Lyrical
Rhythm of the Night	DeBarge	Musical Theatre, Jazz
Let Me Love You	Mario	Hip-Hop
Chasing Cars	Snow Patrol	Contemporary
Bleeding Love	Leona Lewis	Contemporary, Hip-Hop

💡 Need a Little Inspiration? 

If students need a little push to get excited about dancing to “older” music, show or discuss the viral GAP dance video featuring the one-hit wonder Milkshake by Kelis. 

It’s wild, stylish, and full of energy—and chances are, they’ve already seen it! It’s a great example of how classic tracks can be reimagined in fresh, fun ways. Use it to spark conversation about musical eras, style fusion, and how dance trends evolve. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwzF26o0AuU 

***As always, please check the content of videos or music presented here for appropriateness based on your classroom and the age level of your students. 

Let’s Connect! 

I’d love to hear if you try this in your class and how it turns out! Feel free to reach out or connect in any other way—sharing ideas and seeing what others are doing is one of the best parts of being in this community. 

Keep shining!  

Victoria, Dance Rep 

victoria.reid@fineartsata.ca