Modern Ballroom Pop

If you love to sashay across the dance floor with a partner who's clued in to your every move, but you like to keep your music more current than classic ballroom fare, we've got the soundtrack for your swingin' and swayin' right here. Whether or not you can top the celebrity moves of Bec Cartwright or Tom Williams on Dancing With the Stars it's really tempting to try, and if the waltz is your preferred style, it's hard to imagine a sound better suited to some smooth Viennese moves than the heavenly hum of "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley. And if you want to get your mambo on with an old-school touch and a fresh feel, get stepping to Michael Bublé's steamy version of the old Dean Martin smash "Sway." Get ready to turn up the temperature with hot-stepping hip-hop and reggae hits, in Next Steps.

Here's where the moves heat up, and the music does too. If you're not working up a sweat when reggae ruler Sean Paul puts the dance in Dancehall with the downright nasty bounce of "Get Busy," you're doing something wrong. And there's no better way to get up close and personal with your partner than by following each other's twists and turns right down to the ground, with the slinky strut of OutKast's "The Way You Move" as your onboard GPS. But if you've been watching Swingers and you're itching for some jumpin', jivin' swing sounds, take a leap towards Royal Crown Revue's Latin-tinged hoppin' "Hey Pachuco!" It's your party, and you'll dance how you want to, from rockin' jive to kickin' country, in Deep Cuts.

When you're out there on the floor with your partner, the only limitations on your dance moves are the amount of pep in your step and the music behind your manoeuvres. You can take it to the country and tuck into a little two-steppin' action with Rascal Flatts' twanged-up take on Tom Cochrane's '90s hit "Life Is a Highway" — from the soundtrack to Cars — or you could shake you hips in a Latin fashion with Shakira and "Eyes Like Yours (Ojos Asi)". Fancy a jive? Then set those hands and legs in motion with help from the Original Broadway Cast of Hairspray and their medley of "You Can't Stop the Beat."

We know how it goes — you settle in for an evening of Dancing With the Stars, and you start to think Hey . . . I could do that. Next thing you know, you're darting around the dance floor, locking limbs with another eager hoofer — but you need some sharp sounds to go with those steps. That's where we come in: We've combed the canons of pop, rock, R&B, and more to bring you the best-suited songs for any move you can muster. Whether you want to mambo to Lou Bega, drop some freestyle moves with Irene Cara, or slip into a slow waltz to Ray LaMontagne, we've got you covered. So all you have to do is put one foot in front of the other along with the sounds of these crucial songs . . . 'til your shoes wear out.