Theme Ride Thursday: Elevate Your Indoor Cycling with Dance-Inspired Jams for International Dance Day

International Dance Day is approaching, and what better way to celebrate than by infusing your indoor cycling sessions with the electrifying energy of dance-inspired beats? 🚴‍♀️🌍💃

International Dance Day is just around the corner on April 29. It was created in 1982 by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute and is a celebration day for those who can see the value and importance of the art form “dance.”

In your cycling classes, seize the opportunity to channel the universal language of dance through the power of music.

Introducing not just one, but two sensational bucket playlists to fuel your rides with boundless excitement and rhythm! Dive into our expansive collection featuring over 220 toe-tapping tracks about dancing, perfect for crafting themed rides or simply injecting a dash of joy into your profiles. Take note—you can dance to millions of songs—but these songs are special because they are all about dancing!

Our secondary bucket playlist, boasting 150 dynamic tunes with the theme of “Move,” is your ultimate companion for igniting those pedal-powered playlists. Think “move your body” and “move your feet”!

As you know, we’re not about intricate choreography on the bike here—we are about keeping it real! With a dance-inspired playlist, think more head-nodding, toe-tapping, and infectious energy that’ll have your riders feeling the groove without bumping and jiving around the handlebars. 

From disco classics to pulsating anthems, our playlists offer a diverse array of tracks suited for every tempo and intensity. Here’s a taste of what awaits in our extensive playlists for ICA members:

Dancing with Myself, Billy Idol, 3:48, 88 bpm
Fuel high-intensity, high-cadence intervals or push through FTP tests with this adrenaline-pumping anthem from the 1980s.

4321, Manafest, 2:41, 107 bpm
While you can ride at 107 rpm for the whole song (make sure to offer modifications for those who can’t pedal that fast with good form), I like to feel the rhythm with leg surges and chase the beat on the chorus, falling back to the 90s rpm for the verses. This approach keeps riders engaged and energized throughout.

Alors on Danse, Stromae, 3:26, 120 bpm
Transport your riders to the dance floor with this infectious French hit, perfect for a steep climb. “Alors on danse” means “So we dance.” 

One Last Time, Hollerado, 3:17, 160 bpm
Unleash one final interval in your set with this energizing track, inspiring your riders to finish with an exhilarating push one last time.

Yo Quiero Bailar, Ivy Queen, 3:06, 95 bpm
Embrace the vibrant rhythms of Latin music with this fast-paced anthem, guaranteed to keep spirits lifted on a high-cadence moderate to hard flat road. Latino artists have long embraced dancing as a central theme in their music, infusing their songs with passion, rhythm, and a zest for life. “Yo Quiero Bailar” (“I want to dance”) embodies this spirit, inviting riders to immerse themselves in the pulsating beats and lively melodies that define Latin music’s timeless allure. This post dives into the diversity of Latino music—perfect for a dancing theme! 

Boogie Shoes, KC and the Sunshine Band, 2:11, 120 bpm
Elevate your climb with accelerations on the chorus or add resistance for a standing challenge. Short yet sweet, it’s also perfect for a recovery track (dissociate from the beat). Even avowed non-disco fans can’t deny the joy this song brings and the memories that surface once those horns kick in!

Travolta, Arno Cost, Norman Doray, 3:33, 124 bpm
Speaking of disco… This song is the furthest thing from the disco genre—it’s an EDM vibe perfect for a climb. But the spoken lyrics sing the praises of disco—making for an entertaining juxtaposition following or preceding “Boogie Shoes,” silencing the disco haters! Here is a taste of the lyrics:

Disco will never be over. It will always live in our minds and hearts.
Something like this that was this big, and this important, and this great, will never die.
People will laugh about John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, white polyester suits and platform shoes and going like this!
Disco was much more, and much better than all that. Disco was too great and too much fun to be gone forever.

With our curated collection spanning genres and cultures, there's no limit to the 
exhilarating experiences you can create in the cycling studio. But the party doesn't
stop here—make sure to share your favorite dance or move tracks to help me
grow these amazing bucket playlists below!

Let’s turn up the music, ignite the passion, and pedal our way to rhythmic euphoria! 🎉🚴‍♂️