What do Rihanna, Pitbull, and Gene Kelly have in common? All of them show up on the playlist for Take the Lead! With over a dozen dances included in the novel, the playlist required a wide range of musical styles. Some songs helped to visualize a specific scene, while others just fit the overall vibe and storyline. Here’s a list of the dances in the book along with the songs that helped inspire each routine.
Chapter 8: Salsa
Natasha kept up a running commentary, helping Stone learn the footwork, while Gina gave herself over to the dance. Dancing in the arms of someone who could lead was thrilling and sensual. She could turn off her mind and just move. To be in the moment like that, fully inhabiting her body, filled her with a sense of beauty and excitement.
Stone released her back, trailing his big, hard hand down her bare arm to grip her fingers. His hands dwarfed hers, and she followed his guidance into a spin.
It was unbelievably sexy.
“La Tortura” by Shakira feat. Alejandro Sanz
“Rain Over Me” by Pitbull feat. Marc Anthony
Chapter 11: Foxtrot
Stone mimed whistling, then tossed his fedora aside and took Gina in his arms to lead her around the floor.
One step after the other. Left, right, left again. Lean, step back, spin. Gina counted the moves out loud but Stone went through the dance without missing a step. The music guided their feet. The lyrics connected them, wrapping around their bodies and anchoring them in the moment.
Gina had been right, of course. There was nothing to do but dance.
“Why Don’t You Do Right (Get Me Some Money Too)” by Peggy Lee
“Livin’ on a Prayer” by Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox
“Juke-box” by Dimie Cat
Chapter 12: Argentine Tango
Not a word passed between them as he led her into the tango. His eyes never left hers, except when the choreography called for it. This time, he held her even closer than before, but there was nothing disconcerting about it.
It felt so, so right.
He still did odd things with his knees, but the force of their shared connection exploded within her, making her skin tingle and her breath quicken. When he dragged his hands up her thighs, she imagined how it would feel to be in his arms, in his bed, with nothing between her skin and his hands.
“Slow Down” by Selena Gomez
“Hands to Myself” by Selena Gomez
“Where Have You Been” by Rihanna
Chapter 14: Jive
They broke hold, and he started off on the wrong foot. The wrong f**king foot. He’d never done that in rehearsal.
“You know the steps. Stop thinking so much.” The dance brought them together, and once again, Gina fought to get them back on track.
“Smile!” She shouted at him as he swung her body between his legs and then up into the air. “Don’t give up on us, Stone. Stay with me.”
That seemed to snap him out of it, and he met her eyes. They completed the dance, more or less according to Gina’s choreography, and finished in a dip with their faces close together.
The music ended. Stone shut his eyes and dropped his sweaty forehead to hers. “I’m sorry.”
“Ain’t Your Mama” by Jennifer Lopez
Chapter 16: Paso Doble
Gina clutched Stone’s hand all through the commercial break. They were still breathing hard from delivering a paso doble that felt like fire and sex. Stone had never been more forceful and aggressive in his dancing. He’d mastered the choreography—embodying the role of the “Red-Hooded Woodsman,” as Gina had named him—and conquered Gina’s wolf with every ounce of passion and dominance the paso required.
“Run Boy Run” by Woodkid
Chapter 19: Contemporary
For Broadway Night, Gina choreographed an emotional contemporary routine with lots of lifts. Stone was shirtless for the second week in a row, clad only in gray pajama bottoms while Gina wore a tan tank top and floaty skirt. It was the simplest of their costumes, yet afforded the most ease of movement. The theme of their song was forgiveness, which struck a little too close to home.
If she ever found out the truth about him and his show, Stone hoped she’d forgive him.
“It’s Quiet Uptown” by Kelly Clarkson
“Stone Cold” by Demi Lovato
Chapter 19: Waltz
The next week was Silver Screen Night. They danced an upbeat, lighthearted waltz to a classic movie musical, designed to showcase Stone’s hold and improved footwork.
Amazing how falling for someone like Gina lightened his step.
“Singin’ in the Rain” by Gene Kelly
Chapter 23: Samba
The choreography was simple—lots of ballroom samba content paired with a fun song and Stone’s improved footwork. Gina and Natasha had danced together for years, and Stone was comfortable with both women. He sold the hell out of the performance.
“Try Me” by Jason Derulo feat. JLo & Matoma
Chapter 24: Freestyle
The beat dropped. Team Ice Cold bopped around in sync, spinning and sliding. Then they launched into the lifts, leading up to the final move—the throw.
Since Stone was so strong, and Lauren was used to flying through the air on skates, Kevin and Gina had choreographed a routine that combined acrobatics, Latin dance moves, and hip hop to go with Meli’s most famous club songs.
Medley of JLo songs
Chapter 27: Contemporary
The music started, melancholy and dark. A man’s voice, haunting and compelling, rose over it. Gina danced in the spotlight until Stone strode toward her and hauled her against him. She struggled in his arms. It was part of the choreography, but with every move they made, his heart sank further.
Gina slipped a piece of rope over his arm and threw herself out of his grasp. When they came together again, it was the same. Throughout the dance, they came together and fell apart, and each time Gina added another piece of the harness that would lift him into the air. Each rope felt like the weight of familial expectations.
Each time she ran away from him, it felt like the end.
“Take Me to Church” by Hozier
Chapter 28: Jazz/Latin
When Stone reached the end of the stage, the music picked up. He pulled out the breakdancing moves they’d been saving and the audience went wild.
And then Stone ripped his undershirt down the middle. If the audience had been screaming before, now they lost their f**king minds. Their cries reached deafening status. Stone seemed to drink it in, embodying the character like never before.
Through it all, his eyes kept finding Gina’s.
“Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO
“Bang Bang” by Jessie J
Chapter 31: Rumba
Gina folded into the first move, curling in and hugging herself with her arms. Stone tugged her back to him and led her through the steps of the rumba.
She couldn’t have kept her eyes off his if she’d wanted to. He wore an intense, stricken expression, something akin to grief flashing in his blue eyes. Every time he pulled her close, her heart broke anew. When she danced away from him, it was like swimming through molasses. All she wanted to do was let him hold her. She’d taught him too well—he knew how to lead now, and whatever drew her to him was too strong to be denied.
“What do you have to lose?” the live singer crooned.
Everything.
“Wait for It” by Usher
Take the Lead is available from Amazon and Bookshop.