About Us

About Us

With Music Works Unlimited, teaching dance has never been easier. We have designed an extensive collection of music and educational material for dance teachers and students of dance. With literally thousands of dance instructional content available as CDs, DVDs, and Downloads, we cater to every dance level from preschool to advanced.

What Music Works Has done for dance studios and teachers around the world!

The Music Works Unlimited was founded by the legendary Al Gilbert, also known as, The Pied Piper of Dance. Al’s vision was to provide age and level appropriate dance choreography and music for dance studio owners to provide to their teaching staff.

The music and choreography has been carefully crafted into levels that have been proven to be a formula for success at many of the most successful dance studios in the nation.

The Dance Advantage Series that specializes in choreography and music that is created specifically for your Pre to grade 3 level classes, is extremely effective in providing a successful class plan and your kids will have the time of their life!

The Al Gilbert Graded Tap Technique is world renowned for creating a class plan with

exercises that can take a young tap dancer from a grade level 1 all the way to a grade level 9. This is the same system that Al Gilbert used to teach legends like Annette Funicello and Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5!

Music Works Unlimited has created thousands of hours of class choreography and dance music for class so that you can have the tools needed to have a successful dance studio.

Music Works is now run by nationally recognized Choreographer and Teacher, Darryl Retter. Mr. Retter is committed to providing the highest quality product to dance studios and their teachers around the world. He has brought in the highest quality choreographers, teachers and music producers to ensure that YOU are getting the very best for your students dance career.

 

We are thrilled to offer:

  • Complete Teaching Technique Systems such as Al Gilbert’s legendary “Graded Tap Syllabus”
  • Products structured in Graded Levels which build upon steps that have been learned in previous levels
  • Hundreds of exclusive titles designed by our Signature Choreographers, who are among the hottest professional Dance Teachers and Choreographers in the country
  • A high-energy National Teacher’s Tour specifically designed to inspire and educate dance teachers and their assistants

 

Al Gilbert (1921-2003). “The Pied Piper Of Dance” as he was known by all, Al was the former owner of “Stepping Tones Records”, which is known to all today as “MusicWorks”.

He purchased his first dance studio in Hollywood, California in 1947. Dance schools had begun to flourish in Los Angeles after the war. He quickly discovered there was no material for teachers on how to instruct young children, and were few teachers who knew how to teach dancing to the little ones. So he started making up catchy dance jingles and experimented with teaching technique standards. Word got out and parents flocked to his studio with their children.

He sold his song and dance material to a teachers magazine in 1949, that in turn created a demand for more of his original material. He then presented children’s songs and dances at conventions for Stepping Tones Records.

In the late 1950's, at a time when nothing like it existed, he developed the first vocal instruction record with rhythmic tapping sounds. He called it Grade 1 Tap Technique. This would mark the beginning of his legendary Graded Tap Syllabus. Al spent his life creating entire Teaching Systems, Training Aids and Graded Technique for Pre-School through Grade 9 Tap. Al’s revolutionary vision to create instructional dance materials for dance instructors and their students generated a trend that changed the entire dance industry. This legacy is one that MusicWorks proudly continues.