The world is awash with the sounds of ballerinas and ballerinos: on 20th April 2025, let’s take a trip through the captivating, ethereal world of ballet music – and examine the way its rhythmic pulses, lyrical flourishes and grand orchestral swells fuel and enhance our lives, dance after dance. Whether it's a delicate, floating, tiptoeing plié, an effortless grand jeté or the breathtaking precision of a corps de ballet's synchronized movements, music remains the heartbeat of ballet. In many ways, the choreography can feel as if it was birthed from the melody itself; such is the captivating and symbiotic nature of this particular marriage.
To be a ballerina or to simply adore the art of ballet is to exist in a world of utter dedication, where a love for the art form, one’s self, and their craft is paramount. From the rigour of the training studio, to the beauty and expression on the stage, a love affair begins when these elements collide: that is what the magical fusion of dance and music brings about. As it did long ago, and continues to do so today.
With each step, the rhythm and melody of a symphony weave themselves into the intricate, often fluid choreography. Every spin is perfectly timed, a kaleidoscopic swirl of artistry, where every note seems to command attention.
A true dance aficionado will be able to pick out their favourite scores in a heartbeat: the haunting melodies of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, the powerful storytelling of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, and the dazzling and celebratory notes of Stravinsky's The Firebird are all pieces of iconic classical ballet repertoire. A ballet performance is never just about dancing, it's a story told through body language, music, and costume; every movement tells its own silent, story. These works are more than mere choreography, they’re windows to a kaleidoscopic, emotionally resonant, captivating world – where artistry meets passion, and emotions dance with the dancers themselves.
In a dance that so effortlessly blurs the lines between movement and sound, let us delve into the musical gems that are inextricably intertwined with the elegance, grace and power of ballet:
A Dance in Three Movements: * Ballet music transcends mere auditory beauty: it breathes life and soul into choreographed moments and gestures. Imagine, if you will, the graceful yet haunting strains of the famous 'Dying Swan' passage from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake: a musical masterpiece in itself that embodies the melancholy and tragic fate of Odette, the White Swan, as she moves gracefully with such heartbreaking beauty.
* **Behind The Music**: It's fascinating to discover the history behind certain ballet pieces: the passionate, tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet – immortalized in the heart-rending and breathtaking music by Prokofiev – truly encapsulates Shakespeare's work, both on stage and in our hearts. Each dramatic swell of the orchestra perfectly compliments each theatrical, captivating moment of this heart-wrenching story, bringing every single word of Shakespeare’s work to life with music. * **Ballet for a Modern Age**: And so it goes. The vibrant, spirited scores of Stravinsky's Firebird (1910), bursting with the colours and sounds of a mythological world – his creation is one of a powerful ballet work that captured the zeitgeist of its era. And so, like a living, breathing creature, a contemporary ballet that captures the spirit of modern music: a piece such as the dynamic, contemporary ballet 'Emergence' choreographed to music by Philip Glass and Anna Meredith is proof that classical ballet’s relationship with music is one that’s constantly evolving and reinventing itself. It's not merely an accompaniment or an atmospheric background, but an integral and dynamic element in storytelling, mood and movement.Ballet Music: Fashion in Tune:
And while it's important to note the historical roots of ballet in courtly dress, where dancers adorned the lavish silks, satins, and lace of the 16th-19th century (when a 'ballet' was often, essentially a lavish, courtly ball!) – with their dramatic and richly embroidered tunics and stockings, today, the dancer's body is as much the fabric, the movement, the expression, and the costume itself. As a ballerina's elegant costume, or a dancer’s contemporary clothing can truly encapsulate the story. And like the ballet music, there's so much meaning, emotion and storytelling that takes place beyond a simple stitch – or a rhythmic beat.
While I truly believe that one cannot imagine a more beautiful and timeless marriage of art and fashion than the marriage of a dancer in their stunning attire and the magical world of classical music, some say that there is a certain modernity to the leotard’s clean, functional lines - and with a certain simplicity that enables the body to move effortlessly, it feels truly at one with the flow of the music, allowing the dancer to express their innermost thoughts and feelings freely.
For this particular article I’m inspired by a lovely lilac leotard, and this would go beautifully with a pale pink, tulle tutu; a colour combination that feels particularly in tune with a classical and graceful melody. So why not? With so much dance happening all around the world: at the Bolshoi, at the Royal Opera House, and on so many different stages across the globe, as I think of ballet's magical world and its rhythmic embrace, I imagine this exquisite outfit taking a bow in a graceful, swirling tutu. Just as I feel that the elegant and fluid leotard will enhance a ballet dancer’s graceful movement, so too, would an elegant ballet dancer also enhance the beautiful musical soundscape.
A World of Sound: Ballet on The Move:
Here’s another truth that is not just captivating, it's a musical joy. Not all ballet happens within the gilded confines of grand opera houses and grand, theatrical spaces: ballet is for the people. Ballet is in our everyday lives – and it happens, often quietly and subtly – from the movement of everyday life: the swaying of the city streets, to the elegant, twirling waltz on a crowded dance floor at a school disco. Ballet is alive and flourishing – the joy of watching an enthralling performance at a classical dance venue or a school or local ballet performance – all forms of dance and all kinds of music bring the ballet magic to our world in a heartbeat.
Soundtracks: A Dance of Delights:
Here is a brief foray into the diverse sonic tapestry of dance:
Classical Scores, Contemporary Threads:
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – his works are often, and justly, celebrated – as being deeply moving and full of emotion: The Nutcracker (1892) and Swan Lake (1877) – two of the most revered ballets, that still enthrall audiences today. He seems to have understood what audiences truly needed, musically speaking.
- Igor Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring’ – one of the most ground-breaking ballet scores: Its rhythmic pulse feels so powerful, a masterpiece of the ballet music world and his compositions are a must for those with ears hungry for a dance beat.
A Modernist Take On Ballet Music:
- Sergei Prokofiev – 'Romeo and Juliet' – his compositions are powerful and epic – a sound to move the most hardened soul: every sweeping orchestral crescendo a moment to hold onto. Prokofiev's scores have all of the theatrical power and dramatic depth of a Shakespearean play, but then, in perfect time and in perfect motion, the ballet begins its captivating and graceful movements – bringing these dramatic characters to life, literally.
- A bold and inventive composer who challenged the boundaries of music and dance, was Béla Bartók’s – who has been hailed as an innovative artist, whose work ‘The Miraculous Mandarin’ - created a fusion of sonic storytelling, a score full of the most wonderful and often dark musical elements, truly a ground-breaker of a composition for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.
- A recent score that's gained recognition for its inventiveness: Philip Glass - whose composition 'Einstein on the Beach' – one of his most groundbreaking, minimalist compositions – truly encapsulated a radical new era in modern ballet composition, as his rhythmic music brings his dramatic piece to life. So if you have an ear for an unusual piece of work, or even if you want to introduce something new into your life, take a moment to explore some Glass.
Sounds Beyond The Stage:
- Ballet music often makes a cameo in unexpected places. The use of certain classical music (particularly by Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Debussy and even Prokofiev) in film scores – and even in television – truly elevates and creates that captivating sound to help bring that ‘certain something’ to a film’s music. It’s magical how film music truly works for that visual impact. I love how a film or television music score, when carefully selected can really capture the viewer’s imagination, and create the kind of magical musical moment that you simply want to sit and savour – from the famous and well-loved scene from 'The Shining', where we see a ghostly Jack Torrance waltzing in the snowy ballroom to the music of a 'Hungarian Dance' – music that’s been composed long before Kubrick made this magical scene. And just like magic, and I guess just as film’s are meant to be a magical escape – the classical waltz music takes us away to a time when these music and beautiful grand dances, reigned supreme. Just magical and timeless in every sense.
- Dance has also taken on a whole new life in our modern, global, interconnected world. Music is a true universal language: whether we hear the lyrical and breathtaking sounds of classical ballet music, the rhythms of hip hop or even the sounds of Latin jazz; every musical genre seems to lend itself to the movement and rhythm of dance. Each, capturing its own story. Each one, expressing and communicating a world of emotion – that only dance can convey – but the art of dance can really work its magic.
As the years roll by, ballet music is still there to remind us that the power and beauty of ballet isn’t a bygone, faded and past time – the art is still very much alive. From the enchanting elegance of ballet on stage to the rhythms and movement in our everyday lives, music – for ballet, film and all other genres of dance is still here and thriving: let the beautiful symphony of sound sweep you off your feet. Enjoy!