Category Archives: Playing for ballet class

Posts about the work of ballet pianists—including stuff that might not seem immediately related (like historical dance, character, musicology, and so on)

Me in conversation on a podcast

Posted on March 10, 2022 5:06 pm by Jonathan Still

Out today on the Ballet Piano Podcast, an interview I did a couple of years ago. I’d forgotten what we talked about until I listened to it. I was surprised to find that hearing myself talk about why I’d decided … Continue reading →

A year of ballet playing cards #52 (DK): Slow tendu music

Posted on February 28, 2021 3:31 pm by Jonathan Still

For those long, slow, school-y tendus for which no music seems suitable, here’s some suitable music. Continue reading →

Posted in A Year of Ballet Playing Cards, Free sheet music for ballet class, Music, Playing for ballet class | Tagged 19th century, Ambroise Thomas, Free music downloads, ballet accompaniment, ballet class, ballet class accompaniment, ballet class music, ballet pianists, ballet piano, ballet repertoire, free sheet music for ballet class | 5 Comments

A year of ballet playing cards #51 (DQ): A coda medley

Posted on February 17, 2021 4:01 pm by Jonathan Still

What is a coda in ballet? Here are 10 pages of codas, and links to seven famous ballet codas you have to know. Continue reading →

Posted in A Year of Ballet Playing Cards, Free sheet music for ballet class, Playing for ballet class | Tagged Le Corsaire, Minkus, Tchaikovsky, ballet music, codas, fouettés, playing for ballet, playing for ballet class | 8 Comments

More background on the party scene song in The Nutcracker

Posted on November 2, 2020 7:58 pm by Jonathan Still

Since writing about Bon Voyage Cher Dumollet nine years ago, I’ve found out a lot more. Here are some sources. Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Musicology, Playing for ballet class | Tagged Basque dance, Bon voyage monsieur dumollet, Folk song, La clé du caveau, Musical borrowings, Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky, Timbres, ballet music | Leave a comment

Galina Bezuglaya’s second book

Posted on October 7, 2020 4:48 pm by Jonathan Still

Perhaps you have to be as old as I am to be quite as excited about a book arriving from Russia, but it’s doubly exciting since I ordered it on 9th July this year, and with a combination of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Playing for ballet class | Tagged Galina Bezuglaya, Music, Russia, Vaganova Ballet Academy, ballet accompaniment, ballet class, ballet class accompaniment, books | Leave a comment

Pianos and violins in the ballet class

Posted on July 9, 2020 6:47 am by Jonathan Still

When did the piano replace the violin in the ballet class in the Imperial Theatre schools? Galina Bezuglaya has some interesting answers. Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Music, Musicology, Playing for ballet class | Tagged Bulletin of the Vaganova Ballet Academy, Fokine, Galina Bezuglaya, Kostrovitskaya, Legat, Vaganova, ballet, ballet accompaniment, ballet class accompaniment, piano, research | Leave a comment