From symphonies to pliés

Aspects of choreomusical practice in ballet class

1. Introduction

The work of the dance musicians is threatened by budget cuts in almost all places around the
world. At the same time, an understanding of the work as a kind of service function that can easily
be replaced by prerecorded music, has become a major factor affecting the presence of live music
in dance classes. These two, major problems should be seriously considered by dance musicians
and the dance environment in general.

Budget cuts seem to be rather difficult to avoid, since they are a part of an overall political topic
resulting in a lower priority of the cultural area. There are two main problems behind this
reasoning. First of all budget cuts are often explained in reference to the financial crisis. Secondly,
cuts are simply due to a lack of resources in local dance schools and companies in general.
However, there are indeed some possibilities to consider and actions to be taken. Dance and
music is one of the longest collaborations between art forms we know. For the ballet class we are
talking about almost 400 years. The different important aspects of this interaction can easily be
transformed to other areas, as we have seen with the movie, which especially in the early years
borrowed techniques directly from ballet music. Today with digital technology this cross over has
become an interesting research object and the knowledge and "know how" from music in dance
class practice becomes utterly relevant. A broader understanding of the potential of the dance
accompanist and the establishment of collaborative projects with university and/or arts schools
will lead to greater public attention on the subject, more available resources and hopefully create
some bright new approaches for musicians.
Concerning the general lack of resources in arts education today, there is a misunderstanding of
the pedagogic and artistic purpose of the dance class situation. The foundation of ballet has
always been a triangle consisting of: teacher/choreographer, dancer and musician/composer. Not
teacher, dancer and a sound system, as the live interaction between the three levels cannot exist
with prerecorded (dead) music. This is the case for daily dance classes and many repertoire
performances – and much more urgently so, regarding the educational progression in dance
schools.
However, the musician himself should regard the ballet class as a place for invention and
creativity. Interactivity means; NEVER THE SAME. It is important that she/he approaches the ballet
class as a kind of laboratory, in spite of hundreds of years of traditions and a few overgrown boring
habits.
The purpose of this article is to give some inspiration for rethinking the ballet class for the benefit
of the musician and not least the teachers and dancers.
As an important clarification of the area we are working in, I will use the concepts
choreomusicology and choreomusical practice.

2. Choreomusicology and choreomusical practice

Theory and practice

Choreomusical thinking is an area that includes different activities and strategies in order to
experience music and dance as one expression. The word is created by connecting the two words
choreography and music, thereby expressing that this is a "cross-over" area differing from our
traditional experience of music and dance as two independent art forms.
Activities connected to this kind of word can be divided in to two main areas:
a) Choreomusicology and b) Choreomusical practice

a) Choreomusicology

Choreomusicology offers various academic disciplines such as choreomusical analysis,

choreomusical history and choreomusical theory. These disciplines give a slightly different view of
the collaboration between dance and music than musicology and dance history do, and we see a
shift from composers and musicians, being less important in the traditional music history,
suddenly becoming very important in the context of choreomusical history. Also, the progressive
linearity of traditional music history is different.
For example: using Mozart and Bach for dance is connected to a neo classical dance approach;
romantic concert hall music is a late romantic or even early modern dance phenomenon; and the
use of expressionistic music is seen mostly within a modern dance context; and so on. This shows
that a direct link between dance and music history is problematic and explains the need for
choreomusicology.
Analyzing a dance work demands equally developed analytic skills in both dance and music. Often,
using a combined dance/music score for that purpose is of great importance for the establishment
of choreomusical theory.
Choreomusicology is first of all a theory, which is related to choreomusical practice and is
therefore very closely connected to the actual doing.
b) Choreomusical practice

Choreomusical practice is:

 dance and music composition,
 dance and music improvisation and
 dance technique classes with live music accompaniment.

The process of composing music and making choreography is an interactive process where the
final product is created in full collaboration with a mutual and deep knowledge of both art
forms.
The improvisation format (classical, jazz or rock) is developed through the need for spontaneous
expressions that belong to the time based arts. It seems that this area has a great possibility to
develop much further and is a very interesting format especially when seen as a kind of Open
Opus.
Dance technique classes have a long tradition of choreomusical thinking which can be used as
compositional and improvisational tools. Both in ballet and in contemporary dance classes you can
see a historical development in which new musical styles (or even old) take their place in the
classroom. A newer approach to dance classes is to consider them as a choreomusical lab, as a
practical research space where different strategies can be explored and developed.

3. Choreomusical strategies

Types of relationships between music and dance

Choreomusical strategies include various techniques that were invented and developed through
different dance styles. The ones mentioned below should be seen as suggestions, not as a full
liberary. Other relationships can be added to the list and some of the mentioned relationships can
be seen as a part of each other. However, this list has worked for me personally for more than 20
years as both a composer and dance accompanist.

Illustration
This technique has many other names from sonofication, movefication, translation to Mickey
Mousing (refering to the use of music in cartoons). It appears as a fully developed theory and
method known as eurhythmics. Emile Jaques-Dalcroze was an important part of developing and
exploring this technique and has had a strong influence on how we work with this technique
today. As the technique transmits information from one art form to another, the level of
sophistication depends on the primary material. This is easily demonstrated by comparing the
works of Kylian, De Keersmaeker and Mark Morris. The expression can range from pure humour to
hardcore conceptualism as in "Car Men" and "Piano Phase".

Symbiosis
This is what we primarily consider being the relationship between music and dance in ballet. This
is also the case for most of the folkdance traditions all over the world, other classical dance
traditions as well as some classical modern styles. In symbiosis, movement and music are strongly
connected and cannot be separated.
This relationship demands a longer time for the sound and movement to adapt to each other and
probably only exists in styles that are built up over decades or centuries. In ballet, the close
relationship is not like illustrating even if it may seem that way sometimes. Already in Baroque
dance it is clear that music and movement support each other to create the illusion of the body
not being bounced, but almost flying. This is done by counterpointing accents: The body being in
the air on musical downbeats; or by supporting upbeats in the melody or accompaniment, with
accents as seen in the early Russian ballets (and by the way in almost all Stravinsky ballets).
All phrases are shared by dance and music with the classical symmetrical division in 4,8,16,32 and
the same for the meters, which are clearly to be recognized from just watching the body as well as
the tempi.

Complementarity

This technique can be seen as a dramatic effect already in the romantic ballet, but is actually more
connected to neo classical dance styles such as Balanchines ballets, where big jumps can be
accompanied with adagio music. Slow music for fast movements or fast music for slow
movements.
Another way is to fill out rhythmical layers that are not heard or seen. As Pina Baush did in her
masterpiece Le Sacre du Printemps, which she choreographed in quarter notes to the music of
eight notes and uneven accents. A simple and effective use of complementarity.
The ballet teacher Stanley Williams even used and developed this technique in the ballet class
using long chords instead of traditional classical ballet music.

Impulse
Here, movement and music are only connected in phrase beginnings and phrase endings: in
impulses (beginnings) and resonances (endings). Between these two marks the sound and
movement moves independently. Therefore, the music and dance are not connected by counts
but by the feeling of phrases, which gives a kind of controlled improvisational freedom similar to
the one in rubato music.
The technique seems to have its origins in some of Graham's works and dance exercises and is
seen today in the dance works of Kim Brandstrup.

Chance operation
This technique builds on the statement that only time should be the connection between music
and dance. The music and the dance begins and ends at the same time. The sharing of smaller
details such as phrasing and rhythm are not taken into consideration - or rather, the random crash
or splash between the different phrasings and rhythms seen and heard is the real purpose and
represents the dramaturgy of the dance piece. This technique has worked extremely well for
Cunningham and Cage but maybe a little less so for their successors. Too many choreographers
have used this technique as a fall back solution.

4. The ballet class

“Good or bad, with or without meaning, well dressed or not, the ballet
is always clear in its rhythmic structure. Phrases begin and end in such a
way that anyone in the audience knows when they begin and end, and
breathes accordingly. It may seem at first thought that rhythmic structure
is not of primary importance. However, a dance, a poem, a piece of music
( any of the time arts ) occupies a length of time, and the manner in which
this length of time is divided first into large parts and then into phrases
(or built up from phrases to form eventual larger parts) is the work's very
life structure. The ballet is in possession of a tradition of clarity of its rhythmic
structure. Essential devices for bringing this about have been handed
down generation after generation. These particular devices, again, are not
to be borrowed from the ballet: they are private to it. But the function they
fulfill is not private; it is, on the contrary, universal.”

J. Cage: Grace and Clarity (1944) from Silence

This is a rather positive statement about the ballet from an artist who seems to have very little in
common with the aesthetics and expression of this art form. However, I doubt that anyone would
deny the truth of his observation, which actually recommends using the ballet class as a starting
point for rethinking the relationship between music and dance.
The observation is not only relevant for ballet performances but also for the ballet class, which is
the fundamental physical and musical training for the dancer. Ranging from clean gymnastic
tendus to expressive adagios and explosive jumps.

The ballet class is musically almost like an extended Baroque Dance Suite. The exercises at the
barre and in the centre include: tempos from Adagio to Prestissimo; all kinds of phrasing such as
staccato, legato and marcato and many different kind of moods.

As mentioned, the relationship between music and dance in ballet class tradition can be seen as a
symbiosis developed over hundreds of years, heavily influenced by new styles in dance and music.
The basic symmetrical phrasing of 4,8,16 is still present in most popular musical genres, from the
light music of the late 19th century, to jazz standards, musical tunes, rock and pop music in the
20th and 21st century, all of which have been integrated in the musical repertoire of the ballet
class.

The unevenness in phrasing of contemporary atonal music has been more problematic to
implement in the ballet class. In some of the important ballet schools, some ballet teachers have
taken 5/4 and 7/4 into consideration with great effect.

Melodic phrasing is another important issue. An entire ballet class based solely on tunes, such as a
medley, highlights or a trailer, can become rather heavy, creating an impression more similar to an
entertainment environment (restaurant music) than that of exercising an art form.

Therefore, the musical structure of a ballet class is extremely important and a lot of inspiration can
be drawn from classical concert music, which actually has the same roots as the ballet class: The
Baroque Dance Suite.

5. Suite and other structures

The ballet class has the same structure as a long suite, with contrasting movements that all come
together at the end giving the feeling of having been through a lot of different tempi, moods,
expressions, colours and dynamics. Almost a ritual. Exactly like the Baroque Dance Suite, which
incidentally has been used as the basic structure for concert pieces (Schönberg) as well as opera
(Berg), but also influenced the structures of western European concert music.
By allowing complementarity in the musical structure of the ballet class, it can simply be used as a
dramaturgic templet. For instance, the variations form would fit in easily. And some themes are
very useful like the famous Paganini theme. It is actually possible to compose/improvise a row of
Paganini variations (or La Follia) that would fit all the ballet exercises and glue them together.
A work that almost forms the musical part of a ballet class is Tchaikovsky’s Theme and Variations
from the third suite for orchestra. With few changes, it simply fits a barre practice perfectly.
Even jazz standards can be very effective for this purpose if you remember to include the
important improvisational part to replace the variations used in the previous structure. This
creates a musical link between the exercises.
But what about more complex structures, such as the sonata form?

6. Entanglement with the sonata form

The following is an experiment. We try to entangle the sonata form with the structure of the ballet
class as it would appear with a 4 movement symphony.
The proportions could be:
1st movement (Opening Movement) the entire barre
2nd movement (Adagio) the slow exercises including the tendu in the center
3rd movement (Scherzo) the jumps
4th movement (Finale) big jumps, double tours, fuitees, manege.
So in this case the proportions would be 3:1:1:1
Lezione di danza classica Simphony
Barre I Moviment (about 40 min.)

 Plié  Opening and Main subject

 Battement tendu  Second Subject

 Battement tendu jeté  Coda of the Exhibition part

 Rond de Jambe  Beginning of the Development

 Battement fondu  Developmnent theme

 Battement frappé/Petit Battement  Culmination of Development

 Adage  Repetion of Main subject (transformed)

 Grand Battement  Repetion of Second Subject

 Stretch  Coda

Center I II Movement - Adagio (about 15 min.)

 Port de bras  A Theme

 Battement tendu  B Theme

 Battement fondu  Middle section

 Adagio  Rep. of A Theme

 Pirouettes  Rep. of B Theme

Center II III Movement – Scherzo (about 15 min.)

 Small jumps  A Theme (fast 2/4)

 Assemblé  B Theme

 Jeté  Rep. of A Theme

 Échappé/Brisé  Rep. of B Theme

Center III IV Movement – Finale (about 10 min.)

 Big jumps  A Theme

 Manége  B Theme

 Double Tours  Rep. of A Theme

 Grand Pirouettes  Rep. of B Theme and coda

As seen from the upper overview chart, combining the suite structure of the ballet class with the
sonata structure presents a new way of organizing the material. The musical material will have to
fit the exercises of course, but by using the different choreomusical strategies there will be an
endless numbers of possibilities that may serve both an artistic and a pedagogic purpose.
The sonata structure forces the musician to organize the material, so it does not appear as a
medley or row of songs, as this may become a little bit heavy in the long run from a musical
perspective. It will also reinforce the interaction between musician and dancers. Look and you will
hear, hear and you will see.
In general, to handle this method in the right way, some problems have to be considered up front.
Especially the relationship between development and the themes.
Development is the part of the music, in a symphony for example, in which the composer plays
with the material (the themes) and develops new material. In a class situation, this could be
improvisation on a certain material. Most class pianists are excellent improvisers, not only in
jazz/rock but also in renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, expressionistic and impressionistic
styles.
As in the case of a symphony, this way of working will make the presentation and repetition of
themes even more powerful, compared to just playing one tune after the other. It also creates an
opportunity to include material that would usually be banned in a ballet class, such as atonal parts,
cross rhythms and cross phrasing (non symmetrical phrasing), 8 tone and other scales.

7. Conclusion

The sonata form is not the only way to recreate musical structures in ballet class. A Musical
Accompanist for Dance (MAD) student in Copenhagen once did his final project as a full ballet class
with all the musical material only coming from Bach’s Goldberg Variations. In fact, many other
classical and modern works have an overall structure that could fit into a class situation. Another
MAD student created a hybrid of a jazz concert and a ballet class. The possibilities are endless.
However, the important main issues for this type of procedure are:
 to give the ballet class a stronger musical voice
 a unifying musical structure
 a greater variety of relationships between music and dance
 to create an innovative space for dance and music experiments (a lab)
 and hereby to create more focus on the competence of the choreomusical practice.
Choreomusical practice is a competence that deserves much greater recognition and use than only
to be practiced behind closed doors. Its dual approach makes it easily adaptable to other cross
over art formats and even collaborations between arts and science.
Kim Helweg, 2017. Composer and Head of the MAD education in Copenhagen.