Composed by Nevada Lozano, performed by Wesley Ducote, and directed by Erica Johnston, Music for Ballet Class is a comprehensive album of ballet music perfectly suited for the serious dancer. Stylistically diverse, it includes a mazurka, a polonaise, and two tangos; it even features three ragtime “re-imaginings" of Stravinsky’s most famous ballets, The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring. These 30 tracks, by turns passionate and poignant, are guaranteed to keep your dancers engaged from warm-up to révérence.
This album has more exercises than could fit in a single ballet class, giving teachers the opportunity to pick and choose tracks that best suit their combinations. There are three pirouettes, three petit allegros, and two codas. One of the petit allegros is even in 5/4 time — an irregular meter, not often heard in classical ballet, that will mentally and physically challenge your dancers.
Many ballet albums on the market consist of arrangements of preexisting works, whether they’re ballet scores, pop songs, or show tunes. This album, on the other hand, consists entirely of original music written specifically for ballet class, with articulation, phrasing, and tempo tailored to fit the physical execution of each exercise.
The music was recorded on a 9-foot Yamaha CFIII grand piano at the New World Center in Miami, Florida, home of the prestigious New World Symphony. Furthermore, the tracks were mixed and mastered with the ballet studio in mind: minimal reverb, with an emphasis on the articulation of the instrument.
Your digital download of the full album also includes over 200 pages of pedagogical material written by album director Erica Johnston, in collaboration with composer Nevada Lozano. This comprehensive set of PDFs includes an introduction to music theory geared specifically towards dancers, as well as three sample lesson plans that pair directly with the album (Adult Advanced Beginner, Intermediate Pre-Professional, and Advanced Pre-Professional levels). Each document is designed to give ballet teachers the tools to help cultivate a sensitivity towards, and appreciation for, the music that is part of every dancer's daily life.
Listen
Click here to stream the full album on YouTube!
Learn
Click on the images below to see previews of the Musicality Guide and Sample Classes!
Track Listing
BARRE
1. Warm-Up
2. Plié
3. Tendu 1
4. Tendu 2
5. Pas de Cheval
6. Temps Lié
7. Dégagé 1
8. Dégagé 2
9. Balançoire
10. Rond de Jambe à Terre
11. Fondu & Rond de Jambe en l’Air
12. Frappé & Petit Battement
13. Barre Adagio
14. Grand Battement
15. Relevé
CENTER
16. Free Stretch
17. Center Adagio
18. Center Tendu
19. Pirouette (Waltz)
20. Pirouette (Mazurka)
21. Pirouette (Tango)
22. Sauté
23. Petit Allegro (2/4)
24. Petit Allegro (5/4)
25. Petit Allegro (6/8)
26. Tour en l’Air
27. Grand Allegro
28. Coda 1
29. Coda 2
30. Révérence
Sheet Music
Click on any of the sheet music below to purchase!
Credits
Composer: Nevada Lozano
Pianist: Wesley Ducote
Director: Erica Johnston
Executive Producer: Nevada Lozano
Creative Producer: Erica Johnston
Consulting Producer: John Albert Harris
Recorded by: Roberto Toledo
Mixed and Mastered by: MP Kuo
Pedagogical Consultant: Annie Spellman
Cover Art: Ursula Echeverria
Special Thanks: Daniel Kluger, Justin Metcalf-Burton, Jude Evans, Zachary Hughes, Chip Fabrizi, Noriko Hara, Deanna Doty, Lori Hunt
Recorded at the New World Center in Miami, Florida.
Copyright 2021 © Nevada Lozano