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Name: Music For Ballet Class 2, Ayumi Hirusaki

Review: Truthfully, I might have considered buying this CD just for the cover art. The lovely picture of a ballerina at the barre is as engaging as the music within.

This CD features Ayumi Hirusaki, the main pianist at the National Opera of Tokyo, and it is the second of two CDs designed specifically for ballet class. (The first is simply “Music For Ballet Class“.)

There are arrangements of music from composers such as Gershwin, Minkus, Prokopiev and Joplin here, and the variety helps keep things interesting. Hirusaki also includes improvisations on the CD. Once you hear the music, there can be little doubt that she is an accomplished musician.

If you are wondering what the music sounds like, you can listen to short samples of the music on this CD on the Mediaphorie website to see if it would work for your class. (One of the nice things about the web is the days of buying a CD without having any idea what is on it are pretty much over.)

The barre is a pretty straightforward one, and the centre tracks offer music for tendus, an adagio, allegro and more. The music here is probably too “grown up” for a children’s class, but would work well for higher levels or adult ballet classes. I’ve used it in my class and the students enjoyed it–it offers a break from the typical “routine” barre music that is out there.

It’s nice to have options, and this is a good CD to have in your rotation.

Name: Behind Barres Volume VI, By Request

About: This is another good CD for ballet class by Behind Barres–and by now that shouldn’t be a surprise. Still, this one in particular has some really great music on it–thus the “By Request” in the title. These tracks are actually ones that were asked for again and again.

You can hear adaptations of songs such as “Puttin’ On The Ritz” and other tunes you’ll recognize, which make for a fun class. As with other CDs this company has put out, the sound quality and arrangements are top of the line, so you don’t have to worry about if the songs will sound good in the studio.

Curious? Head over to the site and listen to a few sample tracks to get a feel for what is on this CD.

Finding good music for class is a challenge that I used to dread. Luckily, over the years there have been companies such as this that have sprung up to deliver ballet music that is fun, inspirational, and, just as importantly, good quality. If you can’t have a live pianist in the room with you, at least you can get the next best thing.

Buy this CD or browse others.

Disclosure.

Name: Behind Barres Presents: Tune in and Turn Out, Volume VIII

Much like the other CD that I thought could have been a disaster (but was actually quite good) Under the Palms, the thought of teaching a ballet class with an album full of TV theme songs made me a little more than nervous. Once again, I didn’t have to worry…

This fun CD offers up some wonderful music from television shows such as The Munsters, The Flintstones, The Odd Couple and even I Love Lucy. Before I played the tracks, I couldn’t imagine how this might be pretty, but it really is. Although the melodies are the same, the tunes have been expertly arranged so that they are appropriate for the dance classroom (thanks again to Judy Rice and Paul Lewis). I think that students will be amused and entertained listening to the music and matching the songs to the show.

This is a wonderful CD to use as a change of pace to bring a little freshness to the studio environment. After all, who says you can’t have a little fun in ballet class? Tracks are all on the shorter side, so it is probably a good album for beginners, or to use mixed in with another CD for kicks. Adult students are probably the best audience for this, as many of the theme songs are from older TV shows, such as I Dream of Jeanie and the theme from the Carol Burnett Show.

I probably never would have chosen a CD like this for fear that it would be campy and silly, but I would have missed out on a really interesting compilation of music. My students loved it–and to me, that’s what it is all about.

Disclosure

The CD: Behind Barres, Volume 1 (Revised)

The Details: Over an hour of ballet class music, 25 tracks. This revised CD has doubled the length of nine of the musical selections for the centre work.

The Review: The excellent pairing of Judy Rice and Paul Lewis team up again for another wonderful ballet class CD featuring selections by Tchaikovsky, Delibes, Minkus and various others. The tracks are infused with emotion and Lewis once again delivers a top-notch performance; although one would expect nothing less from this accomplished ballet accompanist.

The 25-track listing includes a full barre that is suitable for any level class. Centre music is varied and offers petit, medium and grand allegro as well as an adage and pirourette selections. Sample tracks can be heard on the website, including tendu and a medium allegro. It’s a good sampling of what the album has, so if you are interested, be sure and have a listen.

This CD is a good investment since it can be used for all levels and the track lengths are long enough to used in advanced classes. If you are looking for dramatic arrangements, this is also a great pick–many of the selections are very moving. (For something lighter, take a look at Under The Palms.)

Buy this CD for $30.00

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The DVD: Caterina & Her Baby Ballerinas

The Details: DVD for teaching children ballet. 30 minutes. Cost is $19.95 + $2.99 s&h

The Review: This is a cute DVD, featuring a “grown up” dancer dressed as a cat and two ballet students. I think it would be something that young children would find appealing, and you can tell that thought was put into how to capture their attention. “Caterina” has a cute demeanor and is very encouraging, and the use of creative dissolves where she speaks directly to the camera is sure to be a hit with little ones. (She says things such as “purrfect” and “cat-tastic”.)

Things covered include a warmup, stretching and the ballet positions as well as some barre work and center work. I appreciated the fact that safety was emphasized–things such as not forcing turnout, and proper plie technique.

I’m not sure about the difficulty level–the age group that this video is best for is a bit hard to determine. Most of the dance information is at a very basic level, but she also teaches pirouettes and combinations that are best left for older, more experienced dance students. (That said, it doesn’t mean that your child couldn’t sit those out and do the rest of the video, as it’s pretty obvious which exercises are more difficult.)

All in all I found this to be a cute video that kids would enjoy. Very clever concept–I’ve never seen anything quite like it before. 

CD Title: Under The Palms, Brazilian, Cuban, Creole and other Tropical Music For Ballet Class

By: Behind Barres Presents: Paul Lewis & Judy Rice 

I have to confess that I was a little frightened to see what this CD was all about when I heard the title. If done poorly, it could have been a disaster.

Luckily, I had no need to worry.

Under the Palms is a terrific CD for ballet class. If you are ever having a day where you need a little bit of inspiration, use this album and you’ll be in a better mood in no time. Recorded with a single stereo microphone, it gives the music the sound of live piano in the studio. I doubt that it’s possible to feel anything other than energetic when you hear these tracks. So many ballet class CDs sound the same that it was very refreshing to hear something so different–and so good.

Peppy without being campy, I was very impressed that the CD was filled with such thoughtfully arranged tracks. Carefully metered out by Lewis without losing heart and soul, the flow here is palpable. Although most of the music is upbeat, the slower tracks are also quite pretty.

The class was designed by Judy Rice, a professional with over 20 years of experience as an instructor, including time on faculty at the Joffrey Ballet School, Steps and the Broadway Dance Center. Pianist, Paul Lewis has 29 years of experience playing–and it shows. He is the company pianist for the Joffrey Ballet.

Don’t be afraid to take a chance on this CD–it’s better than many of the “regular” ones out there, yet it is truly different. Adding it to your lineup will give you a sunny pick for those days that you need one.

Buy this CD

Disclosure

This charming kids book makes a great gift for a younger child (designed for ages 3 to 8). At 40 pages, there is plenty to look at, and the illustrations are darling.

The story is about Gwendolyn and her pig pal Omar and their pursuit of a dream. Gwendolyn longs to be a ballerina, while clumsy Omar is hoping to score a spot on the football team.

It’s a simple story, but one with an uplifting message of hope. Children have the chance to see that you can reach your dreams, and that hard work does indeed pay off.

I loved that the story appeals to both boys and girls–a surprise that made this book even more valuable. And since it’s a hardcover, it can stand the test of time when it comes to repeated readings.

This is a cute kids book that is great for little dancers, but the storyline is bigger than the dance classroom.

$15.95 / Picture Book / Hard Cover / 8.5 x 11
Author – David Ira Rottenberg
Illustrator – Lesley Anderson

Buy This Book

The CD: Musique Pour Le Cours De Danse Classique IV (Music for Ballet Class IV)

The Details: Piano Composition & Interpretation : Ellina Akimova (Bolchoï Dance Academy 1990-1995)

Exercises & Instructions : Franciska-Elisabeth de Mikhnevitch (Opéra of Paris 1960-1984)

Sold by: Mediaphorie

The Review: I have listened to this CD now over 30 times and am currently using it for my adult ballet class. I have found it to be very refreshing–the compositions are original and extremely well-played by Ms. Ellina Akimova. There is music here for an entire ballet class, and the barre tracks are all repeated for the convenience of the instructor.

Although the music is clear and measured, this is not a CD I would use for a beginning class. It is probably too complex for new students who do better when phrases are repeated often and the music is simple. For more advanced students, however, I found the tracks to be quite inspirational–especially those for the center work. The barre music is also a departure from the typical ballet class fare.

One of the best features of this CD is the fact that the tracks are lengthy. Some ballet class CDs have short tracks that necessitate pausing the exercise to re-start the music. This is extremely distracting to the students and teacher alike. More advanced classes have longer exercises both in the barre and the center, and this CD allows plenty of time for longer combinations.

There is also a nice mixture of music here so that you can get a lot of use out of the CD. There are tracks for pirouettes, petite variation, tours en l’air and adagio, among many others. This will allow you to mix and match exercises and create several different classes while still utilizing the same CD.

Ms. Akimova’s skill is considerable, and all of the music is completely measured and steady. I’ve always appreciated the difficulty that goes with playing ballet music for students. In order to do it well, you have to be able to play flawlessly, yet infuse some emotion into the pieces you are interpreting. This is no easy task, but it is done extraordinarly well here. The tracks for small jumps and tendus have a sprightly feel to them and the slower ones have an ebb and flow that encourage artistry.

I have not heard the other CDs in this series (I, II, III), but based on my experience with this one, I would definitely say they would be worth investigating. I’ve been very pleased with this one and recommend it without hesitation.

My students enjoy it too.

Buy this CD

Disclosure