Classical music and dancing have been dance floor partners for hundreds of years. Join host Liz Lyon as we explore different forms of dance and the classical music that pairs with them.
Peter Tchaikovsky: Waltz of the Flowers — This waltz may sound familiar. Tchaikovsky wrote it the first act of his ballet Sleeping Beauty. To dance the waltz you can move side to side and back and forth like you’re flowing and floating. You can let your arms float like the wings of a bird. The waltz also includes gentle spinning in circles.
LISTEN — Peter Tchaikovsky: Waltz of the Flowers
Johann Strauss Jr.: By the Beautiful Blue Danube — The Viennese Waltz is the oldest type of ballroom dancing. Strauss was asked to write a piece for the Vienna Men’s Choral Society to help uplift the people of Vienna. This piece started out as a choral piece and was inspired by a poem.
LISTEN — Johann Strauss Jr.: By the Beautiful Blue Danube
George Bizet: Carmen Habanera — This piece is a famous tango by French composer, George Bizet. Dancing the tango involves good posture with your knees slightly bent. As you learn to dance the tango it can be helpful to move your feet to the speed of “slow, slow, quick, quick, slow”.
LISTEN — George Bizet: Carmen Habanera
Astor Piazzolla: Libertango — Argentine musician, Astor Piazzolla wrote this piece in the ‘70s as a request by his agent to write something they felt would be good to play on the radio. He wrote this piece. Its name is the blending of two words— “libertad,” which is Spanish for “freedom” and “tango”.
LISTEN — Astor Piazzolla: Libertango
Peter Tchaikovsky: Dance of the Little Swans — Tchaikovsky is well-known for his ballets. His ballet Swan Lake is considered one of the greatest of all time. When ballet dancers perform this piece they do a move called a pas de chat which looks an awful lot like graceful hopping.
LISTEN — Peter Tchaikovsky: Dance of the Little Swans
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