Ballet Music.

[Fiz]

I'm not sure where this post should go, so please could one of the admin staff put it somewhere else if possible? Thanks.

I was listening to Holst's Planets Suite while I was reading this afternoon, and it's very dancy being in 2/4 and 3/4 time as well as great music. What I was wondering, has it ever been used for a ballet, and if not, why not? It would be great for it!

[Bluebird]

Does choreography for ice skating count? Holst's Planet Suite was the music for several numbers which were choreographed for Torvill and Dean's company of skaters in the mid-eighties. If you scroll down tte Wikipedia page on Torvill and Dean you'll find the details.

http://en.wikipedia....orvill_and_Dean

[alison]

David Bintley made a ballet to it for the Royal Ballet back in 1990, I think it was. It was rather disastrous: had a highly complex set which didn't always leave a lot of room for the dancing, and it broke down on the first night and led to free drinks at the bar and a very late finish, if I remember correctly. I'm not aware of any other ballets, but perhaps someone else is?

[Pas de Quatre]

The Planets has been used by many people, but there is nothing that has become a standard repertoire piece. Interestingly there is also as short ballet Holst wrote called "The Perfect Fool" (as part of an opera). It just lasts about 12 minutes, but the music is very similar in style to the Planets, i.e. some quite dramatic movements like Mars and a beautiful soft movement like Venus. I have used it several times for children's ballets.

[Fiz]

Thank you for your replies. it could be used well. There's a very ritualized step march piece that could be used for something similar to the Knights in R and J. I know as I tried it myself!

[Jan McNulty]

BRB used The Planets as the basis for a choreographic evening some years ago. One section of David Bintley's Planets was used (Venus) and different company members choreographed each of the other planets. Rosie Kay was commissioned to choreograph Mars.