Music for Ballet

I started playing piano at the Diane Harrison School of Dance in Dewsbury at the age of eleven. Some might say that thrice-weekly repetitions of “Spanish Flea” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo” might cause irreparable damage to the pre-teen brain. I’d say they’re probably right.

Music player – requires Flash

Music excerpts taken from ‘Studio Series 6’, ‘Pre-Primary in Dance’ and ‘After Class 2’. Piano – Jonathan Still, Harp – Ruth Potter. (P) RAD Enterprises 2009. Used with permission.

I've always rather fancied ballet dancers, so in 1998 I arranged for an audition as a pianist at the headquarters of the Royal Academy of Dance, the largest ballet training organisation in the world. I failed the audition after sight-reading an Adage at three times its intended speed, but the Head of Music at the time took pity on me and took me on to teach Composition to the final-year degree students. She soon discovered that I knew where to put microphones, so for the past ten years I've recorded all of the RAD's music CDs, including their Studio and After Class series.

Ballet CD covers Pre-Primary in Dance Studio Series Excursions 6

© 2009 RAD Enterprises Ltd. Used with permission.

One of my most enjoyable commissions was to co-produce the music for the new R.A.D. Pre-Primary and Primary in Dance syllabi with the Academy’s Music Development Manager, the wonderful Jonathan Still. Handily, he lives down the road from me. When his Tooting Philharmonic meets my Netherfield Sinfonia, we’re a match for any other virtual orchestral outfit you might find on the Northern Line.

Andrew with Jonathan Still

Other clients in the dance world have included Wayne Sleep, National Youth Ballet, Arlene Phillips and The Royal Ballet.