More About the Dance Class Music
Some of the music has been composed in differing styles in keeping with the most famous music eras, starting from the Baroque Period to the present, but with a dancer's technique in mind, so that dancers and teachers can move to a style which has retained its popularity rather music which, though being helpful for the exercise or similar in style to traditional dance music, is uninspiring. For this reason some of the tracks may remind you of certain famous composers or music eras but nonetheless are well-structured for the dance class and hopefully easy to follow on first listening. This is why I have included a fair of amount of repetition and use of melody. My critics in the profession have purported why not edit famous music to embrace the dance class? Indeed I have on numerous occasions, but found over the years it doesn't always follow the movement, simply because it wasn't written specifically to do so. Contrary to some, I also believe the dance class should reflect the kind of music dancers are going to perform to in their career, either as a student or company professional.
There is also a page of popular cover music arranged/edited for the dance class. I will gradually add to this website additional music compositions from other genres over time.
And Me .....
Even while as a student I worked as a group and theatre musician/arranger/composer, but was interested to move to Europe where I found work playing in nightclubs/live-music venues and also as a freelance dance pianist around the studios and educational institutions in London. I also played popular music on European cruiseboats, both in the band and for the shows. This was good experience for my return to Australia when I became the resident musical director and keyboardist for ten years in a Theatre Restaurant where I combined live music with pre-recorded backing tracks in a similar manner to cruiseships.
My taste in music is very wide: it had to be because I've been able to survive in the industry by having that versatility up my sleeve. My academic training has been a worthwhile backbone too because it has given me the opportunity to play almost anything, within my technical capabilities, which were really tested when I started doing company work for professional ballet/dance companies. What I enjoyed the most were the classes, particularly with those teachers and choreographers with musicality and creativity. I will never forget a number of most inspiring experiences, particularly in Europe, and have lost count of the number of artists I worked with, but here is a list of a few, more to be added later:
- Christopher Gable (Royal Ballet Dancer and actor) Sadly now deceased
- Clover Roope (Rambert Academy, London now the Rambert School)
- Gayrie McSweeney (Australian Ballet School)
- Sylvie Guillaume (guest choreographer/dancer for Finnish National Ballet
- Francois Klaus (Queensland Ballet)
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