What is Ballet?

The ballerina glides across the stage, her arms making lovely lines in the air. A beautiful tune comes from the strings of the large orchestra. She is the Sleeping Beauty: she was put into a deep magic sleep by the wicked witch. But she has now been woken by her handsome prince, and he dances joyfully with her, athletic and strong. Another time, she is Princess Odette from Swan Lake, and around her the other dancers – swans in white chiffon – weave patterns in time to the music. And yet another time, she is the Sugar Plum Fairy celebrating the joy of Christmas in The Nutcracker.

This is ballet, the classical dance that, once seen, is never forgotten. Even though today we have film and video games, ballet is still a powerful vision of beauty and excitement. The dancers use the strength of an athlete, the balance of a gymnast and the sensitivity of a violinist to tell stories through their dancing. Here is some of the best music which has propelled dancers for hundreds of years.

Naxos Global Distribution Ltd :

Naxos Records is the world's leading classical music label as measured by the number of new recordings it releases and the depth and breadth of its catalogue. Naxos was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born entrepreneur based in Hong Kong. Under his continuing stewardship, Naxos has developed from being known primarily as a budget label focusing on standard repertoire into a global music group comprising a raft of downloading and streaming platforms, a significant catalogue of multimedia products, a vast international logistics network, a recording engineering arm, a publications division, and a licensing department.

Music Tracks and Information:

TR 1 ( 00:02:37 ) Swan Lake, Op. 20 (excerpts) - Act I Scene 2: Scene

Composer: Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il'yich | Performer: Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra; Halász, Michael; Bogacz, Josef

TR 2 ( 00:05:50 ) Swan Lake, Op. 20 (excerpts) - Act II Scene 1: Valse

Composer: Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il'yich | Performer: Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra; Halász, Michael; Bogacz, Josef

TR 3 ( 00:02:22 ) Coppelia (excerpts) - Act I: Valse

Composer: Delibes, Léo | Performer: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra; Mogrelia, Andrew

TR 4 ( 00:04:11 ) Coppelia (excerpts) - Act I: Mazurka

Composer: Delibes, Léo | Performer: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra; Mogrelia, Andrew

TR 5 ( 00:02:55 ) Coppelia (excerpts) - Act III: Marche de la cloche

Composer: Delibes, Léo | Performer: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra; Mogrelia, Andrew

TR 6 ( 00:02:40 ) The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II: The Vision: Panorama (Andantino: The Awakening)

Composer: Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Il'yich | Performer: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra; Lenárd, Ondrej

TR 7 ( 00:01:17 ) Vremena goda (The Seasons), Op. 67 (excerpts) - Winter: Ice

Composer: Glazunov, Alexander Konstantinovich | Performer: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra; Lenárd, Ondrej

TR 8 ( 00:02:05 ) Vremena goda (The Seasons), Op. 67 (excerpts) - Summer: Waltz of the Cornflowers and the Poppies

Composer: Glazunov, Alexander Konstantinovich | Performer: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra; Lenárd, Ondrej

TR 9 ( 00:03:49 ) Vremena goda (The Seasons), Op. 67 (excerpts) - Autumn: Bacchanale and Appearance of the Seasons (Winter - Spring - Bacchanalian Dance - Summer)

Composer: Glazunov, Alexander Konstantinovich | Performer: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra; Lenárd, Ondrej

TR 10 ( 00:02:56 ) Cinderella Suite No. 1, Op. 107 (excerpts) - VI. Cinderella Goes to the Ball

Composer: Prokofiev, Sergey | Performer: Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra; Kuchar, Theodore

TR 11 ( 00:02:48 ) Cinderella Suite No. 1, Op. 107 (excerpts) - VII. Cinderella's Waltz

Composer: Prokofiev, Sergey | Performer: Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra; Kuchar, Theodore

TR 12 ( 00:03:16 ) Rosamunde, D. 797: Ballet Music No. 2: Andantino (excerpt)

Composer: Schubert, Franz | Performer: Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra; Halász, Michael

TR 13 ( 00:02:23 ) The Nutcracker, Op.