cd review – Page 3

CD Review: Ballet Lovers, Vol. 8

August 11, 2014 by Rachel Hellwig

Music for Ballet Lovers Vol. 8: Gorgeous Moments II
Yoshi Gurwell

Yoshi Gurwell’s Gorgeous Moments lives up to its name. The California-based pianist plays with heart and personality on all 40 tracks for barre and center floor. Rags, waltzes, tangos, marches, and polkas come in all speeds, lengths, and flavors to suit intermediate, advanced, or professional dancers. The music is a joy to move to—expressive without being overly busy. All the compositions on the disc are original works by Yoshi Gurwell’s husband Doug, arranged and performed by Yoshi.

I’ve come across other ballet class CDs with this much content (Gorgeous Moments offers 19 tracks for barre and 21 for center), and often the selections are so similar they seem unnecessary. Here each piece feels specific and important, making this album both useful and inspiring. I highly recommend it to teachers of higher-level dancers.

CD Review: “Les Petits” Ballet Class Music for Very Young Children

March 12, 2014 by 4dancers

by Emily Kate Long

What does it take to conduct a successful pre-ballet or creative movement class?

Teaching little ones is a joy, but it can be a challenge to keep their attention. Les Petits, a collaborative effort between pianist Nolwenn Collet and ballet teacher Nicola Farças, offers music for everything from the usual skips and foot exercises to storybook and role-playing games to dances for different kinds of weather. Forty-five tracks range in length from 1-2 minute across-the-floor selections to eight-bar pieces evoking different emotions and moods from shy to proud.

Les Petits contains music for warming up, creative dances incorporating basic technique, music for allegro and locomotor movement, exercises for music appreciation, music for mime and expression, rhythm games, and a cool-down and reverénce. The CD sleeve includes exercises and choreography suggestions by Farças for most of Collet’s music. Many of these ideas could be used with other ballet CDs, but are charming and perfectly matched to the moods and tempos here.

Les Petits would make a valuable addition to any pre-ballet teacher’s music library. Both new and experienced teachers will find something fresh and helpful on this CD to keep the classroom exciting.

CD Review: Modern Ballet Studio Melodies Vol 4

December 5, 2013 by 4dancers

by Emily Kate Long

Modern Ballet Studio Melodies, Volume 4 by the talented Christopher Hobson is a standout for its variety in style and its inspiring energy. The album contains thirty-six tracks of music with no repeats for the seventeen barre pieces. Hobson plays something for everyone, from Debussy and Prokofiev to the themes from “South Park,” ET and Indiana Jones.

All the music on the disc is dynamic, and the adagio tracks, seven in all, are especially sensitive and lyrical. The two grande allegro tracks are on the slow side, but the rest of the allegro music has a wide enough range of length and tempi to make this CD work for many different class levels. The same is true of the music for barre: most exercises have multiple choices of music. The versatility offered here comes as no surprise; in addition to composing and arranging music for the studio and the stage, Hobson has been commissioned to compose music for the International Dance Teachers Association’s entire ballet syllabus.

Overall Christopher Hobson delivers a delicious mix of brightness, weight, attitude, and spice on Modern Ballet Studio Melodies 4. It’s suitable and inspiring for many levels from intermediate student to professional.

CD Review: Dancing Keys 3

August 9, 2013 by 4dancers

by Emily Kate Long

Dancing Keys 3 contains 29 tracks of original solo piano music. Gill Civil’s compositions are clear and expressive, richly textured, and full of life. The CD includes fourteen “bonus tracks”—repeats of existing tracks that are either double length, slower, or faster. This feature makes Dancing Keys 3 suitable for a variety of class levels. However, the usefulness of these extra tracks is dampened somewhat by the fact that they are all lumped together at the end of the disc instead of appearing next to their originals within the class sequence. Even the most melodious CD can be consigned to the bottom of the stack if it’s difficult to use or disrupts the flow of class. It’s a shame this beautiful music collection has been arranged with a built-in handicap, albeit a small one.

There are thirteen tracks for barre, with double-length versions for plies, tendus, jetes, frappes, ronds en l’air, and petit and grand battements. Center contains sixteen tracks including port de bras, tendus, several waltzes, a march, and plenty of allegro music. Meters and are varied and tempi are clear. Adapted tracks here include double-length tendus, waltz, and sautés; a slower waltz and march, and faster allegro for batterie.

Production shortcoming aside, the music on Dancing Keys 3 is simply lovely.

Gill Civil’s Dancing Keys 3 is available on www.pianomusicforballet.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes.

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