by Catherine L. Tully

This fun CD is a great resource for ballet teachers of all levels. Featuring well-known ragtime tunes such as The Entertainer and Maple Leaf Rag by the wonderful Scott Joplin, there are 16 tracks in all to choose from. Some are by other composers and are not as well known, but each track here works well for dance class.

Ragtime music has a gloriously upbeat tempo and feel to it, so it’s a wonderful choice if you need to give a class a “boost” or infuse a little energy into a combination that still needs work but is getting a little tired…

Matthews isn’t just any pianist–he has extensive experience working with ballet and contemporary dancers and understands their needs. The tracks here are edited into even phrases of eight so they are easy to use and they are played with attention and verve. It’s always nice to have a CD like this on hand for times when you want to change things up a bit and add some pep. Nothing does that better than some good ragtime!

Ragtime for Dance lends a 20’s feel to the classroom and is a super fun CD. There are a few sample tracks here if you’d like to have a listen.