Symphonic Moves
The Best Orchestral Pieces for Ballet Performances
As we look at the current ballet season, a thrilling trend is taking center stage: choreographers are moving beyond the traditional Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky to discover and rediscover magnificent orchestral works, weaving them into breathtaking new narratives. The synergy between a live orchestra and a dancer's breath is pure magic. Here are the pieces that are defining ballet in 2025.
While not composed for dance, Holst's celestial suite has become a blockbuster on the ballet stage. Choreographers are particularly drawn to the visceral drive of "Mars, the Bringer of War" and the ethereal, weightless quality of "Neptune, the Mystic." New productions use the complete suite to create sweeping narratives about humanity, destiny, and the cosmos, offering dancers a incredible range of emotional and physical expression, from aggressive, percussive movements to fluid, floating adagios.
Berlioz's psychedelic and passionate journey of an artist's opium-induced dreams is a natural fit for narrative ballet. The explicit story program—complete with unrequited love, nightmarish visions, and a witches' Sabbath—provides a clear yet fantastical roadmap. In 2025, we're seeing avant-garde productions that lean into the work's darkness and innovation, using modern choreography to explore themes of obsession, addiction, and the surreal, making this 1830 masterpiece feel utterly contemporary.
Originally commissioned for the Ballets Russes, Ravel's masterwork remains the gold standard of musical impressionism and a textural marvel. Its lush, expansive orchestration, including a wordless choir, paints an incredibly vivid picture of ancient Greece. The complete ballet score, though demanding, is experiencing a revival. Its extended sequences allow for deep character development and build to one of the most thrilling crescendos in all of music, offering a climactic moment that leaves audiences breathless.
Beyond the Classics: Modern Masters
Icelandic composer Anna Þorvaldsdóttir's work is at the forefront of the new sonic landscape for ballet. "Metacosmos" evokes the formation and life of a black hole, creating a soundworld that is both massive and intimate, dark and glittering. Forward-thinking choreographers are using her music to create abstract, deeply physical works that explore geology, nature, and the cosmos on a monumental scale. It's a challenging but profoundly rewarding piece that pushes the boundaries of what ballet music can be.
Adams's "foxtrot for orchestra" is a masterpiece of post-minimalist energy and propulsive rhythm. Its infectious, repetitive patterns and cinematic swagger make it perfect for high-energy, narrative-driven pieces. We're seeing it used both as a standalone piece for explosive one-act ballets and as inspiration for larger story arcs about power, seduction, and modern life. The music's relentless momentum is a gift to dancers, providing a complex rhythmic structure to play against and drive through.
The relationship between music and movement is constantly evolving. These works, from the timeless classics of the orchestral repertoire to the thrilling voices of modern composers, provide the rich soil from which the next generation of ballet masterpieces will grow. They challenge dancers, inspire choreographers, and remind us all that the most powerful stories are told not with words, but with a note and a step.
