The Ultimate Ballet Class Playlist: Music That Inspires Every Plie and Pirouette
The right music is the unseen instructor in every ballet class. It sets the tempo, dictates the mood, and provides the soul for every movement. This curated playlist is designed to flow with the traditional structure of class, offering rhythm, drama, and beauty for every exercise.
The Magic of the Barre
The barre is our foundation. The music here needs to be clear, rhythmic, and supportive, helping dancers find their alignment and warm up their muscles with precision and grace.
- Cesare Pugni: "Pas de Six" from La Vivandière (for Plies)
- Alexander Glazunov: "Grand Adagio" from Raymonda (for Tendus)
- Léo Delibes: "Valse Lente" from Coppélia (for Ronds de Jambe)
- Adolphe Adam: "Adagio" from Giselle (for Fondus)
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: "Waltz" from Swan Lake (for Grand Battements)
Center Practice: Finding Your Center
Moving away from the support of the barre, the music in the center must inspire confidence, balance, and expression. The melodies become more expansive, inviting port de bras and adagio that tell a story.
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: "Adagio" from The Sleeping Beauty (for Center Adagio)
- Riccardo Drigo: "Les Millions d'Arlequin" Serenade (for Pirouettes)
- Sergei Prokofiev: "Waltz" from Cinderella (for Petit Allegro)
Allegro: Taking Flight
This is where the class soars. The music for allegro needs crisp rhythms for beats and briseés, and light, airy melodies for jumps that defy gravity. It should make you want to leap across the studio.
- Charles Gounod: "Waltz" from Faust (for Small Jumps)
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: "Chinese Dance" from The Nutcracker (for Glissades & Assemblés)
- Mikhail Glinka: "Valse-Fantaisie" (for Medium Allegro)
Grand Allegro: The Grand Finale
The climax of class. This music must be epic, dramatic, and emotionally charged, fueling powerful grand jetés, soaring saut de chats, and breathtaking travelling steps.
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: "Act I Finale" from Swan Lake
- Aram Khachaturian: "Sabre Dance" from Gayane (for high energy)
- Giuseppe Verdi: "Grand March" from Aida
Reverence: A Graceful Goodbye
Class ends as it began—with grace and respect. The reverence is a bow of thanks, and the music should be elegant, peaceful, and satisfying, leaving the dancer feeling complete.
- Frédéric Chopin: "Nocturne in E-Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2"
- Jules Massenet: "Méditation" from Thaïs
This playlist is more than a collection of songs; it's a journey through the arc of a ballet class. The right piece can transform a simple plié into an act of art and a series of pirouettes into a moment of pure magic. So, press play, and let the music lift you.
Look for curated "Ballet Class" playlists on your favorite streaming service to find recordings of these timeless pieces by world-class orchestras.
