From Piano to Strings:
Essential Music for Lyrical Choreography

A curated journey through the soundscapes that give flight to movement.

Lyrical dance lives in the space between breath and beat, where emotion dictates form. The right music isn't just an accompaniment; it's the floor, the walls, and the air the dancer moves through. It provides the narrative pulse, the dynamic swell, and the silent space where a gesture speaks volumes.

Choosing the perfect piece is the first, and most crucial, step in crafting a lyrical story. The repertoire is vast, spanning centuries and genres, but certain compositions possess an inherent kinetic quality—a conversation between melody and movement waiting to happen. Let's explore the essential categories, from solitary piano to lush string ensembles.

The Solo Piano: Intimate Confessions

Nothing strips a feeling to its core like the piano. Its range—from the delicate high register to the resonant bass—allows for choreography that explores internal monologue, vulnerability, and raw clarity.

• "Gnossienne No. 1" Erik Satie

  Satie’s timeless, haunting piece floats without a strict time signature, inviting suspension and off-balance movement. Its modal melody is perfect for exploring longing and ethereal, weightless quality.

• "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" Michael Nyman

  A driving, repetitive pattern builds with urgent emotion. Ideal for choreography that moves from constriction to explosive release, telling a story of resilience and breaking free.

• "Spiegel im Spiegel" Arvo Pärt

  Pärt’s "Mirror in the Mirror" is minimalist and profoundly meditative. Its simple, ascending triads create a space for slow, sustained, and deeply emotional movement—a study in grief, peace, or transcendence.

The String Ensemble: The Sweep of Emotion

When a feeling is too big for one instrument, strings answer. They provide the cinematic swell, the collective sigh, and the dramatic tension that allows choreography to expand into grand, sweeping narratives.

• "Experience" Ludovico Einaudi

  Building from a simple piano motif into a powerful string-driven crescendo, this modern classic is a masterclass in dynamic storytelling. Choreograph a journey, not just steps.

• "Metamorphosis Two" Philip Glass

  Glass’s repetitive structures are not monotonous but hypnotic. The evolving string patterns allow dancers to explore subtle variations on a theme, like a thought process unfolding in real time.

• "Eleanor Rigby" (String Quartet Arrangement) The Beatles, arr. by various

  Stripped of its lyrics, the poignant melancholy and rhythmic drive of this arrangement offer a familiar yet fresh landscape for choreography about connection, loneliness, and community.

Modern Fusion & Cinematic Gems

The contemporary lyrical stage thrives on hybrid sounds—where electronic textures meet acoustic warmth, creating soundscapes ripe for innovative movement.

• "Cornfield Chase" Hans Zimmer

  The ticking clock motif beneath soaring organs and strings creates incredible urgency and yearning. Perfect for pieces about time, destiny, and reaching.

• "To Build A Home" The Cinematic Orchestra

  With its patient build, lyrical piano, and heartbreaking vocals, this song is a blueprint for choreographing narrative. It’s about memory, loss, and the fragility of what we hold dear.

Ultimately, the most essential music for your lyrical choreography is the piece that refuses to leave you. It’s the melody you hum while doing dishes, the rhythm that taps itself out on your steering wheel. That persistent sound is already dancing in you; your job is simply to give it a form.