Modern Music for Your Next Ballet Choreography
For generations, the classics of Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and Prokofiev have formed the cornerstone of ballet music. While these masterpieces continue to inspire, today's choreographers are increasingly looking beyond the traditional canon to find fresh sonic landscapes that speak to contemporary audiences.
The right musical choice can transform a piece, creating unexpected emotional resonances and pushing the boundaries of what ballet can express. In this exploration, we dive into the modern composers and unexpected musical sources that are redefining ballet scores for the 21st century.
Contemporary Composers Crafting Ballet Scores
These living composers are creating works specifically for dance or composing concert music that naturally lends itself to choreographic interpretation.
Anna Þorvaldsdóttir
Icelandic ContemporaryÞorvaldsdóttir's atmospheric compositions create immersive soundworlds that seem to move and breathe with natural rhythm. Her work "METACOSMOS" explores the relationships between darkness and light, structure and chaos—perfect for abstract or narrative works exploring transformation.
Choreographic potential: Her expansive soundscapes work beautifully for large ensemble pieces with fluid, organic movement vocabulary.
Max Richter
Post-MinimalismPerhaps the most choreographed living composer today, Richter's recomposition of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" has become a contemporary ballet staple. His blend of electronic and classical elements, repetitive structures, and emotional directness makes his music exceptionally danceable.
Choreographic potential: Ideal for narrative works and pieces exploring memory and time. His music provides clear structure while allowing for emotional interpretation.
Missy Mazzoli
21st Century DramaticAs one of America's most performed living composers, Mazzoli's music combines driving rhythm with haunting lyricism. Her opera "Breaking the Waves" demonstrates her ability to create powerful dramatic arcs—a gift that translates beautifully to story ballets.
Choreographic potential: Excellent for contemporary narrative works with complex characters and emotional depth.
Unexpected Genres: Finding Rhythm in Surprising Places
Ballet companies are increasingly looking beyond the classical realm to find musical inspiration that connects with diverse audiences.
Electronic & Ambient
Modern ElectronicaArtists like Nils Frahm, Ólafur Arnalds, and Kiasmos create electronic music with classical sensibilities. Their use of acoustic instruments within electronic frameworks provides both rhythmic drive and textural sophistication that inspires innovative movement.
Choreographic potential: Excellent for pieces exploring technology, urban environments, or internal psychological states. The pulsing beats facilitate complex rhythmic work.
Global Fusion
Cross-Cultural SoundsComposers and ensembles like Tinariwen, Anoushka Shankar, and Béla Fleck are creating music that blends traditions in ways that invite choreographic innovation. These sounds can help bring diverse cultural perspectives to ballet while expanding its movement vocabulary.
Choreographic potential: Wonderful for collaborations with dancers versed in different traditions, or for works exploring cultural dialogue and exchange.
Post-Rock & Instrumental
Modern InstrumentalBands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sigur Rós, and This Will Destroy You create expansive instrumental works with dramatic arcs that rival any symphonic poem. Their use of dynamics—from whisper-quiet to thunderous crescendos—creates natural dramatic structure.
Choreographic potential: Ideal for pieces with strong emotional narratives and dynamic contrast. The building intensity facilitates dramatic climaxes.
Curated Listening: Modern Music for Choreography
Start your exploration with these works specifically selected for their choreographic potential:
- Anna Þorvaldsdóttir - "METACOSMOS"
- Max Richter - "Infra" (complete ballet score)
- Missy Mazzoli - "Violent, Violent Sea"
- Nils Frahm - "Says"
- Ólafur Arnalds - "re:member"
- Jóhann Jóhannsson - "IBM 1401, A User's Manual"
- Dustin O'Halloran - "Lumiere"
- Bryce Dessner - "Aheym"
- Caroline Shaw - "Partita for 8 Voices"
- Jonny Greenwood - "Phantom Thread Suite"
Choreographing to Modern Music: Practical Considerations
Working with contemporary scores presents unique challenges and opportunities:
Rhythmic Complexity: Much modern music doesn't follow regular metrical patterns. Count in phrases rather than beats, and develop systems to track complex time signatures.
Textural vs. Melodic Focus: When melody is less obvious, movement can either contrast with or emerge from the texture. Consider having dancers embody different instrumental layers.
Silence and Space: Modern compositions often use silence as an active element. choreograph the pauses with as much intention as the movement.
Collaboration with Living Composers: When possible, commission original scores or collaborate directly with composers. This partnership can yield work uniquely suited to your choreographic voice.
The Future Sounds of Ballet
The expansion of ballet's musical vocabulary represents more than just novelty—it's a necessary evolution that keeps the art form vibrant and relevant. By embracing modern composers and unexpected musical sources, choreographers can create works that speak to contemporary experience while pushing the technical and expressive boundaries of dance.
The next great ballet score might be waiting in an electronic album, a film soundtrack, or a concert piece that hasn't yet been considered for dance. The challenge—and opportunity—for today's choreographers is to listen broadly, imagine fearlessly, and continue expanding what ballet can sound like.
What modern music inspires movement in your mind? The possibilities are as infinite as the playlist.
