As some of you know or might be able to tell, I love to take classes and perform in the styles of ballet, pointe, jazz, and tap. I'd have to say my favorite style is ballet, and almost 2 years ago I began training on pointe.
Often at ballet studios, students take a "variation class." For those that don't know, a ballet "variation" is a solo dance from a classical ballet. Often students perform these variations at ballet competitions in the U.S. and around the world. I have a fascination with finding the music and other information for these variations, as not much is available on the internet.
If you are a dancer, you can use: the videos I've included to learn a variation, the music to perform the variation at a competition or audition, and the information about the variation to tell people about what you are performing.
This post contains a lot of information: Even if you're not a dancer, you'll enjoy watching the dance videos I've provided and learning more about the ballets.
Please also visit my website here that has even more information about choosing a ballet variation and how I found the music for the songs not on iTunes.
First, I am organizing the sections in alphabetical order by the name of the ballet (the name of the ballet is underlined and in bold print). Under the name of the ballet, I have listed the name of the choreographer and the name of the composer. Under those two items, there is a table with 3 rows and multiple columns, depending on how many variations I have found videos and music for. The rows will be described below from left to right.
Row 1: "Title of the Variation"
This column gives information about: the name of the character in the ballet who performs the variation & which act of the ballet the variation is performed in. For example, one row in the table under the ballet Don Quixote might say Kitri's variation from act 1. Kitri is who performs the variation, and she performs the specific variation I describe in that row in act 1 of Don Quixote.
Row 2: "Video of the Variation"
Here, you'll find a link to a professional ballet dancer or ballet student performing the variation. I've picked the best variations I have found on the internet to give you an idea of what the variation should look like when you perform it. For example, in the column for videos, it might say "Click here to see Miko Fogarty perform this variation." Click on the word "here" that is written in blue to watch the video.
Row 3: "Music for the Variation"
Here, I'll say either to search for a few specific words on iTunes or click to download the music. I will always put the words to search on iTunes in order to buy that piece of music in quotation marks. For example, I might say Search iTunes for "Act II: Variation: Cupid" on iTunes. That means search only "Act II: Variation: Cupid" on iTunes, and high-quality music, the same as the music in the video (maybe a tad faster or slower) will come up to purchase. You can, from there, put it on any Apple device using iTunes (or you could buy the music right on your Apple device). Furthermore, not all music is available on iTunes, but still I've been able to find it.
For those few that I found by means other than iTunes, written in blue it will say "Click here to download the music." It will direct you to a page and you can click on an arrow pointing downwards. Once you've clicked the down arrow, the music for that variatiom will download to your computer's file library, and if you're using Windows, the file will most likely end up in the "Downloads" folder. You can then move it to any folder you'd like, upload to iTunes, and add to your Apple device. Or, for either the music you can purchase on iTunes or the music you can download that I have found, you can burn the music file to a CD using iTunes.
Cinderella:
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Choreographer: Rostislav Zakharov, and later re-choreographed by Frederick Ashton
For those few that I found by means other than iTunes, written in blue it will say "Click here to download the music." It will direct you to a page and you can click on an arrow pointing downwards. Once you've clicked the down arrow, the music for that variatiom will download to your computer's file library, and if you're using Windows, the file will most likely end up in the "Downloads" folder. You can then move it to any folder you'd like, upload to iTunes, and add to your Apple device. Or, for either the music you can purchase on iTunes or the music you can download that I have found, you can burn the music file to a CD using iTunes.
Cinderella:
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Choreographer: Rostislav Zakharov, and later re-choreographed by Frederick Ashton
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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Coppélia:
Composer: Leo Delibes
Choreographer: Arthur Saint-Leon and later Marius Petipa
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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Swanhilda's variation from act 1 of Coppélia
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Click here to watch Hannah Bettes perform this variation
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Search iTunes for "Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra Coppelia". Then click to buy "Coppelia, Act 1: Valse" The correct one is by Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and is 2 mins. 21 secs. long
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Don Quixote:
Composer: Leon Minkus
Choreographer: Marius Petipa
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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Giselle:
Composer: Adolphe Charles Adam
Choreographers: Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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Harlequinade:
Composer: Riccardo Drigo
Choreographer: Marius Petipa
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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La Bayadere:
Composer: Ludwig Minkus
Choreographer: Marius Petipa
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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Search iTunes for "La Bayadere: Third Shade's Solo" The correct one is by John Lanchbery-Minkus and Friends and is 1 min. 11 secs. long
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La Esmeralda:
Composer: Cesare Pugni
Choreographer: Jules Perrot, but later revival by Marius Petipa
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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La Fille Mal Gardée:
(ORIGINAL MUSIC AND CHOREOGRAPHY)
Composer: Peter Ludwig Hertel
Choreographer: Alexander Alexeyevich Gorsky
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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(1960 REVIVAL OF THE ORIGINAL BALLET. Modern audiences are most familiar with this music and choreography.)
Composer: Ferdinand Hérold
Choreographer: Frederick Ashton
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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Le Corsaire:
Composer: Adolphe Charles Adam
Choreographer: Joseph Mazilier, then a revival was choreographed by Marius Petipa
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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Paquita:
Composer: Originally Edouard Deldevez, then re-done by Ludwig Minkus
Choreographer: Originally Joseph Mazilier, then revived by Marius Petipa
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, revised in 1895 by Riccardo Drigo
Choreographers: Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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Dance of the Cygnets from act 2
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Click here to watch
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Search iTunes for "the dance of the swans London Philharmonic" The correct one is by London Philharmonic Orchestra and is 1 min. 34 secs.
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Variation 5 from the pas de six in act 3
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Click here to watch Sage Humphries perform this variation
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Search iTunes for "variation V pas de six london symphony orchestra" The correct one is by London Symphony Orchestra and is 1 min. 24 secs.
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Odile's variation from the pas de deux in act 3
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Click here to watch Miko Fogarty perform this variation
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Search iTunes for "variation 2 the black swan pas de deux" The correct one is by Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra and is 1 min. 49 secs.
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Composer: Leo Delibes
Choreographer: Frederick Ashton
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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Pizzicato from act 3
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Click here to watch Elizabeth and Isabella Seo perform this variation
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Search iTunes for "Sylvia: V, Pizzicato" The correct one is by Paris Conservatoire Orchestra and is 1 min. 56 secs.
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Composers: Josef Bayer with parts composed by Riccardo Drigo
Choreography: Nikolai and Sergei Legat
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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The Fairy Doll's variation from the pas de trois
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Click here to watch Madeline Davis perform this variation
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Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreographer: Marius Petipa
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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Blue Bird (or Princess Florine) variation from act 3
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Click here to watch Nina Kaptsova perform this variation
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Search iTunes for "variation the blue bird and princess florine" The correct one is by The USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra and is 52 secs. long
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Composer: Riccardo Drigo
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Title of the Variation
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Video of the Variation
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Music for the Variation
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Niriti's variation from the pas de deux
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Click here to watch Emily Kadow perform this variation
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Thank you so much! You saved this mother from going crazy finding the right music! You are awesome!
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