Starting a very important project…
“When the music and dance create with accord...their magic captivates both the heart and the mind.”
The primary goal I have always had, once I decided I wanted to be a composer, was to write my very own ballet. In many ways my love of ballet and dance led to me being introduced to classical music from a very young age, and so the combination of both artforms has always been so interesting to me. All throughout my studies, I spent time researching, reading and learning as much as I could about all the different ballet scores, ballet composers and choreographers that I could. I explored ways one could incorporate movement into music, tell stories with music and compose music that is suitable for dance. For a long time I never felt ready to actually sit down and start writing a full length ballet score. Instead, I worked on smaller projects that satisfied my desire to write music for dance, without having to commit to something so big and seemingly scary.
But now, I feel that if I choose to wait any longer, I could just end up not doing it- which would break my heart! So, I have decided to set myself the challenge of writing my very first ballet within one year! My deadline being the 12th June 2023.
Since I have had this goal for a while, I have already come up with the ideas for behind my first three ballets. So it goes without saying that I have already written the complete story for the ballet I plan to write this year. Now it is all about the music and the overall design. Of course at some point there will need to be choreography and dancers, but that is going to have to wait a little longer, since I want to complete the score first. As I am quite a visual person, I am also going to work on conceptualising the general aesthetic of the piece, including set, props and costumes too.
It will be quite a big project for me, requiring a lot of research, creativity and hopefully a few adventures, and so I plan to share my journey in a series of blog posts. From my studies into music and dance before, I know that it is quite uncommon for a composer to start writing a project like this without being employed by a dance company or choreographer in advance. But even if I had that opportunity right now, I am sure I wouldn’t be commissioned to write the ballet that I have developed within my own mind. And as I am so compelled by the idea I have been working on, for now the creative process is all on me!
Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I think this is a huge opportunity for me to dive even deeper into the world of music and dance and learn so much more about what it really takes to create a ballet score. I am still in a position where studying this relationship is incredibly important for my progress, and I hope through doing this I can start to share my findings to help anyone else who is interested in writing for ballet or dance as well. As I am sure I have said before, in the music world the topic of writing music for dance does seem quite under-researched, which is something I would love to help change- for me and future ballet loving musicians out there!
