Despite ballet being a relatively esoteric branch of classical music, ABC Classic FM has managed to identify almost 2000 ballet and other dance scores from which listeners chose a top 100.
The countdown, broadcast over the long weekend, ended with Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky taking out first and second place with Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. In third place was fellow Russian, Prokofiev’s version of Romeo and Juliet.
But while it was three of the world’s most popular ballet pieces that crowded the top places, more than 50% of the performers featured in the countdown were Australian, exemplifying the ABC’s crucial role in nurturing local talent.
ABC Classic FM is dedicated to investing in high-quality and distinctive Australian music and performance, free for all Australians. ABC Classic FM has collaborated with The Australian Ballet to produce three films specifically for the Countdown. Emerging choreographers Alice Topp, Richard House and Ella Havelka created striking new responses to the top three featured works, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker Suite, and Romeo and Juliet.
Why Dance, a 3 x 20 minute feature series from the ABC’s Dr Ann Jones, has launched on air on ABC Classic FM, online and on the ABC listen app to mark this year’s theme. In association with The Australian Ballet, Sydney Dance Company and Bangarra Dance Theatre, Ann explores female choreographers in the male-dominated world of ballet, the importance of dance in Indigenous culture, and the healing role of dance in the lives of some everyday Australians.
ABC Classic FM hosts Russell Torrance, Vanessa Hughes, Genevieve Lang, Greta Bradman, Damien Beaumont, Martin Buzacott, Tamara-Anna Cislowska and Mairi Nicolson dedicated the weekend to the joy of the dance, with an array of special guests including composer Elena Kats-Chernin, director and choreographer Meryl Tankard, performer Lisa McCune and author and broadcaster Eddie Ayres.
“Our audiences embraced the ABC Classic 100 in their many thousands, with their votes demonstrating that really, all music is for dance” said Toby Chadd, ABC Classic FM’s Content Manager. “Their choices have brought us a joyful and rich weekend of broadcast and online content, celebrating all the radiance and exhilaration that dance has to offer. Only the ABC can offer such a wonderful opportunity for audiences across the country to share the world’s best music with every music lover, no matter where they are.”