Music for Ballet Class: Syncopé

Christopher Ferris

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A contemporary and exciting framework for exploring the heart of ballet: the joy of movement to music

Thank you so much for bringing my music into your class. I hope you and your dancers find it inspiring!

I’ve structured this recording to follow the classical ballet class order of combinations, and have provided versions in many cases to allow

A contemporary and exciting framework for exploring the heart of ballet: the joy of movement to music

Thank you so much for bringing my music into your class. I hope you and your dancers find it inspiring!

I’ve structured this recording to follow the classical ballet class order of combinations, and have provided versions in many cases to allow you to choose the tempo and feel that suits your choreography best. The titles of the tracks only suggest the combination; I'm certain you'll find the tracks useful for many different applications. I’ve also included the time signatures and a tempo reference to help you select faster or slower versions. Most of the tracks for barre are long enough for both sides; the shorter ones are indicated with “One Side” in the name.

As the subtitle of this recording suggests, there’s plenty of syncopation in this collection which may make it less suitable for beginning level students, but you’ll find that the tracks while improvised are carefully metered and measured. I’ve also made a point of leaving long tails or extra counts at the end for balances.

I owe thanks to a great group of people who have in their way made this recording possible. I’ve been playing class with Kevin Kaiser, former Pacific Northwest Ballet dancer and artistic director at Evergreen City Ballet, for many years and he’s encouraged a lot of the funk that appears in this class. Kevin also has helped develop and review this collection, along with help from my test teachers Tessa Olmstead, Jocelyn Horne, Elizabeth Parr, and Danielle Wilkins. Instrumental in encouraging me to pursue this project were Louise Nadeau, Andi Bryndza, and Marty Kneeland.

Special thanks also to the many dancers of Pacific Northwest Ballet I’ve had the honor to accompany for master classes. Your enthusiasm and support for my music has been invaluable to me.

Dancers featured in the album artwork are performance division students at Evergreen City Ballet, photographed by the amazing eye of Tim Aguero and brought into visual harmony by designer Ryan Obermeier. The cover and CD images feature dancers Ainsley Montemayor and Raleigh Peregrine.

Christopher Ferris is a Seattle-based artist, composer, and performer. Entirely improvisational, Ferris' work juxtaposes the structure of the classical ballet class with the refreshing motivation of contemporary sound. His talent for composition provides students and teachers alike with an exciting framework for exploring the heart of ballet: the joy of movement to music. Learn more about his works at festeproductions.com

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Improvisations

Christopher Ferris

A series of solo piano improvisations remarkable for their beauty, technique, and sense of composition, filled with surprises and complexity and deep emotion.

Improvisations was recorded at Lake Union Recording on a Baldwin SD-10 concert grand piano over four sessions in January and February of 2012. While a true definition of improvisation is

A series of solo piano improvisations remarkable for their beauty, technique, and sense of composition, filled with surprises and complexity and deep emotion.

Improvisations was recorded at Lake Union Recording on a Baldwin SD-10 concert grand piano over four sessions in January and February of 2012. While a true definition of improvisation is elusive, for me it means how I play the piano. No sheet music or memorized repertoire, no path provided by another to follow. Just an instrument I have loved and played for as long as I have memories.

In the end I chose to name the final selections. They are no longer ephemeral; each time I listen to them they are the same now, note for note. I chose these pieces because they are evocative to me, emotionally, visually, or they have a story to tell. The names seem to capture the nature of each – a moment, a movement, a place somewhere.

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bonjour tristesse

Christopher Ferris

My first CD, 1997. It's a recording of improvisations, with jazz, , ragtime, ballet, and classical impressionist influences all at once

Christopher Ferris (aka Interkosmos) is a visionary artist who defies categorization. He is a prolific and polished composer; he is an accomplished performer remarkable especially for his extraordinary gift for

My first CD, 1997. It's a recording of improvisations, with jazz, , ragtime, ballet, and classical impressionist influences all at once

Christopher Ferris (aka Interkosmos) is a visionary artist who defies categorization. He is a prolific and polished composer; he is an accomplished performer remarkable especially for his extraordinary gift for improvisation. His music reflects his many years of classical training, yet his original style stands out whether in solo piano performances or in his electronic dance music. Ferris’ considerable talents extend in all directions, including graphic design, studio production, business management, and many others. His vision, combined with his infectious enthusiasm and relentless drive, promises a bright and fascinating future.

Discography Proximity, INTERKOSMOS (electronic) March 2006 London Mix, INTERKOSMOS (electronic) February 2006 A Chime in the Woods 2005 (live performance, solo piano) January 2006 A Chime in the Woods 2004 (live performance, solo piano) November 2005 Invasion Warning, INTERKOSMOS (electronic) January 2005 Bonjour Tristesse (solo piano) October 1997

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A Chime in the Woods - 2004

Christopher Ferris

The first solo piano performance in the "Chime" series, fusing jazz, minimalism, and classical impressionism into a story without words

Christopher Ferris (aka Interkosmos) is a visionary artist who defies categorization. He is a prolific and polished composer; he is an accomplished performer remarkable especially for his extraordinary gift for

The first solo piano performance in the "Chime" series, fusing jazz, minimalism, and classical impressionism into a story without words

Christopher Ferris (aka Interkosmos) is a visionary artist who defies categorization. He is a prolific and polished composer; he is an accomplished performer remarkable especially for his extraordinary gift for improvisation. His music reflects his many years of classical training, yet his original style stands out whether in solo piano performances or in his electronic dance music. Ferris’ considerable talents extend in all directions, including graphic design, studio production, business management, and many others. His vision, combined with his infectious enthusiasm and relentless drive, promises a bright and fascinating future.

Discography Proximity, INTERKOSMOS (electronic) March 2006 London Mix, INTERKOSMOS (electronic) February 2006 A Chime in the Woods 2005 (live performance, solo piano) January 2006 A Chime in the Woods 2004 (live performance, solo piano) November 2005 Invasion Warning, INTERKOSMOS (electronic) January 2005 Bonjour Tristesse (solo piano) October 1997

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A Chime in the Woods - 2005

Christopher Ferris

Live solo piano performance. Dreamy, lyric improvisation blending Keith Jarrett, Chopin, Stravinsky, Chick Corea and Debussy.

Christopher Ferris (aka Interkosmos) is a visionary artist who defies categorization. He is a prolific and polished composer; he is an accomplished performer remarkable especially for his extraordinary gift for

Live solo piano performance. Dreamy, lyric improvisation blending Keith Jarrett, Chopin, Stravinsky, Chick Corea and Debussy.

Christopher Ferris (aka Interkosmos) is a visionary artist who defies categorization. He is a prolific and polished composer; he is an accomplished performer remarkable especially for his extraordinary gift for improvisation. His music reflects his many years of classical training, yet his original style stands out whether in solo piano performances or in his electronic dance music. Ferris’ considerable talents extend in all directions, including graphic design, studio production, business management, and many others. His vision, combined with his infectious enthusiasm and relentless drive, promises a bright and fascinating future.

Discography Proximity, INTERKOSMOS (electronic) March 2006 London Mix, INTERKOSMOS (electronic) February 2006 A Chime in the Woods 2005 (live performance, solo piano) January 2006 A Chime in the Woods 2004 (live performance, solo piano) November 2005 Invasion Warning, INTERKOSMOS (electronic) January 2005 Bonjour Tristesse (solo piano) October 1997

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