Throughout the ages, people have danced to the rhythms of music, and dancers have always expected musicians to perform at their artistic best. In their exchanges, dancing – music’s authentic physical representation – has today developed into an entirely separate art-form. Jazz, rock, tango – and many other major forms of musical expression now familiar in concerts, shows or films – would doubtless have never existed if dancing hadn’t been music’s primary function. To reach the body, heart and soul at the same time, music composed and played for dancing fully requires all of music’s qualities. This collection of dances from around the world – an anthology selected by specialists in each one of these styles – proves how true this is, thanks to the best titles in dance-history. The selections here, sorted by aesthetic form, were chosen with one thing in mind: to show the relationship between dancing and music. Noël HERVe & Patrick FReMEAUX