Dance and Music

Currently the company pianist for the BallettMainz at the Mainz State Theater, Cavalli drew on 40-plus years' experience to write this one-of-a-kind manual. In straightforward, no-nonsense prose, she spells out ways for the teacher and the accompanist to make the rehearsal a success. She says, for example, that dance teachers must learn to count correctly and treat the accompanist with respect. Not surprisingly, Cavalli's real forte is explaining accompaniment. Beginning accompanists will especially benefit from her advice on selecting the proper music and defining their role in a dance company. By far the most thorough treatise on the subject in print, this work also discusses classroom etiquette, dance class structure, how teachers demonstrate, and steps and movements.