Sabre Dance

This article is about the musical piece. For the aeronautical phenomenon in high-speed aircraft, see Sabre dance (aviation).

The cover of a 1953 record of the "Sabre Dance" by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

The "Sabre Dance" (Armenian: Սուսերով պար, Suserov par; Russian: Танец с саблями, Tanets s sablyami) is a movement in the final act of Aram Khachaturian's ballet Gayane (1942), "where the dancers display their skill with sabres." It is Khachaturian's best known and most recognizable work. Its middle section is based on an Armenian folk song. According to Tigran Mansurian, it is a synthesis of an Armenian wedding dance tune from Gyumri tied in a saxophone counterpoint "that seems to come straight from America."

In 1948 the "Sabre Dance" became a jukebox hit in the United States. Due to its popularity, Newsweek suggested that 1948 could be called "Khachaturian Year in the United States." In that year, three versions of the "Sabre Dance" (one played by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Artur Rodziński; another one by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Efrem Kurtz; and by Oscar Levant) reached number one in the Billboard Best-Selling Records by Classical Artists. These three versions were included in the Year's Top Selling Classical Artists by Billboard in 1948. The "Sabre Dance" became the first million-selling record of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. According to the Current Biography Yearbook, it was Levant's performance that "received popular attention."

The piece "has entered the realm of popular music as one of the 20th century's signature pieces." It was further made popular by covers by pop artists, first in the US and later in other countries, such as the UK and Germany. Its use in a wide range of films and TV series over the decades have significantly contributed to its renown. The "Sabre Dance" has also been used by a number of figure skaters. Tom Huizenga of NPR describes it as "one of the catchiest, most familiar—perhaps most maddening—tunes to come out of the 20th century." Billboard magazine calls it "a piece that's known to every pops orchestra in existence."

Covers

Year	Artist, band, orchestra	Note	Ref
1948	Oscar Levant	In the film The Barkleys of Broadway
	Freddy Martin	Entitled "Sabre Dance Boogie"
	Woody Herman	album: The Second Herd
	Victor Young
	The Andrews Sisters and The Harmonica Gentlemen	Entitled "(Everytime They Play the) Sabre Dance"
1954	Liberace
1956	Georges Cziffra
1958	Les Baxter & His Orchestra	Ultra-Lounge Volume 3: Space Capades
1961	The King Brothers	lyrics by Roberts and Lee; with The Rita Williams Singers, orchestra conducted by Geoff Love
1961	Jerry Murad's Harmonicats	album: Peg O' My Heart
1967	Takeshi Terauchi & Bunnys	album: "Let's Go Unmei"
1968	Love Sculpture with Dave Edmunds
1969	Ekseption	album: Ekseption
1973	Spontaneous Combustion
1974	Ekseption	album: Bingo
1979	The Boys	album: To Hell with the Boys
1979	The Pretenders	album: Pretenders
1982	Ivan Rebroff	Performed at a concert in Sydney, Australia
1985	Nina Hagen	Entitled "The Lord's Prayer", album: In Ekstase
1988	U.K. Subs	album: Killing Time
1989	Toy Dolls	album: Wakey Wakey
1992	Mekong Delta	album: Kaleidoscope
1993	James Galway	album: Dances for Flute
1994	Budapest Gypsy Symphony Orchestra
1994	Accept	Entitled "Sodom and Gomorrah", album: Death Row
1995	Master's Hammer	Entitled "Šavlový Tanec", album: Šlágry
1996	Skyclad	album: Irrational Anthems
2004	Vanessa-Mae	album: Choreography
2004	Bond	Entitled "Highly Strung", album: Classified
2006	Tony Levin	album: Resonator
2007	The Brian Setzer Orchestra	album: Wolfgang's Big Night Out
2008	André Rieu	In the film Andre Rieu – In Wonderland
2010	Les Fradkin	album: Hyper Midi Guitar
2011	Michał Jelonek	album: Revenge
2011–12	Richard Galliano	In concerts

In popular culture

The "Sabre Dance" has been used in numerous films, animated films, TV series, video games and commercials over the years. The piece's popular familiarity has been enhanced by its traditional use as accompaniment by travelling circuses and on television variety shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show when novelty acts such as plate spinners appeared.

Some notable TV shows that have used it include The Jack Benny Program (1961), A Piano in the House from The Twilight Zone (1962), The Onedin Line (1971 and 1972), The Benny Hill Show (1985), Our Very First Telethon episode of Full House (1990), The Simpsons (1991–2011), Two and a Half Men (2004), What's New, Scooby-Doo? (2004), "Peterotica" episode of Family Guy (2006), SpongeBob SquarePants (2007), The Big Bang Theory (2009).

On June 6, 2013 on the 110th anniversary of Khachaturian’s birthday a modern take of the Sabre Dance—Sabre Dance on the Street—was performed at Yerevan Cascade by Barekamutyun dance ensemble and Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra.

Films

Films in which the "Sabre Dance" was used, include The Barkleys of Broadway (1949), One, Two, Three (1961), The System (1964), Amarcord (1973), Nu, pogodi! 6th episode "Countryside" (1973), Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986), Repentance (1987) Punchline (1988), Radioland Murders (1994), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Don't Drink the Water (1994), I Married a Strange Person! (1997), Vegas Vacation (1997), A Simple Wish (1997), Blues Brothers 2000 (1998), Kung Fu Hustle (2004), Scoop (2006), Sicko (2007), Ghost Town (2008), Witless Protection (2008), Le Concert (2009), Pájaros de papel (2010), Sabre Dance (2015). In his frenzied comedy One, Two, Three, director Billy Wilder used the dance repeatedly for comic effect, including a crazed chase through East Berlin, and the chaotic closing ride to the airport featuring James Cagney and Horst Bucholz. It was also played briefly in Madagascar 3.

Video Games

Video games in which the "Sabre Dance" was used, include Road Runner (video game) (1985 Atari System 1 arcade version)

In sports

The National Hockey League team Buffalo Sabres have used the piece as a theme song since the team was established in 1970. After a hiatus, the "Sabre Dance" was again made their theme song in 2011.

In 2010–13, the "Sabre Dance" became popular in the city of Donetsk, Ukraine, because it was played in Donbass Arena, the venue of FC Shakhtar Donetsk, whenever the Armenian football player Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored a goal.

The "Sabre Dance" was featured in the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony held in Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia on February 7.

Figure skating

The "Sabre Dance" has been used by numerous figure skaters, including:

Season(s)	Athlete(s)	Country	Competition	Ref
1986	Suzanne Semanick Scott Gregory	United States	1986 U.S. Figure Skating Championships
1986–88	Debi Thomas	United States
1994	Scott Hamilton	United States
1993–94	Michelle Kwan	United States	short program
1998–99	Johnny Weir	United States	short program
1999–00	Evgeni Plushenko	Russia	short program
2001–02	Stanislav Morozov Aliona Savchenko	Ukraine	short program
2001–02	Takahiko Kozuka	Japan	short program
2004–05	Stanislav Morozov Tatiana Volosozhar	Ukraine	free skating
2004–05	Daisuke Takahashi	Japan	short program
2005–06	Takahito Mura	Japan	short program
2006–07	Maximin Coia Adeline Canac	France	free skating
2007–08	Ryuju Hino	Japan	short program
2012–13	Yulia Lipnitskaya	Russia	short program
2013–14			exhibition

External links

• Article with several recordings, NPR
• Arthur Fiedler, Boston Pops