Ballerina by Bob Russell Divisi - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.1666431

This arrangement, sold at SheetMusicPlus.com and SheetMusicDirect.com at a lower price than the standard flat-fee range for vocal jazz ensemble arrangements ($75), does NOT come with a demo recording or any rehearsal audio aids. Visit KerryMarsh.com and purchase the “All Tracks Pack (With SkyTracks Mixer)“ package and receive access to: 1. Arrangement Demo, 2. SkyTracks Mixer access, 3. Vocal Part Tracks, 4. Minus-One Tracks, 5. Rhythm Track, 6. Recording Stems (for those who wish to use their own Digital Audio Workstation).

Ballerina (sometimes titled “Dance, Ballerina, Dance”) is arranged for SSATBaB choir with piano, notated bass, and drums, drawing inspiration from Gregory Porter’s version on Nat King Cole & Me—which features a Vince Mendoza orchestral arrangement—and explicitly modeled after that lush, swinging take. The piano part is written in more of a traditional “jazz” notation style, using slashes, rhythmic figures, chord symbols rather than being fully-notated as is typical throughout this catalog. There’s a prominent baritone lyric‑solo role, with a few lyric lines carried by the ensemble, which otherwise provides a studio‑orchestra style accompaniment. Harmonically dense and demanding—extended upper ranges, tricky voice‑leading (check that soprano intro!)—it blends technical challenge with efficiency: part of the head‑in is reprised in the head‑out, saving some rehearsal time. After an improv section, the chart transitions into a up-tempo jazz‑waltz soli before kicking back into a hard‑grooving swing feel. With its powerful, dramatic opening, “Ballerina” works beautifully as a set opener or anywhere you want a strong statement—ambitious, lush, and designed to grab attention right from beat one.