Sabre Dance


"Sabre Dance" is a movement in the final act of Aram Khachaturian's ballet Gayane, where the dancers display their skill with sabres. It is Khachaturian's best known and most recognizable work. He apparently felt that its popularity "deflected attention from his other works."
Its middle section is based on an unnamed 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."
"Sabre Dance" is considered one of the signature pieces of twentieth-century popular music. It was popularized by covers by pop artists, first in the US and later in other countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany. Its use in a wide range of films and television series over the decades have significantly contributed to its renown. Sabre Dance has also been used by a number of figure skaters from at least five countries in their performances. 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."

Hit in the US

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." That year three versions of the "Sabre Dance" reached number one in the Billboard Best-Selling Records by Classical Artists:
These three versions were included in 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."

Hit in the UK

The version by Love Sculpture reached No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1968.

Covers

YearArtist, band, orchestraNote
1948Oscar LevantIn the film The Barkleys of Broadway
1948Freddy MartinEntitled "Sabre Dance Boogie"
1948Woody Hermanalbum: The Second Herd
1948Victor Young
1948The Andrews Sisters and The Harmonica GentlemenEntitled " Sabre Dance"
1953Homer and Jethro with Spike JonesOne of two classical pieces named and performed in the 1953 recording of "Pal-Yat-Chee," the other is the aria Vesti la giubba from the opera I Pagliacci
1954Liberace
1956Georges Cziffra
1958Les Baxter & His OrchestraUltra-Lounge Volume 3: Space Capades
1961The King Brotherslyrics by Roberts and Lee; with The Rita Williams Singers, orchestra conducted by Geoff Love
1961Jerry Murad's Harmonicatsalbum: Peg O' My Heart
1967Takeshi Terauchi & Bunnysalbum: "Let's Go Unmei"
1968Love Sculpture with Dave Edmunds
1969Ekseptionalbum: Ekseption
1973Spontaneous CombustionThe single has two arrangements of "Sabre Dance", with Side B's "And Now For Something Completely Different!--Sabre Dance", a spy film-style arrangement produced by Robert Fripp
1974Ekseptionalbum: Bingo
1979The Boysalbum: To Hell with the Boys
1979The Pretendersalbum: Pretenders
1982Ivan RebroffPerformed at a concert in Sydney, Australia
1985Nina HagenEntitled "The Lord's Prayer", album: In Ekstase
1985Danny ElfmanIn the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure
1987Kidsongsvideo and album: A Day at the Circus
1988U.K. Subsalbum: Killing Time
1989Toy Dollsalbum: Wakey Wakey
1990Quartet Skazalbum: Balastroika
1991Dave EdmundsSeville in concert
1992Mekong Deltaalbum: Kaleidoscope
1993James Galwayalbum: Dances for Flute
1993Deep Purple"Sabre Dance"
1994Budapest Gypsy Symphony Orchestra
1994AcceptEntitled "Sodom and Gomorrah", album: Death Row
1994Cheap TrickThird track on "Didn't Know I Had It" single
1995Master's HammerEntitled "Šavlový Tanec", album: Šlágry
1996Skycladalbum: Irrational Anthems
2004Vanessa-Maealbum: Choreography
2004BondEntitled "Highly Strung", album: Classified
2006Tony Levinalbum: Resonator
2007The Brian Setzer Orchestraalbum: Wolfgang's Big Night Out
2008André RieuIn the film Andre Rieu – In Wonderland
2010Les Fradkinalbum: Hyper Midi Guitar
2011Michał Jelonekalbum: :pl:Revenge |Revenge
2011–12Richard GallianoIn concerts

In popular culture

The "Sabre Dance" has been used in numerous films, animated films, television series, video games, and commercials over the years, oftentimes for humorous effects. 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 television shows that have used it include The Jack Benny Program, A Piano in the House from The Twilight Zone, The Onedin Line, The Benny Hill Show, Our Very First Telethon episode of Full House, The Simpsons, Two and a Half Men, What's New, Scooby-Doo?, "Peterotica" episode of Family Guy, SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Big Bang Theory.
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, One, Two, Three, The System, :ru:Семь невест ефрейтора Збруева|The Seven Brides of Corporal Zbruev, Amarcord, Nu, pogodi! 6th episode "Countryside", Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Repentance, Punchline, Hocus Pocus Radioland Murders, The Hudsucker Proxy, Don't Drink the Water, I Married a Strange Person!, Vegas Vacation, A Simple Wish, Blues Brothers 2000, The Lion King 1½, Kung Fu Hustle, Scoop, Sicko, Ghost Town, Witless Protection, Le Concert, Pájaros de papel, '. 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 '.

Video games

Video games in which the "Sabre Dance" was used include:
The National Hockey League 's 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:
SeasonAthleteCountryCompetition
1981–82Natalia Bestemianovafree skating
1986Suzanne Semanick
Scott Gregory		1986 U.S. Figure Skating Championships
1986–88Debi ThomasUnited States
1994Scott HamiltonUnited States
1993–94Michelle KwanUnited Statesshort program
1998–99Johnny WeirUnited Statesshort program
1999–00Evgeni Plushenkoshort program
2001–02Stanislav Morozov
Aliona Savchenko		short program
2001–02Takahiko Kozukashort program
2004–05Stanislav Morozov
Tatiana Volosozhar		Ukrainefree skating
2004–05Daisuke TakahashiJapanshort program
2005–06Takahito MuraJapanshort program
2006–07Maximin Coia
Adeline Canac		free skating
2007–08Ryuju HinoJapanshort program
2012–13Yulia LipnitskayaRussiashort program
2013–14Yulia LipnitskayaRussiaexhibition