Sabre Dance
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- This article is about the dance involving swords - for the uncontrollable upward movement of the F-86 Sabre: see Sabre dance
The Sabre Dance is a movement in the final act of Aram Khachaturian's ballet Gayane, completed in 1942. The Sabre Dance movement evokes a whirling war dance on a mazurka rhythm, where the dancers show off their skill with swords (sabres).
Because of its exceptionally exciting rhythm, the Sabre Dance obtained a place in its own right in concert practice, leading also to various adaptations in popular music.
Plate spinners and other human tricks innovators highly contributed to its popularization, notably The Ed Sullivan Show, wherein it was played while plate spinners performed their act.
The Sabre Dance was also covered by performers such as jazz player Woody Herman and rocker Dave Edmunds, and was featured in an episode of "The Simpsons" wherein Bart uses Grandpa Simpson's teeth to swing around on a ceiling fan while the piece is played.