Mark Your Calendars for the First-Ever World Ballet Pianists Day!

While it’s always important to thank your accompanist after class or rehearsal, ballet dancers can take an extra moment to show their appreciation on October 9 for the first-ever World Ballet Pianists Day.

Created by Massimiliano Greco, main pianist and head of the music department at the Princess Grace Academy, the new initiative aims to honor the historical relationship between ballet and piano. With this year’s kickoff, he hopes to rally greater support for the holiday.

As explained in a press release, Greco chose the date of October 9 because it is the birth date of Alexander Siloti (1863–1945), a pianist who worked closely with Tchaikovsky and was charged with writing the first high-level professional transcriptions of classic ballets, like The Sleeping Beauty and Raymonda. So whether you’re dancing to live accompaniment or a tried-and-true Spotify album, make sure to show some extra appreciation for these essential musicians on Wednesday!