At the moment, when looking round the world, we can find all kinds of dance performances are being offered. There are many competitions, and the dancers might be quite confused (困惑的) Which is of high standard and good quality, and which is not worth going to? First of all it has clearly got to be distinguished (区分) between the different styles of dance and the purposes of such competitions. When a person wants to learn classical ballet, he or she would never dream of going to a ballroom teacher. Such a teacher might even have been a world champion in his ballroom dancing, but he would definitely not be experienced in teaching proper classical ballet.

People in Britain and the USA are taking more interest in modern dance. Dance classes of all kinds are popular; a large number of audiences go to watch modern dance companies. And perhaps the most popular modern dance company in Britain is the Ballet Rambert.

The Ballet Rambert is Britain’s oldest dance company which began in 1926. In the 1960s the company lacked the money to go on staging big productions. The directors wanted to encourage new talent and to keep up their high standards. A change of direction was necessary. They decided to give the ballet a “new look” in 1966. The purpose was to provide a chance for new talent and to show dance as a contemporary art form. And although some of the company’s previous fans disliked the change, new audiences came to see the productions.

The modern dance pieces and modern music found unexpected popularity. In the 21st century the Ballet Rambert was a great success in London’s West End. The company became a focus for new, progressive talent in the art.

The Ballet Rambert has managed to make modern dance popular while creating original productions. It can claim to be the oldest dance company in Britain and at the same time one of the most modern!

   One British school is finding that allowing children to listen to music or even to have the TV on while studying is helping improve grades. When your teenager starts a family _____ by sitting in an armchair listening to music while doing his homework next time, why not _____ a simple experiment? Rather than taking the strict line of _____ him to go to his bedroom to get on with it _____ , let him do the homework the _____ he wants. You might well find that his essay is more interesting than _____ he’s done before.

___ the research of Millfield Prep School, around 20% of youngsters _____ best with background music, 10% do extremely well when allowed to ______ their work with short walks around the room while up to 80% can focus ______ if allowed to play with a small object.

The research has advised the school to adopt a complete ______ approach, analyzing pupils to discover which learning style ______ them best — then letting them do their work listening to music or ______ lying down. Doubtful (感到怀疑的) parents at first regarded the ______ as a layabout’s (懒汉) deed but many are now applying it at ______ where children are also allowed to do their work ______ the television on.

“I ______ to work on the floor with music on low, ” admits Susan, 13, a day girl. “______ my parents thought I was playing truant (偷懒), but my ______ persuaded them to look at my homework and when they saw it was okay, they ______.”

   Need inspiration？Happy background music can help people get the creative juice flowing.

Simone Ritter, at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands, and Sam Ferguson at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia, have been studying the effect of silence and different types of music on how we think.

They divided 155 volunteers into five groups. Four of these were each given a type of music to listen to while taking a series of tests, while the fifth group did the tests in silence. The tests were produced to judge two types of thinking: divergent thinking, which refers to the process of creating new ideas, and convergent thinking, which is how we find the best solution to a problem. Ritter and Ferguson found that people were more creative when listening to music they thought was positive, coming up with more special ideas than the people who worked in silence.

"We also performed other types of music that were sad, anxious and calm, and didn't see this effect, " says Ferguson. "It seems that the type of music present is important, rather than just any music." In addition, no type of music helped convergent thinking, suggesting that it's better to solve problems in silence.

Ritter and Ferguson write that their finding could be used to improve creative thinking in places like educational institutions or laboratories, but Irma at the University of Helsinki in Finland, says happy music may help creativity by setting off the release of dopamine, a brain chemical involved in pleasure and relief." Dopamine also increases creative thinking and goal-directed working, "says Irma. And she also thinks happy music may not help convergent thinking because this kind of thinking relies more on logic and less on creativity.

   The symphony ended and after much applause the audience moved out of the warmth of the hall and into the cold night air. It had been one of the best performances of recent months and you could feel the excitement as the crowd moved down the street. Taxis seemed to appear from nowhere to convey people home，while others sought out bars and restaurants. Everyone was chatting excitedly and the magic of the performance carried on in their minds.

This had been a traditional classic，with none of the clumsy notes so loved by the so-called modernists. The music had thrilled the soul and assisted in lifting the spirits to a higher level. Perhaps in these hard times someone might learn this valuable lesson. What was wanted was traditional works that attracted crowds，not the shameful and incomprehensible pieces that had left so many seats unoccupied for so long.

As the people left they seemed to carry some of the performances along with them. It was like the fragrance of a rose bush carried by a gentle wind，sweet and exciting，yet at a distance the source unknown. A few hummed（哼）the tunes as they walked along，spreading their enjoyment far and wide. Long into the night you could still feel the emotion of the music and as dawn rose over the city the next day，the last faint echoes（回声）still remained as people returned to work.

Critics are critics；they are never really interested in ordinary people and simple pleasures. Where was the skill in simply playing well to a fascinated audience？What was advanced by the performance of well-known overtures（序曲）？So，as would be expected，they used their usual phrases and quotations to belittle（贬低）the traditional classics. As a result，the pop returned. And within a week the concert hall was almost empty again.