The Chairman Dances is a 1985 composition by John Adams,[1] subtitled Foxtrot for Orchestra and lasting about 13 minutes. A commission from the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, it has several dance-like tunes and has been described by Adams as an "outtake" from Act III of the opera he was working on at the time, Nixon in China.[2] The word "Dances" in the title is a verb, not a noun. In the opera, the music depicts Madame Mao gate-crashing a presidential banquet, hanging paper lanterns, and performing a seductive dance; Chairman Mao descends from his portrait, and the two dance a foxtrot, back in time together. The piece ends with the sound of a gramophone winding down.[2]
The Chairman Dances was used in the Civilization IV[3] and I Am Love[4] soundtracks.
The work is scored for a large orchestra.[5]
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