The pet shop boys
The Most Incredible Thing
The Most Incredible Thing
The Pet Shop Boys composed the music for the ballet The Most Incredible Thing, which was created for Ukrainian-born ballet dancer Ivan Putrov. Premiering in 2011 at the Sadler's Wells Theatre, the production marked an unusual but highly successful collaboration between the famous synth-pop duo and the world of classical ballet. The story of the ballet is based on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, and it combines electronic music with orchestral arrangements to bring the narrative to life on stage.
Ivan Putrov, who was a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet, helped initiate the project and played a central role in bringing it to the stage. Wanting to create something fresh that blended contemporary music with classical dance, he approached the Pet Shop Boys to compose an original score. The result was a vibrant and modern ballet soundtrack, arranged by Sven Helbig and performed by a live orchestra, which retained the distinctive melodic and electronic style associated with the Pet Shop Boys.
The ballet tells the story of a contest to create “the most incredible thing,” where a humble clockmaker ultimately triumphs over a jealous rival. Through imaginative staging, choreography by Javier De Frutos, and the Pet Shop Boys’ atmospheric music, the production brought Andersen’s tale to a new audience. The project demonstrated how pop musicians could successfully contribute to classical performance, and it received positive reviews for its creativity, visual design, and innovative score.
