Ballet was Glazunov's favorite genre, so much so that on one occassion he wrote a complete dance score though he had no particular ballet project in mind. This work, the Scènes de ballet (1894), is a suite of eight dances that brim with delightful melodies and shine with the composer's bright orchestration.

"Introduction" begins with a brilliant fanfare, followed by a joyful Italianate dance. "Marionettes" recalls Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker in its lightness and childlike simplicity. A "Mazurka" with grand Slavonic feeling gives way to a springy "Scherzino." The dignified "Pas d'action" suggests a dramatic moment in an imaginary ballet plot. A tambourine lends Spanish flavor to "Dance, which is followed by another dance, an elegant miniature "Valse" that features a violin solo. The work ends with a brilliant "Polonaise" that evokes the atmosphere of an Imperial Russian ball.

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