Ballerina

The song Ballerina, which closes the 1968 album Astral Weeks, was conceived during a moment of deep inspiration for Van Morrison. The story goes that the idea arose in 1966, while he was on tour in the United States with his band Them. In San Francisco, after an initial encounter with who would become his future wife, Janet, Morrison had a vision in a hotel: an actress performing a ballet in a theater. This image became the core of the composition. Them's guitarist, Jim Armstrong, recalls rehearsing and playing the piece for the first time at the Waikiki Shell in Hawaii. The piece, despite its simple harmonic structure, transforms into a small drama over its seven minutes, thanks to the way Morrison modulates the intensity of his voice, conveying a range of emotions from longing to serenity.

The recording of Ballerina took place on October 15, 1968, at Century Sound Studios in New York, during the final work session for the album Astral Weeks. The producer of the session was Lewis Merenstein, and the recording engineer, Brooks Arthur. This album marked a turning point in Morrison's career, moving away from his earlier pop hits, such as Brown Eyed Girl, to explore a mix of genres like folk, blues, and jazz. The song has been performed live on various occasions, appearing on recordings such as the 1980 Montreux concert, included in the album Live at Montreux 1980/1974 (2006), and on Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl (2009), recorded forty years after the original release of Astral Weeks. In this last performance, Morrison added a final section titled Move on Up. The song has also been covered by other artists, such as Gov't Mule on their EP Mo' Voodoo (2005), and by Duke Special with the Inishowen Gospel Choir.