1. In Proportio Quintupla
2. Of Tranquility
3. Of Circles

Imaginary Dances is a collection of three movements exploring a variety of three meters and moods, much as one might find in a dance collection except the dances are made up and not among those in the traditional lexicon of a choreographer.

The title of the first movement, "In Proportio Quintupla," is borrowed from the Spanish renaissance composer Juan de Anchieta to indicate a piece in quintuple meter, five beats to the measure. Part of the interest of a quintuple meter is the ability to group the beats within the measure in different subgroups totaling five with 2 or 3 beats being the most common groupings. Grouping is important because the listener tends to break down pulses into groups of two or three, not five. Quintuple meter, using quarter notes, can be indicated with a time signature of 5/4 or it can indicate the the grouping of the quarter notes with a compound time signature of 2/4+3/4 or 3/4+2/4. This movement uses the 5/4 because the grouping changes throughout the piece, although 3/4+2/4 is most common. One common rhythmic pattern that helps shape the form in the piece is where three successive measures group 3+2 and the fourth measure groups 2+3. This change in grouping underscores the cadence or half cadence at that point. The grouping in each measure in this movement should be obvious to the performer who will apply subtle accents appropriately.

The second movement, "Of Tranquility," is an imaginary slow dance. Notice the precisely written-out ritardandos in measures 12, 49, and 52. The form has the feel on a modified ABA form with Coda but the B section starts out similar to the A section and then morphs into contrasting material and the return of A is modified and developed rather than being an exact repetition.

The third movement, "Of Circles," is a toccata type piece in a quasi sonatina form. The title refers to the main theme's tendency to circle around different pitches. In the rhythmic tone introduced in the eight measures beginning in measure 55, a little levity is introduced by causing the listener to think that the third subphrase is a syncopated version of the beginning of the fourth quarter of the Westminster chime but then it moves away from the familiar tune widely associated with bells.

—Peter Paul Olejar