“Sabre Dance”  is a movement in the final act of Aram Khachaturian’s ballet Gayane (1942), “where the dancers display their skill with sabres”.  It is Khachaturian’s best known and most recognizable work.  In 1948, “Sabre Dance” became a jukebox hit in the United States.  The piece “has entered the realm of popular music as one of the 20th century’s signature pieces”.  It was further made popular by covers by pop artists, first in the US and later in other countries, such as the UK and Germany.  (More from Wikipedia)