Esther Lee Wilkinson
"The Neglected Spring"
Royal Danish Ballet
October 26 2011
The present aspirant class of RDB is probably the biggest class for several generations. Many of the students, most notably Ida Prætorius have already had featured roles or done significant corps assignments. For the previous two seasons an annual production based on aspirants and first years dancers have performed on the smaller Drama House stage and done some touring to schools. There is a double agenda for these projects, to build a younger audience and to kick start the young dancers stage experience.
This year's project also managed to present probably the greatest choreographer talent from the company ranks.
Continue reading "Class of 2011" »
Angelin Preljocaj:
An then a Thousand Years of Peace
at the Royal Danish Theatre
Royal Danish Ballet's repertoire
October 2011
With this season two opening programmes "The Lesson/La Sylphide" and "Virtuoso Steps", Royal Danish Ballet caters for the refined and dedicated balletomanes. It is ballet performance on a very high level. But as a state company RDB has other commitments at well and that is taken care of in the next programmes.
The commitment includes making a ballet performance for younger children, another for teenagers and students and present guest performances by other European companies, make something for the Opera stage and do a family-oriented Christmas show. For these commitments Nikolaj Hübbe - recently prolonged as ballet master for five more years- has juggled the dwindling budget and his high ambitions and selected to feed the young children with Thomas Lund's "Teddy goes dancing" from a few seasons ago. For the student audience Esther Lee Wilkinsson will make a ballet version of a popular Danish novel with Hübbe himself in the role of harsh teacher professor Blomme. The opera stage will get a high dose of Jerome Robbins ballets and the Christmas family audience gets the luxury of the Balanchine "Nutcracker".
Hübbe may agree to these commitments but he also use them to push the case for good choreography. His argument is. " If we have to do "The Nutcracker" we will do the best available".
Continue reading "The Other Stuff" »
"Bournonville Fantasi" by Thomas Lund
"Donizetti Variations" by George Balanchine
"Etudes" by Harald Lander
Royal Danish Ballet
September 30, October 1, 2011
We all live in financial times and the Royal Danish Ballet is subjected to cuts in numbers of productions and performances. That put special demands on the Ballet Master because the limit for mistakes get smaller. With fever opportunities the hit rate must be higher. With this programme named "Virtuoso Steps" Nikolaj Hübbe shows his high quality levels and his skills in selecting appropriate works for the company and it stars.
"Virtuoso Steps" is just was it says: A wonder of great choreography brought to life by the brilliant corps and soloists of RDB.
Continue reading "Inspired" »
