Eva Kistrup

Welcome back, Mr. Balanchine

Symphony in 3 movements

by George Balanchine

Directed by Suzy Pilarre

La Sonnambula 
By George Balanchine
Directed by Richard Tanner

Symfoni in C
By George Balanchine
Directed by Merrill Ashley og Stacey Cadell

For most of the Danish ballet audience, George Balanchine is the creator of New York City Ballet and the employer of Danish male talent. It is not well known that Balanchine has spent two long periods at the company and had the climate been more appreciative, his story could have been our story.

One of the charms of having Nikolaj Hübbe as Ballet Master is his knowledge and love of the Balanchine heritage, and as his first Balanchine outing he has selected two masterpieces with long performance histories at The Royal Danish Ballet for an evening tying the knot of the happy combination of Mr. B and the other Mr. B's company.

Flemming Flindt dies

Former Principal Dancer, Ballet Master and Choreographer Flemming Flindt dies at age 71.

Flemming Flindt is an important chapter in the Royal Danish Ballet’s history, all though it is likely that only his first ballet “The Lesson” will earn continuing performances. But what Flindt also should be remembered for was his major contribution of growing the company and pushing ballet from an elite art form onto the masses. Unfortunately this effort was done mainly by trivialising and vulgarising the art form, but he none the less made ballet matter both in the Royal Theatre and to everyman.  

 

Expected and unexpected

Today Nikolaj Hübbe presented his repertoire for next season and the repertoire is a reflection of his own career consisting of a healthy dose of Balanchine, Robbins, Bournonville and even John Neumeier's "A Midsummer's Night Dream", one of the first ballets where the young Hübbe had starring roles. That was an unexpected but welcome dish on the menu . Although it was expected for Hübbe to do a new version of "Napoli", it is very unexpected that he together with Sorella Englund will put a Fellini type frame around the classic.