The Royal Danish Ballet are keeping busy while preparing for this year's great premiere: Nikolaj Hübbe and Eva Draw's "La Bayadere". Spare time is used on developing the company's own choreographic talents, entertaining children and taking "La Bayadere" to New York and "Dancing with the Stars".
Expectations are high and Nikolaj Hübbe is really pushing the boat out. He used his spot on the "Dancing with the Stars" panel to bring the Third act Pas de Deux with J'aime Crandall and Alban Lendorf into prime time entertainment. In addition Hübbe brought a team of dancers to Guggenheim for a showcase, available on the internet: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/26350972
Another preview was on offer from the "Corpus", the in-house ensemble which will focus on creating new works. Their first assignment is a piece for December's "Hübbery" and audience was invited an open audition and discussion of the piece in progress. Although I had high expectations I was surprised to find that the work in progress was a work for the full company. Based on a questionnaire the powers in chief Esther Lee Wilkinson and Tim Matiakis has collected the dancer's childhood memories as well as a wishlist on what to do. Based on the findings, the work includes a segment on football , bravura dancing of Alban Lendorfs and friends, a pas de deux for the real life couple Lena Maria Grüber and Fernando Moro, a Romeo and Juliet themed segment celebrating the dancers love for the Neumeier ballet and a Highland Fling danced by to transatlantic dancers Holly Jean Dorger and James Clarke, who competed as children in Scottish dancing back home, before meeting as members of the RDB many years later, among a myriad of other segments. There is strenght in numbers but the appeal of the work owes as much to the character and personalities of dancers and choreography as to the line-up. It could turn out be a more personal and more movement-oriented Danish answer to "Le Grand Defile" of the Paris Opera Ballet.
Thomas Lund's' presence is still very much felt in his children's ballet "Teddy goes Ballet" danced by his new corps of pupils which cater for the youngest audience. Sorella Englund and Jette Buchwald picked up awards given out by Friends of the Danish Ballet and first year dancer Ida Prætorius gained an award from the Neel Halpern Foundation.
But anticipation regarding "La Bayadere" is the dominant feeling. Will we gain a strong and lasting masterpiece? The audience is waiting.
Photos (c): Royal Danish Ballet
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