Erik Aschengreen:
Dancing across the Atlantic
Erik Aschengreen has published yet another book on the Royal Danish Ballet. This time it is available in English as well. In the book he is chronicling the bonds between Danish and American ballet. As all Aschengreen’s books this new work is full of facts and lists. It is generously illustrated including some old shots of the Inge Sand group who toured internationally in the 1950ties and 60ties. But is a difficult tale to tell and almost impossible to trace the dual influence on any of the involved companies.
The Spectre
It cannot be argued that New York City Ballet is an American company, but when Balanchine took the position of Guest Ballet Master in Copenhagen in 1930, it is really not as an American choreographer he spends a year in Copenhagen. It is a very interesting episode, which could have changed the course of world ballet, had the Danes and Balanchine found each other. Aschengreen is surprisingly short in this chapter and omit for instance the fact and the existing picture of Balanchine dancing the Spectre de La Rose at a memorial performance for Danish ballerina Elna Lassen.
A Question of Balance
Aschengreen choses facts over artistic relevance and small almost insignificant relations get as much coverage as key players. Neither does he really analyze what importance the intake of Danish male stars had on NYCB development. Instead much space is dedicated to cover Danish guests at Jacob’s Pillow.
National origin proves to be a poor guide when trying to cover the ballet world. For Instance John Neumeier is an American, but his artistic achievements are the result of spending almost his whole career in Europe. His works can hardly qualify as Americana. He is as much a key choreographer to the Royal Danish Ballet as Balanchine and Robbins are, if not more. But there is little point in bundling them. What Neumeier brings to the RDB with his dramatic ballets is in fact the opposite of the NYCB tradition. Nationality proves a surplus category.
Danish American star, Ib Andersen’s impressive work as Ballet Master in Arizona is hardly mentioned in this book whereas Flemming Flindt’s shorter period in Texas is covered in every detail is another example of peculiar editorial choices.
When I interviewed Ib Andersen in relation to his production of “Kermesse in Bruges” at the RDB he made a very clear analysis of the difference between American and European ballet:
“No company in America has the financial resources of the big European opera houses. Money is a constant worry and there are not budgets for the lavish productions, and therefore choreography is the star in America. We cannot, like the Europeans harvest on high productions value and designs. The European companies, especially the RDB, can create magic by the combination of drama, dance and scenery. Both markets are hit by the lack of good contemporary choreography for the classic dancers and therefore all the big companies depend on a small handful of choreographers like Alexei Ratmansky and Christopher Wheeldon. ABT, the Royal Ballet, the Mariinskij, the RDB, the Canadians and to a high degree also NYCB are becoming more and more alike, presenting the same works. The big ballet companies are also losing their individual styles by recruiting dancers internationally. There used to be house styles, based on the company schools, but now everybody tends to look the same. It creates a generic look that in my view is less interesting and it costs on the unity of the corps.”
This is a precise analysis of the international ballet scene. It is no longer a question of national schools, repertoire and styles, but of everybody doing same. Nationality will be less of a factor, and this trend is not recognized or discussed in Aschengreen’s book.
Read the whole interview with Ib Andersen here http://danceviewtimes.typepad.com/eva_kistrup/2014/09/in-bruges.html
The English version Dancing Across the Ocean (ISBN 978-0-9904386-0-1) is available on http://kglteater.dk/om-os/shop
Photo: Tina Højlund in Strawinsky Symphonie in # Movements by Costin Radu (Copyright Royal Danish Ballet)
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