Eva Kistrup

Star-crossed Lovers

John Neumeier:

"Lady of the Camellias"

Third Cast

Royl Danish Ballet

September 24, 2014

 

Last week, Gudrun Bojesen showed how deep of an interpretation as Marguerite in”Lady of the Camellias” can be achieved by a mature ballerina. This week 21 year old Soloist Ida Praetorius got the chance to show if she can match not only Bojesen but also creator Marcia Haydee, the original Marguerite, who danced the role in her later career.

Praetorius created a successful performance, but the celebration is for something, perhaps even more unique, a great partnership.

Assoluta

John Neumeier:

“Lady of the Camellias”

Royal Danish Ballet

September 19, 2014

 

Royal Ballet

TIVOLI

September 17, 2014

 

Ballerina Gudrun Bojesen spent most of last season abroad taking on new challenges, including a very innovative “Swan Lake” production in Norway. She returns to RDB to recreate her magic Marguerite in “Lady of the Camellias” and managed to take the role and thereby the production to new height and depths.

Seeing Gudrun Bojesen’s Marguerite three seasons ago was a revelation and a testament on how far she has developed as a dancer and actor from her base as an ingénue and Bournonville specialist. This time around she managed to put even more layers on her performance. Her Marguerite maybe of ill health but this is not defining her character. This Marguerite dies of a broken heart. The TB is downplayed. And that makes the story much more touching. But this is not merely good acting. Her musicality and movement qualities also give Neumeier’s sometimes rather awkward moves elegance and flow. It is one of the strongest individual performances I have ever seen at RDB or elsewhere. A real Assoluta.

She is Back!

John Neumeier:

“Lady of the Camellias”

Royal Danish Ballet

September 14 2014

 

Three seasons ago, John Neumeier’s “Lady of the Camellias” joined the RDB repertoire and became a smash hit, but the production could only run in borrowed costumes and décor and 13 performances. Luckily the Annie & Otto Johs. Detlef’s Foundation stepped in and with a donation of 50 mil. DKK. DKK secured not only this production but four more new ballets for RDB, including a new “La Sylphide”, “Jewells” and two new creations, where one will be by Neumeier.

Could the magic from last time be recreated? Was the ballet really as good as fondly remembered? The answer is a resounding yes. “Lady of the Camellias” as danced by RDB is a glorious production, and show why the RDB ensemble is king of the world in dramatic ballet.

Ida Praetorius appointed Soloist at Royal Danish Ballet

There are few dancers that has had such a glorious start to their career at Royal Danish Ballet as Ida Praetorius. As a first year aspirant she did a leading role in Flemming Flindt's  "The Lesson". As a first year dancer she nailed Juliet in Neumeuer's "Romeo & Juliet" as well as Elenora in "The Kermesse in Brüges. She also won the Erik Bruhn competition in Canada together will Andreas Kaas.

This month Praetorius & Kaas will take on their biggest assignment so far. The leading roles in Neumeier's "Lady of the Camillias" a demanding assignment for such young dancers.

It is no surprise that Ida Praetorius is promoted to soloist. The only surprise is that it had not happened sooner. In the spring she took on the Gamzetti role in Nikolaj Hübbe and Eva Draw's production of "La Bayadére" and did also dance DewDrop in Balanchine's "Nutcracker" earlier in the season.

Ida Praetorius is part of one of the best generations developed at the Royal Ballet School, and we can expect more dancers from the generation moving to the front of the company. Ida Praetorius embellish the qualities of the Danish dancer and as an ingenue, roles naturally comes early. She is likely to be a key player in the company's future and her dramatic abilities and her strong technique gives her a large field o f opportunities.    

Photo credit: Costin Radu (Copyright Royal Danish Ballet)   

 

North & South

John Neumeier:

“Death in Venice”

Hamburg Ballet

Royal Theatre Old Stage

September 9, 2014

Five days before The Royal Danish Ballet’s glorious production of John Neumeier’s “Lady of The Camellias” reenter the Copenhagen stage, Neumeier’s “Death in Venice”, based on Thomas Mann’s novella,  is performed by his Hamburg Ballet ensemble. Where “Lady of The Camellias” is from the first haft of Neumeier’s career, “Death in Venice” is clearly from the later period, where Neumeier has made significant changes in the way, he constructs his ballets.

Crossing the Right Borders

Hamburg Ballet, May 2014

Hans Christian Andersen watches his creation, the little Mermaid struggle through the many obstacles her writer puts her though. He cries for her, but nothing can get him to change her fate.

44 year old Hamburg Ballet star Lloyd Riggins gives life to the old master. Neumeier made “The Little Mermaid” for the Royal Danish Ballet. Lloyd Riggins build his career in the Royal Danish Ballet before joining Hamburg Ballet in 1995 and was the shining example that a foreign dancer could enhance Bournonville. Bournonville and Hans Christian Andersen were contemporaries and friends. Lloyd Riggins will stage Bournonville’s “Napoli” next year in Hamburg. Neumeier will make a new work for Royal Danish Ballet. Etc.

Either it is a very small world or ……

Crossing the Ocean

 

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.

In Bruges

 

In 2013 Ib Andersen, former Royal Danish Ballet and NYCB star returned to his Danish roots to produce his own version of August Bournonville’s ”The Kermesse in Bruges”. In many ways it was a totally new company he met. Young, eager, but not really that much into Bournonville. I met him for a talk about then and now and the artistic challenges facing ballet companies worldwide.

 

November, 1979. It is in the middle of the Bournonville festival. An eager student and ballet fan is sitting in the second balcony in a cheap seat with limited view close to the stage. She is worried, because the audience of international ballet experts does not seem to get the charm and humor of Hans Brenaa’s production of “Kermesse in Bruges” starring Ib Andersen, Mette-Ida Kirk and Niels Kehlet. She could not be more wrong. As soon as the curtain falls the international audience goes berserk. They throw flowers to the stage to the stunned stars, who do not know if they should pick them up, and after 13 full stage calls the verdict is in. The ballet world has found a new favorite ballet in the so far little known Bournonville piece which is then toured internationally for the coming seasons.