August Bournonville/Nikolaj Hübbe:
”La Sylphide”
Harald Lander:
”Etudes”
Royal Danish Ballet
Alternate casts
The two alternate casts brought new interpretations, an outstanding new James, a starry couple and an strong performance delivered by a young upcoming star.
Revisiting Nikolaj Hübbe’s “La Sylphide” proved that although his rather controversial take on the classic still leaves the “La Sylphide” in non- perfect condition, it did not prevent rich and original interpretations.
Day two
Second cast showed Alban Lendorf in usually strong form and by pairing him with his regular partner, Alexandra Lo Sardo in her first Sylph, we got the benefit of a working partnership. Maria Bernholdt, who for some years must have been in line to Madge, got her first crack of the role, but having to do Madge as a man seriously limited her chance of success. It did not work. It is impossible for a woman to create the gravity of a man’s body, so she came more across as a woman with a butch dress sense. She, as well as the other Madges, has a lot of her key moments spoiled by the limitations set by the designer’s choice to close the stage by adding two giant side walls. So Madge cannot throw James’ cap off stage, but instead is left to fold it up nicely and store it in a pocket. Getting rid of the stick also ends up as a watered down version due the same limitations.
Another issue is also holding her back. It seems like the brilliant Alban Lendorf’s brilliant interpretation of James does not really buy in to the pre story relationship between Madge and James, but instead keep his focus on his Sylph and on building the relationship.
Thereby does he give Alexandra Lo Sardo a focus denied the two other Sylphs. Lo Sardo is a wonderful stylist and add mystery to the otherwise somewhat neglected prima role. But she lacks the soaring jumps and lightness, key elements for a Sylph. However, the strong partnership compensates a lot.
There is strong support by Femke Mølbach Slot as a nuanced and lovely Effie and by Jon Axel Fransson as a brilliant dancing Gurn, but also a Gurn, less naïve and more cunning than most.
Day Three
Third and final cast included two outstanding performances. Not only did Gregory Dean create a touching, emotional and nuanced James, yet another groundbreaking performance from Dean over the last couple of years. Hee also, together with young Sebastian Haynes as Madge, created a believable version of Hübbe’s game plan.
Sebastian Haynes has just begun his second year as RDB dancer, but he already has a strong resume, mainly in the more modern works. He has stage appeal to burn, but his strong performance as Madge is probably even more the work of an intelligent interpretation. For most young dancers coming up the RDB ranks you often have an idea of what type of dancer they will become and what roles they are like to aspire to. With Sebastian Haynes, RDB has gained a talent who probably can break all the fences and traditions regarding casting. With Haynes, Jon Axel Fransson, and Andreas Kaas, who added a naïve and touching Gurn to his recent Armand in “Lady of the Camellias” , RDB has a trio that can assure the strong male tradition for the next generation.
The Ballerina Issue
Earlier this month RDB presented three outstanding Danish ballerinas as Marguerite in “The lady of the Camellias”. The three ballerinas, each representing a strong generation, were Gudrun Bojesen, Susanne Grinder and Ida Praetorius.
Still, only Susanne Grinder had a leading role in this Danish programme, “La Sylphide & Etudes”. Save her the leading roles, three casts of “Sylphides” and two cast of ”Etudes” was awarded to four dancers, not educated at the RDB School.
It would not matter one bit, if these castings have been spot on. J’aime Crandall created a fine ballerina in “Etudes”. But neither of the Sylphs came anywhere near the level the role should be performed on. Even though Nikolaj Hübbe was taking the ballet in another direction, the Sylph should be performed with all the Bournonville characteristicas in place and emotionally on the level our three Marguerites could deliver.
The third Sylph out was Amy Watson, former SAB student, who had been part of the RDB for many years. When I interviewed her a few years ago, she revealed that she would love to dance the Sylph, but had little hope as there were several other ballerinas that owned the part. I was therefore rather surprised that her “Sylph” was so forced and surprisingly underacted. Normally Amy Watson is a strong performer, but here it did not happen, in spite of having a smitten James.
Another SAB alumni, Soloist Holly Jean Dorger was the second cast ballerina in “Etudes”. Dorger is a very strong hardworking dancer and she even enhanced the Lander solo with a few more embellishments. But that is not really what this rather problematic solo needs. It is an oddity of various spins, jumps and peculiar balances. What it needs is a ballerina that can make the odd pieces fit by adding an immaculate style and ballerinaship and also be as much a sylph as “La Sylphide”, as this is also one of the requirements.
Dorger is a good example of the strong technical dancer, who might even be stronger than the company ballerina. She has proved herself in roles like “Pas de Classique” and I would love to see her in in “Stars & Stripes” pas de deux. For her type of dancer, defined more by technique than the style and allure of the traditional ballerina, “Etudes” has often proved to be the highest prize available.
She has fortunately another prize to look forward to. Later this year Adam Lüders will choreograph a pas de deux for her and frequent partner Jonathan Chmelensky who also was her partner for the Sylphs segment in “Etudes”.
The Talent Round
As well as having has three homegrown brilliant young male stars in the making, Hübbe also has three young potential female stars, Hilary Guswiler, Stephanie Chen Gundorff and Ida Praetorius. Each has proven herself in really large roles, but they still spend most of their time in lover grade solos and supporting roles.
With limitations on productions and number of performances it is a puzzle to make the available roles stretch to make the deserving dancers get the right opportunities. For instance last season left Susanne Grinder with far too few roles. But with eight new girls in the company, at least it should be possible to allow the bigger talents to focus on solo roles. But somehow I have the feeling that Nikolaj Hübbe is almost too democratic in his casting decisions, especially where the girls are concerned.
The RDB stars falls in three age groups. The group that has led the company for many years are now retired or getting close to the retirement age. Thomas Lund, Mads Blangstrup, Jean Lucien Massot and Tina Højlund have allready left. Gitte Lindstrøm and Diana Cuni are on their last season, and Gudrun Bojesen has one and a half season left.
The second group is in their early thirties and late twenties. This group includes among others Marcin Kupinski, Amy Watson, Ulrik Birkkjær, Gregory Dean, J’aime Crandall, Susanne Grinder, Kizzy Matiatis, Alexander Stæger, Alexandra Lo Sardo, Christina Michanek and Sebastian Kloborg.
And finally the young group led by Alban Lendorf and covering the strong output of the RDB school and some of Hübbe’s best intake from outside sources. The dancers in this group have had many leading roles, but promotions have been few and surprisingly not always to the dancers who clearly will be able to handle the big, natural leads in the years to come. Of course Ida Praetorius will be the Sylph one day as well as others in the group will get the leading roles, they are destined for. By why the delay and why give the parts to dancers who are not natural Bournonville dancers? This year’s “Lady of the Camellias” definitely showed us the dephts of the ballerina material in the company.
That is where the gold is, and that should be the key casting principle in the RDB. That is how tradition is kept alive and talent developed.
Photos by Costin Radu. Copyright (C) Royal Danish Ballet
1. Sebastian Haynes, Stephanie Chen Gundorf and Gregory Dean as Madge, Effie and James
2. Alban Lendorf and Alexandra Lo Sardo as James and The Sylph
3. Gregory Dean and Amy Watson as James & The Sylph
4. Holly Jean Dorger and Jonathan Chmelensky in "Etudes"
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