Interview with Susanne Grinder
Royal Danish ballerina’s usually comes in sets of fours.
In the late 1970/early 80’ties Linda Hindberg, Mette-Ida Kirk, Lis Jeppesen & Heidi Ryom was the leading quartet, followed a decade later by Silja Schandorff, Rose Gad, Christina Olsson and Caroline Cavallo. After them came Gitte Lindstrøm, Gudrun Bojesen, Tina Højlund and Diana Cuni, who is now retired or on the brink of retirement.
That will leave the next group, Susanne Grinder, Amy Watson, J’aime Crandall and Alexandra Lo Sardo, all in their early 30ties with the responsibility of carrying the mantle. But there is no doubt that Susanne Grinder, the only Dane, will be the key player, not because of her nationality, but because she far more than the others, possesses the qualities and repertoire of a Danish ballerina. She is the only natural romantic ballerina of the group.
The Loneliness of a Ballerina
Grinder’s career has developed in a languid tempo. She has not been an overnight sensation. Instead she had added role to role and now stands as the mistress of an impressive repertoire and range.
Although becoming a principal dancer was a career goal for Susanne Grinder, she still misses the perks of being a member of the corps and a soloist:
“When I received the appointment as principal on my first Swan Lake, I did not quite realize how my career would change. On one hand it is a privilege to be able to concentrate on the bigger roles. But the reality is that there can be significant gaps between roles and you are constantly aware of the responsibility. I have had to learn when there is such a gap to focus on other parts of my life. Although we are a closed knitted company, it can be a lonely position at times. So sometimes I get a bit nostalgic looking back at my former years when I danced more group roles”.
Neumeier’s Choice
There are few dancers at RDB who had danced so many leading roles as Susanne Grinder. She has a full house as a Bournonville Ballerina, as a Classical Ballerina and as a Neumeier Ballerina.
“It was John Neumeier who really gave my career a push, when he chose me as one of casts for the “Little Mermaid”. That was my first big lead. I loved the part, and I do wish it was back in the RDB repertoire” Grinder reflects.
Neumeier proved true in his preference. A year after “The Little Mermaid”, Susanne Grinder got the coveted part as Juliet in his “Romeo & Juliet”, a big favorite with RDB dancer and the Danish audience.
“In Neumeier’s version Juliet is really a very young girl with a teenager’s movement pattern. It is an emotional journey and a major task, but it is also a ballet, where everything comes together. Neumeier saves the elegance for Rosalinda, a part I also have danced. In his version every dancer on stage has a name and a specific character. So each dancer really feels that he or her have a significant role”.
In 2010 Nikolaj Hübbe decided to give Neumeier’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” another run and again Susanne was chosen for the leading double role as Hippolyta/Titania, a monster of a role where the dancer covers modern, romantic and classical styles.
“It proved a good choice for the company with lots of roles for the dramatic dancers and mimes. I enjoyed it but the finale grand de deux was testing. We are actually sitting pretty on stage for 10 minutes before rising to do as classical a Pas de Deux as Neumeier could master on top of a whole night’s modern dance”
The Greatest Gift
And then in 2012 Neumeier handed Susanne Grinder the greatest gift of all; First cast as Marguerite in his “Lady of the Camellias” partnering the company’s leading star Alban Lendorf. The production became a smash hit in Copenhagen and has recently had a second successful run. This time Susanne Grinder and veteran ballerina Gudrun Bojesen shares the coveted role with young upcoming star Ida Praetorius. Each dancer presents her own take on the role.
“We have primarily learnt the roles from Kevin Haigen, who knows RDB very well and he has given us a lot of freedom in our interpretations. My own interpretation puts a stronger focus on her illness, and that is because I myself a few years ago was struggling with serious illness in the form of a rare bacterial infection. I felt it gave me a bond with the character and perhaps a special understanding of that aspect of the character.”
The production, so well suited to the Old Stage in Copenhagen sums up all the strengths of the Royal Danish Ballet, its style, its dramatic skillset, and being set in Bournonville’s own lifetime, links to choreographic roots of the company.
Keeper of the Bournonville Heritage
Susanne Grinder recently reprised her Sylph, but in a new framework in Nikolaj Hübbe’s new radical production of “La Sylphide”. This time the Witch Madge is casted as a man and as a former lover of the protagonist James. A decision that – combined with a no tricks strategy – seriously changes the role and options of the Sylph.
Grinder has a full set of Bournonville roles, and will also reprise Hilda in “A Folk’s Tale” this December.
“I have been lucky to dance so much Bournonville. I was made a soloist during the 2005 Bournonville festival. A period with a natural strong focus on Bournonville, so I have done more or less all the Pas de trois, six and septs as well as most of the female leads.”
When Susanne Grinder was made soloist as Eleonora in “The Kermesse of Brügge”, her partner as Carelis, Kristoffer Sakurai was appointed principal dancer. He and Grinder danced several leads together, including the key couple in Flemming Flindt’s “Caroline Mathilde”. Grinder and Sakurai was an appealing lyric couple, but unfortunately Kristoffer Sakurai was forced into early retirement due to serious injury. He has since build a fine career in the fashion industry, but his qualities are still missed in the RDB repertoire.
In White Tutu
Following “A Folks Tale” Susanne Grinder will be Odette-Odile in Nikolaj Hübbe’s new “Swan Lake”. Grinder has previously danced the role in the Peter Martins’ version which has served as the company standard for close to 20 years.
As for Neumeier and Bournonville, Grinder has starred in all the white tutu ballets in RDB repertoire, “The Nutcracker” (Balanchine), “Sleeping Beauty” (Wheeldon) and “La Bayadére” (Hübbe). In the later her interpretation of Nikiya has developed over the performance run to a many facetted character, who can express anger as well as the deep sorrow.
Nikolaj Hübbe has also brought in a big chunk of NYCB standards, but there has been a tendency to cast Susanne Grinder in roles not necessarily in tune with her normal leading lady employ:
“I love being the leading arts crazed girl in “The Concert. It was such fun to do. The Solo in “Agon” was a role I had difficulty in finding my place in”.
It was a ballet, strangely casted, putting Grinder and Amy Watson, whom both typewise was right for the Pas de Deux, in the solo. But casting the lyric Susanne Grinder as the green girl in “Dances at a Gathering” proved a hit. The RDB is up for a healthy dose of Balanchine in the future when the company will do “Jewels”.
I have done the waltz girls in “Serenade” but has not been in “Symphony I C”, says Grinder. But when asked of her dream roles she chooses two dramatics role, both I the RDB repertoire.
“I would love to get the chance to dance “Manon”. RDB did it last season but only for 8 performances, so there were only two casts. But I would like to get a shot at it. Likewise I would love to dance Tatiana in John Cranko’s “Onegin”.
One can easily understand why these parts appeal to Susanne Grinder. They are, in a manner of speaking, sisters to her key dramatic roles. And she is an obvious choice for both.
No doubt she will continue to be a leading Copenhagen ballerina for many seasons yet. Grinder is very easy to cast. No only does she cover a broad repertoire. She is classic beauty and of middle height she can dance with all male stars in the company. She is not a dancer who forces herself on the audience. But there is depth in her dancing and acting, and in her quiet way, she creates miracles of characters and broken hearts.
Photoes:
1. Susanne Grinder by Henrik Steenberg
2.Jody Thomas and Susanne Grinder in "A Midsummer Nights Dream" by Costin Radu
3. Susanne Grinder and Alban Lendorf in "Lady of the Camellias" by Costin Radu
4 Susanne Grinder in "Serenade" by Costin Radu
All Photoes are copyright(c) by Royal Danish Ballet
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