The 2015-16 repertoire for Royal Danish Ballet combine a substantial numbers of new creations, well-known house favorites and a very limited dose of Bournonville.
The Royal Theatre is now running three different theatre houses (Old Stage, Drama House and The Opera), but they are doing it on a budget equal to when the three art forms shared Old Stage and New Stage on Kongens Nytorv.
The budget limitations off course limits all three arts form, but in my view, the ballet is suffering the most. There can be now doubt that the Royal Danish Ballet not only is the jewel in the royal Crown it is also the only of the three state ensemble with international recognition and brand. However, the RDB is still loaded with the major responsibility for the theatre’s outreach programs. Following a budget cut three years ago, the company has lost two annually productions.
Leave to Experiment
In his opening remarks, Nikolaj Hübbe could state with assurance that the RDB has now reached a peak in the classical style and are now in a position where it make sense to do more modern work, because it can now be done without any fear of polluting the classical style. With the “Take 4 programme” that will finish this season, the company will present nine new creations. The most important one will be a new work by Kim Brandstrup, named “Shaken Mirror” and drawing the inspiration from Danish poet Søren Ulrik Thomsen.
Netherlands Dance Theatre duo Paul Lightfoot and Sol León will create a new version of “Short Time Together” which will be performed with new works from Idan Sharabi and Natalia Horecna. Lightfoot and León will also guest with NDT later in the season.
Corpus will together with Christian Lollike make a production for Corpus following there successful “I Føling”. The new production will use “Asylum Seekers” as the theme. Corpus has also brought Tilman O’Donnell to RDB, and he will create a new work, that will be part of the “Dance2Go” outreach programs.
Gudrun Bojesen and Kristine Drewsen will join senior ballerinas Sorella Englund and Mette-Ida Kirk in a crossover production named “The Horizon”, which will unite actors, singers and dancers.
Gudrun Bojesen will retire with a farewell performance scheduled for April 2016.
Esther Lee Wilkinson’s “The Fable maker” from 2013 will be this year’s children’s ballet production.
The Classical Palate
In is in the classical repertoire, that the limitations are most visible. Nikolaj Hübbe will produce a new version of “Don Quixote”. The production will use the original designs and costumes from the 1980 production by designer Jens-Jacob Vorsaae . The elegant costumes has been mistreated in the two later productions of Rudolf Nureyev and Alicia Alonso’s versions. Nikolaj Hübbe is determined to return to the original look. A strong reason to bring back “The Don” is that is a perfect fit for company stars Alban Lendorf and Jon Axel Fransson.
The season will also include John Neumeier’s popular “Romeo & Juliet” in Jürgen Rose’s design. It was considered to move the production to the Opera Stage, but the famed scenography could not fit with the high proscenium so it will be performed on the Old Stage as usual.
The ballet had been offered eight extra performances on the Opera Stage. As “Romeo & Juliet” was no longer an option, it was decided to do an extra run of Twyla Tharp’s “Come Fly Away” with three casts.
There will be two Balanchine ballet in repertoire. The Christmas run of “The Nutcracker” and the return of “Theme and Variations” which has not been performed at RDB since 1991.
Nikolaj Hübbe is proud to present this favorite, which can be seen as a forerunner to the production of “Jewels” expected next season.
“Theme and Variations” will be performed together with Nikolaj Hübbe’s own production of “La Sylphide” from this season.
This season hit “Swan Lake” will only appear as “The White Act” in the “Dance2Go” programs, but Hübbe plans to run the full ballet the following season.
Missing in Action
“La Sylphide” will be the only Bournonville on the menu. I had hoped for a return of Ib Andersen’s fine production of “Kermesse in Brüges”. Earlier this season a troupe let by Principal Ulrik Birkkjær was very well reviewed in London and New York. However, the success did not help putting Bournonville on the menu.
The high standard of RDB should be celebrated by more productions. It could be “Onegin” where there are mature dancers who deserve their shoot at the leads. The fine “Bayadére” would also be a welcome return and there are others. The company, the dancers and - may I add - the audience deserves a wider repertoire and it must be frustrating for management and dancers that they cannot be allowed to shine as brightly as they can.
Photos copyright(c) by Royal Danish Ballet
Scene from "Don Quixote" by Henrik Stenberg
Gregory Dean and Ida Praetorius in "Romeo & Juliet" by Costin Radu
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